1595 Meister Lorenz Römer, Freifechter

Master Lorenz Römer was already an old man, when he came to settle down. He was a Freyfechter and entitled to hold Fechtschule - the fencing school and tournament. Next to his duty as a fencing master he was catching birds and selling them. He was remembered in a poem written at his death by Bartholomäus Ringwaldt, pastor …

A Fechtmeister for 50 Pfennige

In the year 1890 you could become a „Fechtmeister“ if you bring 20 members to the “Deutsche Generalfechtschule” in Baden-Baden. If you open 10 own “Fechtschulen” or bring in 200 members you would earn the title “Oberfechtmeister”. You will get a fine certificate for the price of 50 Pfennige. No certification, no test, no examination …

1478-1523 Marxbruder Nicklaus Bruckner

Nicklaus Bruckner the knife maker, entered the house of the Nürnberger Zwölfbrüderstiftung on Monday 6th of November 1519. The Nuremberg Twelve Brothers Foundations had been a non-profit organization, which should allow the old and no longer capable of working craftsmen a well-supplied age in a monk-like community. There Bruckner died on the 5th of April 1523. He had been a …

1444 Two fencing masters in Rothenburg

In the year 1444 a duel took place between two fencing-masters. One from the south coming from Vienna the other from Württemberg. One of fencing master from Vienna is named Conrad of Siebenbürgen (Transilvania), the other is not named. The only thing that we kow of the second fencing-master is that he has followed the …

Fechtschule in the GMN 3227a – transcribed and translated

In the first surviving manuscript based on the teaching of Johannes Liechtenauer, the GMN 3227a, we already find several references to the Fechtschule, a fighting sport/show event. Not only that the author begs to differ the Liechtenauer way from the Fechtschul fencing (on 14r), he gives some recommendation how do a good show yourself and …

1582 a bloody Fechtschule in Brieg, Brzeg

On page 24 in 1870s Wassmannsdorf "Sechs Fechtschulen" {1} he is largely citing a book of 1861 titled "Reisen und Gefangenschaft Hans Ulrich Kraffts" (1861). The book was released by the Litterarischer Verein of Stuttgart, Dr. K. H. Haszler. Starting from page 383 there is a description of a Fechtschul (fighting/fencing show) and it's accidents. This transcription …

Chronicle of the Fencing Guilds in Augsburg

Augsburg was a center of fencing activity like Nürnberg and Frankfurt. It's early fencing show (Fechtschule) tradition starts at the beginning of the 16th century and ends in the 18th century, when the fencing house was demolished. There had been two buildings connected with fencing in the city. The first is the famous "Tanzhaus" a …

1606 Regulation of the fencing in Breslau, Wrocław

It is reported that the Fechtschul (fencing school) was a big amusement, with high intense of emotions often ending in fighting and a brawl. Not very much differing from modern wrestling or boxing events, but a lot less civilized. Thus the city councils thought about not allowing or restricting the fencing schools. We have it …

1745 a Fechtschul of the Marxbrüder in Frankfurt

One of the late accounts of a appeal for Fechtschul is found in the "Vollständiges Diarium von der höchst-erfreulichen Crönung des allerdurchlauchtigsten, grossmächtigsten und unüberwindlichsten Fürsten und Herrn, Herrn Franciscus, erwehlten römischen Kaysers" by Jung, 1746. It is the description of the events surrounding the 1745 crowning of Francis I (Francis Stephen; 8 December 1708 – 18 …

1754 A Federfechter Accident in Hamburg

Joachim Ohlsen is named as one of the last Master of the sword holding a fencing school (Fechtschul) in 1754. He is accounted as a Marxbruder and Federfechter. This event is listed in some books like in the "Der Freischütz: Volks-Oper in drei Aufzügen. Ausgabe letzter hand, mit August Apels Schattenrisse, siebenunddreissig Original-Briefen und einem Facsimile …