How Holland was Lost to the Holy Roman Empire (Part 1 - the Politics)

Mapping the World, or how Germans invented America

When you enter the great hall of the Thomas Jefferson building at the Library of Congress in Washington, the first exhibit you will be facing is their Gutenberg Bible. And it is one of the finest Gutenberg bibles around, one of only three surviving pristine copies on vellum. This was the kind of bible that was so expensive to produce, it bankrupted Gutenberg. When the Library of Congress bought it in 1930, they paid $375,000, roughly $7.5m in today’s money. But this is not the most expensive piece in the library’s collection. That would a work by two Germans, Martin Waldseemüller and Matthias Ringmann. And it is not even a book, but a map. Not a small map, it is 2.3m or 91 inches wide and 1.3m or 50 inches tall. And this map, printed in 1507 claimed to be: A DESCRIPTION OF THE WHOLE WORLD ON BOTH A GLOBE AND A FLAT SURFACE WITH THE INSERTION OF THOSE LANDS UNKNOWN TO PTOLEMY DISCOVERED BY RECENT MEN And the authors wrote that the three continents known since antiquity, Europe, Africa and Asis, quote "have in fact now been more widely explored, and a fourth part has been discovered by Amerigo Vespucci (as will be heard in what follows). Since both Asia and Africa received their names from women, I do not see why anyone should rightly prevent this [new part] from being called Amerigen—the land of Amerigo, as it were—or America, after its discoverer, Americus, a man of perceptive character." End quote. This fourth part, they said was “surrounded on all sides by the ocean”. And indeed, in the left lower corner we find a fourth continent, a thin, stretched thing, with few place names and a western shore that hints at the Peruvian bulge, unmistakably, South America and then to north of it a very indistinguishable blob of land. This map, proudly displayed as America’s Birth Certificate, is full of the most intriguing mysteries. How did Waldseemüller and Ringmann know that the Americas had a western shore, when it was only in 1513, 6 years later, that a European first glanced the Pacific? How did the name America stick though Amerigo Vespucci had neverled an expedition, not even commanded a ship? But most of all, why was this first map of America drawn not by a Spanish or Portuguese navigator, but by two Germans in the employ of the duke of Lorraine, working in St. Die, which is as far away from the sea as one can get in Western Europe. And then, more generally, what did the Germans have to do with the discoveries, the maps and globes that told the world about them? That is what we will explore in this episode. he music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau [https://www.windrep.org/Michel_Rondeau] under Common Creative Licence 3.0 [https://imslp.org/wiki/Flute_Sonata_in_E-flat_major%2C_H.545_%28Bach%2C_Carl_Philipp_Emanuel%29]. As always: Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com [https://historyofthegermans.com/] If you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans Podcast [https://historyofthegermans.com/support-2/] Facebook: @HOTGPod  [https://www.facebook.com/HOTGPod/] Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcast [https://www.threads.net/@history_of_the_germans_podcast] Bluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/hotgpod.bsky.social] Instagram: history_of_the_germans [https://www.instagram.com/history_of_the_germans/?hl=en-gb] Twitter: @germanshistory [https://twitter.com/germanshistory?lang=en] To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have: The Ottonians [https://podfollow.com/ottonians] Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors] Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-2] Frederick II Stupor Mundi [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-1] Saxony and Eastward Expansion [https://podfollow.com/saxony-and-eastward-expansion] The Hanseatic League [https://podfollow.com/the-hanseatic-league] The Teutonic Knights [https://podfollow.com/the-teutonic-knights] The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356 [https://podfollow.com/the-holy-roman-empire-1250-1356] The Reformation before the Reformation [https://podfollow.com/1803590966]

Divide and Lose, the Leipziger Teilung

When two brothers, Ernst and Albrecht of Saxony divided up their enormous inheritance that comprised Thuringia, Meissen and the electorate of Sachsen-Wittenberg, they not only undermined their power base as the de facto #2 amongst the imperial principalities and planted the seed for a conflict that would play a key role in the Reformation but they also laid the foundations for the modern Länder of Thuringia and Saxony. And this division was not driven by the usual family feud but came after 20 years of largely harmonious government and a shared childhood trauma. Why they took, or had to take this fateful step, is what we will discuss today. he music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau [https://www.windrep.org/Michel_Rondeau] under Common Creative Licence 3.0 [https://imslp.org/wiki/Flute_Sonata_in_E-flat_major%2C_H.545_%28Bach%2C_Carl_Philipp_Emanuel%29]. As always: Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com [https://historyofthegermans.com/] If you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans Podcast [https://historyofthegermans.com/support-2/] Facebook: @HOTGPod  [https://www.facebook.com/HOTGPod/] Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcast [https://www.threads.net/@history_of_the_germans_podcast] Bluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/hotgpod.bsky.social] Instagram: history_of_the_germans [https://www.instagram.com/history_of_the_germans/?hl=en-gb] Twitter: @germanshistory [https://twitter.com/germanshistory?lang=en] To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have: The Ottonians [https://podfollow.com/ottonians] Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors] Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-2] Frederick II Stupor Mundi [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-1] Saxony and Eastward Expansion [https://podfollow.com/saxony-and-eastward-expansion] The Hanseatic League [https://podfollow.com/the-hanseatic-league] The Teutonic Knights [https://podfollow.com/the-teutonic-knights] The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356 [https://podfollow.com/the-holy-roman-empire-1250-1356] The Reformation before the Reformation [https://podfollow.com/1803590966]

Arms and Armour

In 1550 Spanish court records show that the Augsburg armorer Kolman Helmschmied was paid an advance of 2,000 ducats for a full armour for king Philipp II. The final price for this piece was 3,000 ducats. At the same time Raphael could charge at max 170 ducats for an altarpiece. Even the Renaissances’ best paid artist, Michelangelo received just 3,000 gold florins for the painting of the ceiling of the Sistine chapel. Armour, along with tapestries, were the most valuable artworks of the 15th and 16th century. That was just one set of armour made for the most powerful monarch of the time. But what about the thousands of soldiers he commanded, did they have armour? Oh yes they did. Not quite as sophisticated and certainly not as decorated, but they did. And where did these thousands of helmets and breast and back plates come from? From the same places where their prince’s fancy metalwork came from, from Nürnberg and Augsburg. Their swords came from Passau and Solingen and their firearms from Suhl. How come these mostly southern Germn cities became the armories of Europe whose output clad the armies that fought the never-ending wars of the 15th, 16th and 17th century? How did they supersede Milan, the centre of weapons production in the preceding century in terms of quality, scale and availability, and create a tradition of metalworking and entrepreneurship that lasts until today? That is what we will look at in this episode. he music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau [https://www.windrep.org/Michel_Rondeau] under Common Creative Licence 3.0 [https://imslp.org/wiki/Flute_Sonata_in_E-flat_major%2C_H.545_%28Bach%2C_Carl_Philipp_Emanuel%29]. As always: Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com [https://historyofthegermans.com/] If you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans Podcast [https://historyofthegermans.com/support-2/] Facebook: @HOTGPod  [https://www.facebook.com/HOTGPod/] Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcast [https://www.threads.net/@history_of_the_germans_podcast] Bluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/hotgpod.bsky.social] Instagram: history_of_the_germans [https://www.instagram.com/history_of_the_germans/?hl=en-gb] Twitter: @germanshistory [https://twitter.com/germanshistory?lang=en] To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have: The Ottonians [https://podfollow.com/ottonians] Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors] Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-2] Frederick II Stupor Mundi [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-1] Saxony and Eastward Expansion [https://podfollow.com/saxony-and-eastward-expansion] The Hanseatic League [https://podfollow.com/the-hanseatic-league] The Teutonic Knights [https://podfollow.com/the-teutonic-knights] The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356 [https://podfollow.com/the-holy-roman-empire-1250-1356] The Reformation before the Reformation [https://podfollow.com/1803590966]

How Holland was Lost to the Holy Roman Empire (Part 2 - the Economy)

So, why did Holland really leave the empire? Was it because the valiant and tragic countess Jacqueline was “hunted down from one land to the other, all of them mine”. Was it a story of misogyny, betrayal, incompetence and ruthless power politics. Yes, it was. But it was a also a story of economic and climate change and one that links into the herring trade of the Hanseatic League, the decline of Teutonic Knights and even into the Hussite Revolt, topics that seem distant, but mattered. This week we focus on this, the latter part of the story he music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau [https://www.windrep.org/Michel_Rondeau] under Common Creative Licence 3.0 [https://imslp.org/wiki/Flute_Sonata_in_E-flat_major%2C_H.545_%28Bach%2C_Carl_Philipp_Emanuel%29]. As always: Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com [https://historyofthegermans.com/] If you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans Podcast [https://historyofthegermans.com/support-2/] Facebook: @HOTGPod  [https://www.facebook.com/HOTGPod/] Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcast [https://www.threads.net/@history_of_the_germans_podcast] Bluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/hotgpod.bsky.social] Instagram: history_of_the_germans [https://www.instagram.com/history_of_the_germans/?hl=en-gb] Twitter: @germanshistory [https://twitter.com/germanshistory?lang=en] To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have: The Ottonians [https://podfollow.com/ottonians] Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors] Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-2] Frederick II Stupor Mundi [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-1] Saxony and Eastward Expansion [https://podfollow.com/saxony-and-eastward-expansion] The Hanseatic League [https://podfollow.com/the-hanseatic-league] The Teutonic Knights [https://podfollow.com/the-teutonic-knights] The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356 [https://podfollow.com/the-holy-roman-empire-1250-1356] The Reformation before the Reformation [https://podfollow.com/1803590966]

How Holland was Lost to the Holy Roman Empire (Part 1 - the Politics)

Today begins a two part series about how the Low countries modern day Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg shifted out of the Holy Empire. These lands, with the exception of Flanders, had been part of the empire for hundreds of years, ever since Henry the Fowler acquired Lothringia for east Francia in 925 – not by conquest but through diplomacy – as was his way. There are two ways to tell the story of the split away from the empire, one is about the dynastic machinations, the marriages, poisonings and inability to produce male heirs, the other one is about economics and the rising power of the cities. This, the first episode will look at the dynastic story, the pot luck and cunning plans that laid the groundworks for the entity that became known as the Low Countries to emerge, whilst the next one will look at the economic realities that thwarted the ambitions of one of the most remarkable women in late medieval history, Jacqueline of Bavaria, countess of Holland, Seeland and Hainault, and why that was ultimately a good thing, not for her and not for the empire, but for the people who lived in these lands. he music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau [https://www.windrep.org/Michel_Rondeau] under Common Creative Licence 3.0 [https://imslp.org/wiki/Flute_Sonata_in_E-flat_major%2C_H.545_%28Bach%2C_Carl_Philipp_Emanuel%29]. As always: Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com [https://historyofthegermans.com/] If you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans Podcast [https://historyofthegermans.com/support-2/] Facebook: @HOTGPod  [https://www.facebook.com/HOTGPod/] Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcast [https://www.threads.net/@history_of_the_germans_podcast] Bluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/hotgpod.bsky.social] Instagram: history_of_the_germans [https://www.instagram.com/history_of_the_germans/?hl=en-gb] Twitter: @germanshistory [https://twitter.com/germanshistory?lang=en] To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have: The Ottonians [https://podfollow.com/ottonians] Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors] Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-2] Frederick II Stupor Mundi [https://podfollow.com/salian-emperors-1] Saxony and Eastward Expansion [https://podfollow.com/saxony-and-eastward-expansion] The Hanseatic League [https://podfollow.com/the-hanseatic-league] The Teutonic Knights [https://podfollow.com/the-teutonic-knights] The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356 [https://podfollow.com/the-holy-roman-empire-1250-1356] The Reformation before the Reformation [https://podfollow.com/1803590966]