Battle on the Elster
Encyclopedia
Battle on the Elster was fought between Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and the German anti-king Rudolf of Swabia on October 15, 1080 near Hohenmölsen
on the Weisse Elster.
and Meissen
. To do so Henry had to bypass Rudolf's Saxon
allies. Henry successfully drew off the Saxons by feignting a move toward Goslar
, while his main army crossed Thuringia
eastwards along Saxony's southern border. Henry was hoping to meet up with the other half of his forces on the Saale or Elster Rivers.
Rudolf's army soon realized its mistake and pursued Henry. Rudolf caught Henry's army on the western bank of the Elster near Hohenmölsen. While his Bavaria
n contingent may have joined him, the contingents from Bohemia and Meissen were still on the far bank. Henry retreated to a swampy valley called the Grona.
. The bridge was being held against Henry, probably by the townsmen. To meet up with his other forces, Henry would either have to force the bridge or build his own crossing.
Meanwhile Rudolf wanted to prevent Henry's escape. The long pursuit had weakened the cavalry. Rudolf ordered the knights with tired horses to dismount and strengthen the infantry. Otto of Nordheim
led these forces on a direct assault across the swampy Grona. Meanwhile the remains of Rudolf's knights attempted to circle the swamp. While Henry and Rudolf's knights fought on the periphery of the swamp, Otto was able to force his way through Henry's screening force and broke into Henry's camp. Otto retained control of his force and prevented them from plundering the camp. Otto's force then fell on the remains of Henry's army engaged with the rest of Rudolf's forces.
Henry's army broke. Many of Henry's warriors drowned in the Elster. Henry was able to escape.
Hohenmölsen
' is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approx. 10 km southeast of Weißenfels, and 27 km southwest of Leipzig....
on the Weisse Elster.
Prelude
Henry was trying to unite his forces from southern and western Germany with those of BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
and Meissen
Meissen
Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
. To do so Henry had to bypass Rudolf's Saxon
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
allies. Henry successfully drew off the Saxons by feignting a move toward Goslar
Goslar
Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
, while his main army crossed Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
eastwards along Saxony's southern border. Henry was hoping to meet up with the other half of his forces on the Saale or Elster Rivers.
Rudolf's army soon realized its mistake and pursued Henry. Rudolf caught Henry's army on the western bank of the Elster near Hohenmölsen. While his Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n contingent may have joined him, the contingents from Bohemia and Meissen were still on the far bank. Henry retreated to a swampy valley called the Grona.
Battle
The battle began with knights from both armies trading insults. Henry was initially protected from Rudolf's army by the swampy ground. Nearby was the bridge over the Elster to the town of ZeitzZeitz
Zeitz is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster, in the middle of the triangle of the federal states Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony.-History:...
. The bridge was being held against Henry, probably by the townsmen. To meet up with his other forces, Henry would either have to force the bridge or build his own crossing.
Meanwhile Rudolf wanted to prevent Henry's escape. The long pursuit had weakened the cavalry. Rudolf ordered the knights with tired horses to dismount and strengthen the infantry. Otto of Nordheim
Otto of Nordheim
Otto of Northeim was Duke of Bavaria from 1061 until 1070. He was one of the leaders of the Saxon revolt against Emperor Henry IV....
led these forces on a direct assault across the swampy Grona. Meanwhile the remains of Rudolf's knights attempted to circle the swamp. While Henry and Rudolf's knights fought on the periphery of the swamp, Otto was able to force his way through Henry's screening force and broke into Henry's camp. Otto retained control of his force and prevented them from plundering the camp. Otto's force then fell on the remains of Henry's army engaged with the rest of Rudolf's forces.
Henry's army broke. Many of Henry's warriors drowned in the Elster. Henry was able to escape.