Petermann von Gundoldingen
Petermann of Gundoldingen (* 14th century in Lucerne; † 9 July 1386) was Schultheiss (akin to today's office of mayor) of Lucerne and participated in the Battle of Sempach.[1]
Life
Petermann von Gundoldingen was the son of Werner Gundoldingen. He was first married to Berchta von Garten and later to Agnes von Moos. Werner was likely a tanner and in 1352 the largest taxpayer, meaning he was the wealthiest citizen of Lucerne. As his father's successor, Petermann served as Lucerne's mayor from 1361 until his resignation following a constitutional amendment in December 1384. Under his leadership, Lucerne transformed from a small town to a Free imperial city.[1]
In 1366, Lucerne assumed the pledge of the bailiff's tax from the heirs of Count Johann von Frohburg, forming a basis for the city's acquisition policy. In 1370, Gundoldingen was seized by Bruno Brun (son of Rudolf Brun ), provost of the Grossmünster, which led to the drafting of the Priests' Charter . In 1379, the bailiwick of Ebikon was granted to Petermann von Gundoldingen and his son as an Austrian fief; the following year, he acquired the bailiwick of Weggis for Lucerne; from 1380 onward, burgage rights were granted in what would later become Lucerne territory ( Sempach War ).[2] Gundoldingen acted as an arbitrator for the Swiss cantons and Austria. In 1384, he became the honorary mayor.[1]
On 3 January 1386, Gundoldingen marched with the Swiss Confederation to Wolhusen , where they were received with jubilation. They drove out the bailiff Peter von Thorberg and destroyed his two castles. In 1386, he received supreme command of the Lucerne troops, which he led alongside the Swiss Confederation in the Sempach War against Austria.[1]
According to the legend of Sempach, he met his death during the battle.[2][3]
Family
The Lucerne magistrates' family is likely named after the Gundoldingen estate south of Hochdorf . The branch first documented in Lucerne with Arnold von Gundelvingen in 1312 achieved rapid political and economic advancement by the second generation at the latest, without formal knighthood, as evidenced by their presidencies of arbitration courts and kinship ties to the von Moos, von Büttikon, and von Garten families.[4] From 1329, the Gundoldingen family were vassals of Lucerne Abbey. Before 1379, they received an Austrian fiefdom with the bailiwicks of Ebikon and Rotsee. Members of the family can still be traced in their region of origin in the second half of the 15th century.
An inscription on the east side of the Zurich City Hall says: PET[er] M[ann] V. GVNTELI SCHVLTH. V. LUCERN. (= Petermann of Gundoldingen Schultheiss of Lucerne) 1386. AVT MORS AVT VITA DECORA. (= Either a life in honor or death)
Literature
- Theodor von Liebenau: The Schultheissen of Lucerne. In: The historian friend. Releases of the Historical Society of the five cities of Lucerne, *Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden and whether nid the forest and train. Volume 35, 1880, pp 55–182
- Melchior Estermann: From the history of Gundoldingen. In: The Fatherland. July 3, 1886
- Kuno Müller: Petermann of Gundoldingen. In: Inner Swiss Yearbook of History. Tape 8-10, 1944–46, pp 61–74
- Roger Sablonier : Central Switzerland and early Confederation. 1990 60
References
- ^ a b c d "Gundoldingen, Petermann von". hls-dhs-dss.ch (in French). Retrieved 2026-02-23.
- ^ a b Messmer, Kurt (2021-07-09). "Swiss history blog". Swiss National Museum - Swiss history blog. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
- ^ Flemwell, George (1913). Lucerne. Blackie.
- ^ Estermann, Melchior (1891). Geschichte der alten Pfarrei Hochdorf des Johanniter-Ordenshauses Honrein (in German). Buchdr. von Räber.
Sources
- Gregor Egloff: Gundoldingen, Petermann of the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland