Munich was founded in June 1158 by Henry the Lion
Munich city founding festival - it all started 866 years ago!
June 14, 1158: Henry the Lion demands coinage, customs and market rights for Munich (German, French)
Munich. June 14, 1158 went down in history as the day on which the coinage, customs and market rights for a settlement “apud munichen” were confirmed by Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa. That was now 866 years ago.
Like every year, the city founding festival will be celebrated again this year in Munich's old town. But: What exactly was it like 866 years ago?
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| Another example of documents from the Middle Ages, Photo: Helga Waess |
The Munich founding document “Augsburger Schied”
The state capital's main state archives preserve historical documents, including the official founding document of the city of Munich, the "Augsburger Schied". This is the first time that “Munichen” is mentioned as a place.
The text of the document with translation can be viewed on Wikipedia.
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| Knight's armor and weapons, at the knight's tent on the Marienhof, June 13, 2015, Photo: Helga Waess |
The founding of the city of Munich as a criminal case in history
Scholars still argue about what exactly happened in 1158. Freimut Scholz's "The Founding of the City of Munich: A Spectacular Story Put to the Test" (2007) reads as a criminal case in history. All misinterpretations, misunderstood texts and twisted traditions (2007 - Canaletto Verlag - ISBN 978-3000229916).
A document confirms the customs, coinage and market rights with an imperial seal. Henry the Lion referred to this document from Emperor Frederick I, known as Emperor Barbarossa, when he asserted his claims on the newly founded “Munichen” market on the Isarfurt.
Previously he is said to have destroyed the episcopal market and the important bridge over the Isar near Föhring in order to improve his own trading center. That's why the Freising bishop described him as a "highway robber" in a document. Everything is wrong, Scholz refutes after a thorough examination of all sources.
A Saxon duke demands the Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa on the Isar
Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony since 1142, was enfeoffed with the Duchy of Bavaria in 1154. Not that unusual, as the Bavarian duke's hat was previously worn by his father, Henry the Proud (since 1126) and also the lion's grandfather, Henry the Black (since 1120).
As a noble family, the Guelphs had held the Bavarian ducal dignity since Welf IV, i.e. since 1070.
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| Knights on the Marienhof behind the Munich City Hall, June 13, 2015. Photo: Helga Waess |
Hostile takeover on the Isar?
The lion administered his fiefs and lands. He thought economically when - according to older historiography - he had the Isar bridge near “feringa” (Oberföhring) destroyed in the autumn of 1157. Although he violated the Freising bishop's legal area, the new salt trade route took precedence. And he wanted to collect customs duties and market taxes for the transport of white gold in his area. He wanted market, mint and customs rights.
From then on, all trade was to pass over just one bridge at the ford “apud munichen” (Latin for “with the monks”).
The monks' settlement mentioned has probably been at this location for a long time and can be seen as the founding of the Tegernsee monastery. (see Karl Jorhan's book "Heinrich the Lion", p. 153 f.)
Augsburg arbitration versus Regensburg arbitration
Two of the most important sources are the Augsburg Arbitration of 1158 and the Regensburg Judgment of 1180. For a long time, historians were unanimous in their opinion that these two sources were directly related to each other. And that the founding of the Munich market was based on the destruction of the Föhringen market. However, this is not the case - says the author Freimut Scholz. However, other historians are still skeptical here.
"It's all just interpretation!?" May the reader devote themselves to reading Scholz's book and form their own opinion.
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| The Loisach in Wolfratshausen flows into the Isar shortly behind the town, Photo: Helga Waess |
Salt trade route from Salzburg and Berchtesgarden to Swabia
The crossing with the monks on the Isar gave the salt trade route from Salzburg and Berchtesgaden to Swabia a new route. Thanks to the customs duties, it gave Heinrich a source of income that should not be underestimated.
But that wasn't enough. Almost in the same breath, “the lion” abolished the traditional market, coinage and customs rights of the Freising bishops. After all, he had received the fiefdom from the emperor.
Bishop Otto of Freising must have been furious. He filed a lawsuit against the Guelph. And that was with the highest secular authority at the time: the emperor.
Otto, Bishop of Freising, against Henry, Duke of Saxony and Bavaria
It was the Pentecost festival of 1158, Barbarossa was preparing for the second invasion of Italy, and a Reichstag was being held in Augsburg.
The “Augsburg Arbitration” recorded the arbitration award of June 14th once and for all:
- The forced reconstruction of the salt trade route through Munich was declared legal. In return, the Föhring market's rights were revoked. This confirmed the new crossing over the Isar.
- The Bishop of Freising was appeased with a compromise. According to the document, from then on he received 1/3 of the customs duties and also the mint of the place aput munich.
- Duke Henry the Lion also received something else: 1/3 of the Freising coin, also as a fief.
- And the administration of the new rights? It was shared. Control over the Isar crossing was the responsibility of an episcopal and a ducal accounting official.
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| Example of a document from the Middle Ages, photo: Helga Waess |
The Regensburg judgment of July 13, 1180
In the so-called Regensburg Arbitration, Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa withdrew the market rights previously granted to the Guelph Henry the Lion from 1158. Munich remained. The original document from the Regensburg judgment, with the sign and seal of Emperor Friedrich I Barbarossa, is now kept in the main state archives of the state capital Munich.
Otto's successor, Albert von Freising, received market and customs rights for the salt trade through Munich. The Freising bishops were to retain these rights until the 13th century.
She then gave it to the dukes of the House of Wittelsbach. But this is another story. And it was only under the dukes of the House of Wittelsbach that Munich came under new administration. Munich received a written city charter at the end of the 12th century.
The place and its residents became very prosperous because the important salt trade route via Salzburg, Reichenhall, Wasserburg and Munich to Memmingen in Swabia was very lucrative. So it didn't take long until a castle complex and of course the city fortifications followed.
The city wall and the old town of Munich
Only a few remains of the city wall have been preserved. The city gates and the old town ring encompass Munich's old town, where the city's founding festival is celebrated every June with dance, games and theater.
Under civil rule, the city of Munich on the Isar continues to grow to this day.
It has been 866 years since the city of Munich was founded
Whether through the use of force or peacefully, we will not clarify it here.
In any case, it was founded, because the city still stands, celebrates and grows today:
MÜNCHEN
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| Marienplatz in Munich with a view of the town hall corner towers and the Towers of the Frauenkirche, photo: Helga Waess |
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Stage on Marienplatz in front of the town hall, Munich city founding festival, June 13, 2015, photo: Helga Waess |
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| Stage in front of the Feldherrnhalle on Odeonsplatz, Munich city founding festival, June 13, 2015, photo: Helga Waess |
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| Stage on Marienplatz, Munich city founding festival, June 13, 2015, Photo: Helga Waess |
