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36-519: It was destroyed in 1554 at the end of the second Margravian war (1552–1554) of margrave Albert Alcibiades . The Plassenburg was later rebuilt by the architect Caspar Vischer as an impressive stronghold and as a huge palace. In 1792, Margrave Alexander sold the Plassenburg to his cousin, the King of Prussia. A combined Bavarian and French army under the command of Jérôme Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon, besieged

72-652: A Frederick the Great in him, "but who burnt away his splendid qualities as a mere temporary shine for the able editors, and never came to anything, full of fire, too much of it wildfire, not in the least like an Alcibiades except in the change of fortune he underwent". He was buried at Heilsbronn Münster. His hymn "Was mein Got will, das g'scheh allzeit" was translated as "The will of God is always best". Casimir, Margrave of Brandenburg-Bayreuth Casimir (or Kasimir ) of Brandenburg-Bayreuth (27 December 1481 – 21 September 1527)

108-720: A considerable reputation, and when Charles was preparing to attack the Schmalkaldic League , he took pains to win Albert's assistance. Sharing in the attack on the Electorate of Saxony , Albert was taken prisoner at Rochlitz in March 1547 by Elector John Frederick of Saxony, but was released as a result of the Emperor's victory at the Battle of Mühlberg in the succeeding April. He then followed

144-466: A large sum of money from the citizens of Nuremberg , he quarrelled with his supporter, the French King, and offered his services to the Emperor. Charles, anxious to secure such a famous fighter, gladly assented to Albert's demands and gave the imperial sanction to his possession of the lands taken from the bishops of Würzburg and Bamberg ; and his conspicuous bravery was of great value to the Emperor on

180-801: A military leader and diplomat in Habsburg service. He participated in 1506 in Schwäbisch Hall against the Swabian League and in 1509 in the Diet at Worms. In 1513, he was imperial commissioner at the assembly of the Swabian League at Nördlingen dealing with a breach of the peace by Götz von Berlichingen . Casimir and Duke William IV of Bavaria jointly oversaw the conduct of the war. In 1519, he took part in federal measures against Ulrich of Württemberg ; in May 1519, he commanded 700 knights advancing to Ehningen . Among

216-554: A war against Thomas von Absberg and his allies. The Franconian War broke out in 1523, and several castles of the robber barons were destroyed. The war was documented by Hans Wandereisen in a series of woodcuts. The first actions of the German Peasants' War in 1525 were incursions into the neighboring Bishopric of Würzburg under Bishop Conrad II of Thüngen and into the Bishopric of Bamberg under Bishop Weigand of Redwitz . In

252-512: The Residenz of the Margraves of Brandenburg-Kulmbach for the first time from Plassenburg, which continued to serve primarily as a country fortress to Bayreuth from then on. 50°06′30″N 11°27′48″E  /  50.10833°N 11.46333°E  / 50.10833; 11.46333 Albert Alcibiades Albert II ( German : Albrecht ; 28 March 1522 – 8 January 1557)

288-521: The Counts of Weimar-Orlamünde . The two sons of Herman II (died 1247) and Beatrix of Andechs-Merania initially ruled together as "Lords of Plassenburg". After 1278 they divided the inheritance of their father, whereupon Otto III was given sole possession of the domain of Plassenburg and the territory around Weimar. Otto III died in 1285 and the Plassenburg appeared soon afterwards in the hands of his son Otto IV . His son in turn, Count Otto VI of Orlamünde , who

324-506: The Margraviate of Brandenburg-Ansbach . However, since his younger brother often stayed at the Hungarian royal court, Casimir ruled Brandenburg-Ansbach on his behalf. The overthrow of his father outraged Casimir's other brothers and led to far-reaching political countermeasures. When Elector Joachim I of Brandenburg visited Kulmbach during his journey to Augsburg , and wanted to plead for

360-666: The Elector of Brandenburg, in accordance with the Dispositio Fridericiana of 1385. Thus, the Plassenburg became the centre of power for the so-called Principality of the Mountains ( Fürstentum ob dem Gebirg ), later the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Kulmbach . After the death of John III in 1420, his estate fell to his brother, Frederick, who, in 1421, created the office of "Captain of the Mountains" to rule his domain. Plassenburg remained

396-588: The Hohenzollerns. At the time of Burgrave Frederick V of Nuremberg (who reigned 1357–1397), the Plassenburg had already outstripped the Cadolzburg - a traditional burgravial residence. In 1397 Burgrave Frederick V stepped down from the business of government and chose the Plassenburg as his retirement home. The Hohenzollerns' territory in Franconia was divided between his sons, John III and Frederick VI , later to be

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432-458: The Plassenburg in 1806. In 1810, Kulmbach became Bavarian and the castle was used as a prison and as a military hospital. During the second world war, the Organisation Todt used the Plassenburg as a training camp and recreation home. Today, it is a museum and a venue for cultural events. It contains a significant collection of Prussian military artifacts and portraits. Plassenburg Castle

468-635: The administrative centre of this hilly principality until after the middle of the 16th century. The imprisonment of the Countess Barbara of Brandenburg in March 1493, began the sad chapter of Plassenburg Castle as a family prison. This reached a peak in February 1515 when Margrave Casimir of Brandenburg-Kulmbach locked up his father, Margrave Frederick I of Brandenburg-Ansbach , in a tower room at Plassenburg from which he could not leave for 12 years. In 1542, Margrave Albert II of Brandenburg-Kulmbach moved

504-408: The bailiff Louis von Hutten that the lives of the residents would be spared. After they surrendered, however, he punished them hard by chopping off their right hand index and middle fingers (the "oath fingers") and blinded them and sent them into exile . His "captain" Augustin stabbed the eyes of 58 people who had said they "wanted to see no more Margrave" before the rebellion. This act was even at

540-763: The boundaries of their principalities. Casimir opposed the Reformation , unlike his brother George , who supported it. The assault of the peasants and the Black Company overwhelmed the Bishopric of Würzburg. The bishop fled and the defenders retreated to the Fortress Marienberg in Würzburg . Under considerable financial and personal efforts, Casimir prepared to repel the incursions into his territory. He summoned his subjects to arms and hired mercenaries. The Margrave had

576-693: The church in Schwabach . This conflict has been immortalized in folk songs. Casimir was later embroiled in border disputes with Nuremberg. Casimir had been a leader of the Swabian League since 1499. In 1522, however, he cancelled his membership, when it became apparent that the Imperial City of Nuremberg , traditionally an enemy of the Burgrave of Nuremberg , and later the Margraves of Nuremberg, intended to start

612-762: The city for its lack of support when he was raising troops. He only ceased his punishments when it emerged in November 1526 that innocent people were affected as well. By participating as Imperial Commissioner in the diets in Augsburg in December 1525 and in Speyer in August 1526, Casimir once again proved his loyalty to the Habsburg imperial family. At the coronation of the future German Emperor Ferdinand I as King of Bohemia in 1527, Casimir, who

648-612: The daughter of Duke Albert IV of Bavaria and Kunigunde of Austria . Emperor Maximilian I , the maternal uncle of the bride, also participated in the glamorous wedding in 1518, during the Diet of Augsburg . Casimir's close ties to the imperial family were visible again at the coronation of Emperor Charles V , where he was given the honor of being the First Cutter at the coronation dinner. After Casimir's death, his widow Susanna married (childlessly) her kinsman Otto Henry of Neuburg (in 1556-1559

684-634: The duty to protect the free imperial city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber . At Rothenburg, Casimir won his first victory over the peasants, and left the city with a rich booty. Shortly afterwards, however, the city council bowed for the citizens, who came to an arrangement with the peasants. The riots spread from Rothenburg into Casimir's territory, into the districts of Crailsheim , Lobenhausen-Anhausen, Werdeck-Gerabronn and Bamberg-Wiesenbach. Casimir withdrew to Ansbach and dug in. He tried to raise new troops in Upper Franconia, but they revolted. So Casimir

720-585: The fortunes of his friend Elector Maurice of Saxony, deserted Charles, and joined the league which proposed to overthrow the Emperor by an alliance with King Henry II of France . He took part in the subsequent campaign, but when the Peace of Passau was signed in August 1552 he separated himself from his allies and began a crusade of plunder in Franconia , which led to the Second Margrave War . Having extorted

756-679: The guardianship of his uncle George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach , a strong adherent of Protestantism . In 1541, he received Bayreuth as his share of the family lands, but as the chief town of his principality was Kulmbach , he is sometimes referred to as the Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach. His restless and turbulent nature marked him out for a military career; and having collected a small band of soldiers, he assisted Emperor Charles V in his war with France in 1543. The Peace of Crépy in September 1544 deprived him of this employment, but he won

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792-436: The guidance of experienced advisors. In 1515, Casimir and his younger brother George deposed their father, who had greatly burdened the finances of the margraviate with his lavish lifestyle. Casimir then locked up his father at his residence at Plassenburg Castle , in a tower room from which his father could not escape for 12 years. He took up the rule of the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Kulmbach while his brother George ruled

828-433: The presence of his brother George and King Ferdinand, to whom he entrusted the care of his five-year-old son Albert II Alcibiades . George ruled Brandenburg-Kulmbach while Albert was a minor. Theodore Hirsch concludes his biography with the statement that because of the atrocities Casimir committed, so far no biographer had written a balanced description of his life. On 25 August 1518, Casimir married Susanna of Bavaria ,

864-496: The regency of Brandenburg-Kulmbach until Casimir's eldest son, Albert II Alcibiades , came of age in 1541. Casimir was a vassal of Emperor Maximilian I and fought in 1499 alongside his father and Margrave Christopher I of Baden as the commander of the Swabian League against the Old Swiss Confederacy and led the negotiations that resulted in the Peace of Basel . In subsequent years, he continued to be active as

900-440: The release of Casimir's father, he was denied access to Plassenburg Castle. The Elector's brother, Albert of Brandenburg , then turned against him and sided with Emperor Charles V , and was rewarded with a cardinal's hat. The dispute was resolved when an agreement was reached in 1522, in which the demands of the other brothers of Casimir were met. Margrave Casimir died at Buda in 1527. At that point, his brother George took up

936-560: The retreat from the Siege of Metz in January 1553. When Charles left Germany a few weeks later, Albert renewed his depredations in Franconia. These soon became so serious that a league was formed to crush him, and Maurice of Saxony led an army against his former comrade. The rival forces met at Sievershausen on 9 July 1553, and after a combat of unusual ferocity Albert was put to flight. Henry, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel , then took command of

972-637: The spring of 1525 Casimir and the neighboring princes met in Neustadt an der Aisch to discuss a common response to the riots that threatened to spill over from Swabia into the Odenwald . The discussions were attended by Casimir and the two bishops and the Prince Bishop of Eichstätt and by Count Albert of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein, George of Waldburg and the counts of Limburg, Wertheim, Henneberg and Castell. The proceedings were derailed by mistrust, caused by cheating at

1008-464: The time seen as monstrous atrocities. He also punished Rothenburg and wrung territorial concessions from the city. Contemporary reports claim that the market squares of Rothenburg and Schweinfurt were dyed red by the blood of the beheaded rebels. Since Casimir was described as the imperial henchman, it can be assumed that he acted in accordance with the wishes of the Emperor or the Swabian League. He sent his brother John Albert to Bayreuth to punish

1044-759: The traditional arguments of the Burgraves and Margraves with the Imperial City of Nuremberg was a dispute in 1502 over the protection of the fair in Affalterbach . The City Council claimed to have to right to protect the enclave of Affalterbach itself and Casimir tried to prevent this. The situation developed in a political power game. Strong forces from Nuremberg had arrived in Affalterbach early. Casimir changed course and attacked suburbs of Nuremberg itself. The Nuremberg had to retreat from Affalterbach with heavy losses and surrender their banners, which were put on display in

1080-449: The troops of the league, and after Albert had been placed under the Imperial ban in December 1553 he was defeated by Duke Henry, and compelled to flee to France. He there entered the service of Henry II of France and had undertaken a campaign to regain his lands when he died at Pforzheim on 8 January 1557. He is defined by Thomas Carlyle as "a failure of a Fritz ," with "features" of

1116-471: Was Margrave of Bayreuth or Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach from 1515 to 1527. Casimir was born in Ansbach , as the son of Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and his wife Princess Sofia Jagiellon , a daughter of King Casimir IV Jagiellon of Poland . From 1498, Casimir's father Frederick granted him the position of stadtholder of the margraviate during his extensive travels. He ruled under

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1152-735: Was first mentioned in 1135, when it was described by Count Berthold II of Andechs as comes de Plassenberch . Presumably he was also the founder of the castle, which was built to the west of an earlier fortified farmstead. To begin with, the castle was a central supporting stronghold for the Meranian rulers of the Upper Main and Franconian Forest . After the death of the last Andechs-Meranian, Duke Otto VIII , his brother-in-law divided his inheritance. Plassenburg Castle, along with Kulmbach, Berneck , Goldkronach , Wirsberg , Trebgast , and Pretzendorf (now Himmelkron ) went to Hermann III and Otto III ,

1188-819: Was limited to using Bohemian mercenaries to defend his most fortified castles. The unorganized peasant armies were defeated in the Würzburg area by a coalition of the Swabian League and other allies of the bishop of Würzburg. Their resistance and morale collapsed due to their massive losses. Casimir, whose actions had earned him the nickname " Bloodhound ", gained the upper hand. Rebel villages, most of whom surrendered without resistance, were pillaged and looted. Casimir also devastated villages in his own territory: he had entire villages burned down, and rebels were executed. Reportedly, he had 300 people killed in Feuchtwangen alone. In Kitzingen , he wanted to set an example: he promised

1224-628: Was seriously marked by disease, joined a military campaign in Hungary against John Zápolya . Because his brother George the Pious also joined, Casimir returned to appoint a stadtholder for their Franconian possessions and to raise additional troops. In July 1527, he reached the Hungarian border. The forts on the Danube surrendered to him, and he moved on to Buda . On 27 September 1527, he died of dysentery in Buda, in

1260-560: Was the margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (Brandenburg-Bayreuth) from 1527 to 1553. He was a member of the Franconian branch of the House of Hohenzollern . Because of his bellicose nature, Albert was given the cognomen Bellator ("the Warlike") during his lifetime. Posthumously, he became known as Alcibiades . Albert was born in Ansbach and, losing his father Casimir in 1527, he came under

1296-504: Was the only Orlamünde since 1323 who was described as "Lord of Plassenburg", pledged this lordship together with the Plassenburg, Kulmbach, Trebgast and Berneck in 1338 to Burgrave John II of Nuremberg . As a result, after Otto VI's death in 1340, Plassenburg fell to the Burgraves of Nuremberg from the House of Hohenzollern . Gradually, Plassenburg Castle developed into a new centre of power for

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