Burgmann

From the 12th century in central Europe, aBurgmann(plural:Burgmannenor modern termBurgmänner,Latin:oppidanus,castrensus) was aknightministerialesor member of thenobilitywho was obliged to guard and defendcastles.The role is roughly equivalent to the Englishcastellanand the name derives from the German word for castle,Burg.

Function

Whether aBurgmannwas a free knight,dienstmannorministerialis,he was a member of thearistocracywho was charged by theBurgraveor lord of the castle (theBurgherr) with the so-calledBurghutor castle-guard. In other words, his job was to guard the castle and defend it in case of attack. A fief had to be defended from incursion and the supporting farmland had to be run correctly, proper repairs and improvements had to be made, possibly fortifying key points and collecting taxes. Ministeriales replaced free nobles as castellans under Conrad I of Abensberg's tenure as Archbishop of Salzburg from 1106 to 1147.In 1131,Hohensalzburgsaw its first ministerialis, Henry of Seekirchen, sit as both burgmann and burgrave, overseeing a permanent garrison of subordinate (free) knights.

Originally theBurgmannwas paid in kind for his service although he had to provide his own armour. Later, he was given a so-calledBurglehnas a remuneration which, from the late 13th century, was a fixed sum of money. From the 13th century on, the rights and duties of theBurgmanncould be found to be governed by a written contract, theBurgmannvertrag.In addition to the place and times that aBurgmannhad to be present at the castle, it laid down the necessary armament and equipment. The duty to be present - called residence duty (Residenzpflicht) - required the lord of the castle to provide hisBurgmännerwith a residence free of charge within the castle or at least in its immediate vicinity. Such residences were referred to as theBurgmann'sresidence (Burgmannsitz), estate (Burggut) or court/farmBurgmannshof.

Many had judicial powers to govern, as in 1111, when the Salzburg burgmann caught a ministerial who fomented armed rebellion - he had the offender blinded for his temerity.

Sometimes severalBurgmännerwould be resident at one castle and, together, they made up theBurgmannschaft.They were subordinate to theBurgherror to a castle commandant (Burgkommandant) commissioned by him, who frequently bore the title,burgrave(Burggraf). Because theBurgmannwas subject tofeudal law(Lehnsrecht), legal disputes involving feudal matters were handled by the burgrave. The noblemen of theBurgmannschaftwere often supported in their work by common staff such as gatekeepers (Torwarte) and watchmen (Türmer).

Decline of Use

The residence requirement of theBurgmannenwas superseded by the introduction of armed servants orKnechte.With the introduction of such non-aristocratic castle contingents and the move from castles tofortificationsin the late Middle Ages, theBurgmannsystem disappeared, and theBurghutwas discharged byKriegsknechteandmercenaries.

See also

• German nobility
• German comital titles

Literature

• Arnold, Benjamin. German Knighthood 1050-1300. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985.
• Freed, John B. "Nobles, Ministerials and Knights in the Archdiocese of Salzburg"Speculum62:3 (July 1987) pp. 575–611
• Freed, John B.Noble Bondsmen: Ministerial Marriages in the Archdiocese of Salzburg, 1100-1343(Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1995).
• Horst Wolfgang Böhme, Reinhard Friedrich,Barbara Schock-Werner(ed.):Wörterbuch der Burgen, Schlösser und Festungen.Philipp Reclam, Stuttgart, 2004,ISBN3-15-010547-1,pp. 100–101.
• Lexikon des Mittelalters.Vol 2. dtv, Munich, 2002,ISBN3-423-59057-2,col. 965–966, 1055.

External links

• Burgmannenin the glossary at regionalgeschichte.net