Much has been written over the motives for
Sickingen pursuing a feud with the Cure principality of Trier. Custom states that although he presided over
the order he could not win the support of his comrades from the lower
aristocracy because he offered them no program of battle or afterward
power division for their consideration and approval by vote. Nevertheless
in the late summer of 1522 Sickingen goes to war against Trier with little
outside support. One knight wanting to settle matters for himself using
the outdated redresses of medieval feudalism in an aspirational struggle
for the possession of a Cure principality against those that were growing
increasingly powerful at the expense of the knights. That the majority of
these very knights did not assist him was a factor both in his inability
to defeat Trier, and in the further decline of the knight order's power.
He fails in the siege mainly due to the
leadership of the Archbishop of Trier, Richard von Reiffenklau (a long
standing comrade that could rely on the entirety of his subjects in the
defense), and the knights and advocates of the churches reformation, which
alarmingly he had protected and supported. With the failure of the Trier
siege, Sickengen was now opposed by a powerful coalition of princes
desiring retribution: the Cure prince of Trier, Land Count Philipp von
Hessen, and Cure prince Ludwig of the Palatinate.
In his last battle with these new nobles
of the empire, it becomes apparent how restricted the resources of the
once successful knight are against such powerful allied foes. Late April
1523 finds Sickingen defending his cannon castle Nanstein, which is under
heavy artillery attack by the coalition of Cure princes. Under the
concentrated fire of their modern siege guns, the head bastion (the
roundel) of the fort collapses in a few hours. The situation is hopeless.
Franz von Sickingen is defeated and on May 7, 1523 dies from wounds he
received
during
the battle. In result of this war, it was ordered by Cure prince Ludwig
that Sickingen's remaining castles (Ebernberg and Hohenberg) and those of the neighboring castle lords that supported him
also be destroyed, which act was carried out promptly and can be read about
in some of the other Legendary Castles of the Palatinate pages.
Although Sickingen failed, the variety
of ways in which his influence has obviously shaped our history remains
yet many generations later. From Sickingen to Ebernburg, he is honored
with full respect in the remembrance of an ideal from the Middle Ages and
designated with the title of the "last knight".
On behalf the Palatinate Counts, Cure
Palatine magistrates administered the conquered Nanstein as well as the
Sickingen Great and Small Courts of Kaiserslautern. Though knight Franz
was defeated for what is termed rebellion, he was nonetheless an honored
and accomplished noble who had been of great service to the realm and
church. His remaining possessions were not divided among the conquerors,
rather, in 1542, the sons of Franz re-acquired Nanstein as a fief from the
Palatinate Electors and begin it's refurbishment. The grandson of Empire
Knight Franz, Reinhardt von Sickingen, completed this reconstruction in
1595. On site there can be found engravings done during this period by
the well known sculptor Matthäus Merian.
The castle also played a role in the
Thirty-Year War. In the year 1635 the Imperial General Gallas pulled
before the gates of the county seat, Kaiserslautern, and forced
it's
defenders to deliver the city and strongholds. Imperial troops then
occupied the Sickingen's territory and remain in control until 1643. At
this time it was delivered by the Lothringers, who then settled themselves
there at Nanstein. This resulted in the castle's doom. Elector Karl
Ludwig utterly banished the Lothringers from Nanstein in 1668 with strong
force of arms, causing extensive damage. Thus for the second time in it's
history, Nanstein is destroyed by cannon fire
Not until the middle of the 19th century
was any type of reinforcing restoration or careful excavation done.
Further rehabilitations have followed In the 30's of the 20th century and
in the recent past.. It is an absolutely fantastic place to visit, and is
the host of a popular jazz festival. Many Americans such as myself have
seen this castle first hand because of it's location near the large
military bases of Kaiserslautern, Ramstein, and Landstuhl.
View from the castle
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