Frisian freedom
Encyclopedia
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
and serfdom
Serfdom
Serfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to Manorialism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High Middle Ages in Europe and lasted to the mid-19th century...
in Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
, the area that was originally inhabited by the Frisians
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
, in particular the current provinces of Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
and Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
and the area west Friesland
West Friesland
West Friesland or Westfriesland can refer to the following:*West Friesland , a contemporary region in the province of North Holland, Netherlands*West Friesland , the historical region in the same province...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and East Friesland in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In particular, it refers to the absence of a sovereign lord, at least in the absence of a lord who owned the land. The main reason for the emergence of the so-called freedom of the Frisians however, given the openness towards lords moving around at the end of the 11th century developed as a result of the ongoing disputes over the count's rights.
Origin
The manslaughter of the count of ArnulfArnulf, Count of Holland
Arnulf, also known as Aernout or Arnold succeeded his father in 988 as Count in Frisia. He was born in 951 in Ghent and because of this he is also known as Arnulf of Ghent. Arnulf was the son of Dirk II, Count of Holland and Hildegard, thought to be a daughter of Arnulf of Flanders.-Career:Arnulf...
in 993 is the first sign of the Libertas of the Frisians. This Frisian Count was killed in a rebel attempt to compel obedience from the subjects. The murder of another Count Henri de Gras in 1101 is regarded as the de facto beginning of the Frisian freedom. This freedom was in any event recognized by the Roman-King William II on November 3, 1248. He did this after the Frisians aided in the siege of the city of Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
. In 1417, this was reaffirmed by Emperor Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
, Friesland said to the empire representative. By contrast, other emperors such as Louis IV
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
gave Friesland over to the Count of Holland
Count of Holland
The Counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century.-House of Holland:The first count of Holland, Dirk I, was the son or foster-son of Gerolf, Count in Frisia...
, rather than granting freedom.
According to subsequent writers, the freedom was granted in the Karelsprivilege
Karelsprivilege
Karelsprivilege is a privilege that Charlemagne allegedly paid to the Frisians led by Magnus Forteman to thank them for the support that was given at the attack on Rome. Since the 13th century, the Frisians regularly mentioned Karelsprivilege in legal and historical works. The authenticity of the...
by Charlemagne to Magnus Forteman
Magnus Forteman
Magnus Forteman , was the first potestaat and commander of Friesland which is now a province of Netherlands...
, as a reward for the conquest of Rome. Various sources have reported the existence of the Karelsprivilege or Magnuskerren. The original has been lost, although according to some it was inscribed on a wall of a church, which could be either at Almenum
Almenum
Almenum is a historic locality in the territory of the village of Midlum, Friesland, which is in the municipality of Harlingen in Friesland, Netherlands. It is located at the intersection of Zuidwalweg and Haulewei....
, Ferwoude
Ferwoude
Ferwoude is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 233 citizens ....
or Oldeboorn. Others consider the Karelsprivilege as an invention from subsequent times and the copies that have been made, as forgeries. In 1319, more than five hundred years after the death of Charlemagne, a copy was entered in the register of William III of Holland.
Nevertheless, it can be established that the Frisian region including the Ommelanden
Ommelanden
The Ommelanden are the parts of Groningen province that surround Groningen city. Usually mentioned as synonym for the province in the expression Stad en Ommeland ....
around Groningen, from the tenth century to the beginning of the sixteenth century went through a unique development stage, almost entirely lacking the feudal structure introduced by Charlemagne.
Content
The absence of a manorial authority meant that there existed no central administration. In particular there was no administration for law and justice, which in the Middle Ages still did not clearly separate spheres of sovereignty. That was a serious shortcoming. To fill this gap attempts were made to apply rules to the entire region of Frisia. From the various regions delegates came to meetings at the Opstalboom in AurichAurich
Aurich is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Aurich.-History:The history of Aurich dates back to the 13th century, when the settlement of Aurechove was mentioned in a Frisian document called the Brokmerbrief in 1276. In 1517, Count Edzard from the house of...
. Later those meetings were also held in Groningen
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
.
In addition to the arrangements of the Opstalboom an attempt was tried to resort to the old law as it was recorded in the 17 and 24 Landrechten Keuren (landrights bylaws) Lex Frisionum
Lex Frisionum
Lex Frisionum, the "Law Code of the Frisians", was recorded in Latin during the reign of Charlemagne, after the year 785, when the Frankish conquest of Frisia was completed by the final defeat of the Frisian king Radboud. The law code covered the region of the Frisians...
. A great problem remained, however, that there was no choice but to clarify the content of the law, and that the enforcement of that law encountered major practical problems. If a mighty man was not ruling, there were no resources to enforce the law.
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
and other areas over the middle ages . In Friesland, the idea of nobility, which gave the right of control in the country, was deemed incompatible with the "Friesche freedom". The region also had no forced labour. The fact that the nobles who all belonged to the Uradel
Uradel
The German and Scandinavian term Uradel refers to nobility who can trace back their noble ancestry at least to the year 1400 and probably originates from leadership positions during the Migration Period.-Divisions of German nobility:Uradel : Nobility that originates from leadership positions held...
still had a major influence on the board, they had to thank their land ownership. The right to vote was based on land and on that basis each got one vote for each piece of land. So the nobles could caste many votes. They showed their influence by choosing a Grietman
Grietman
A grietman is partly a forerunner of the current rural mayor in the province of Friesland, and partly the forerunner of a judge. The area of jurisdiction was the municipality or gemeente...
from one of the thirty grietenij
Grietenij
A grietenij was a forerunner to the gemeente or municipality in Frisia, particularly inFriesland, and also in Groningen which are now a part of the Netherlands. From the end of the...
s, who in turn represented the municipalities of Friesland.
The cities had eleven votes.
Duke Albrecht III of Saxony
The conflicts between the Schieringers and Vetkopers contributed in a significant way to the end of the Frisian Freedom. The absence of an effective authority also contributed to the emergence of disputes.The arguments made it attractive for outsiders to interfere in their dealing with Friesland, sometimes with an appeal to old rights. At the same time triggered by the lawlessness which resulted from this battle, was the call for a lord. At the time in Friesland the Schieringer Potestaat Juw Dekama called upon the help of Albert, Duke of Saxony
Albert, Duke of Saxony
Albert III was a Duke of Saxony. He was nicknamed Albert the Bold or Albert the Courageous and founded the Albertine line of the House of Wettin....
. This period is described by Petrus Thaborita
Petrus Thaborita
Petrus Jacobi Thaborita was a Frisian monk, historian and writer. He is best known for his writings on the Frisian freedom fighter Pier Gerlofs Donia, and for writing down Donia's last words...
.
The Frisian freedom disappeared in the other Frisian areas at different times. In West Friesland the freedom ended earlier with the conquest by the counts of Holland.
In the Frisian region in Groningen, the power vacuum in the course of the 14th and 15th centuries was filled by the city of Groningen. The city agreed various treaties with its environs, which was for the establishment of a court which had jurisdiction to rule and to take appealse. By the power of the city it was also able to fulfill these statements to monitor. The city was also presented as a strongly Frisian town, and as a champion of the Frisian Freedom.
After seeing the power of Albert of Saxony in Friesland, the city was forced to seek aid from a foreign noble. After a short period in which Charles, Duke of Guelders
Charles, Duke of Guelders
Charles of Egmond was Duke of Guelders, Count of Zutphen between 1492 and his death. He was the son of Adolf of Egmond and Catharine of Bourbon...
was finally adopted as Lord, Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
anexed the city and its region to his empire, Charles has appealed to the old rights of the bishop of Utrecht.
In East Friesland the Frisian Freedom ended in the mid-fifteenth century by the rise of the house of Cirksena
Cirksena
The Cirksena are noble East Frisian family descended from a line of East Frisian chieftains from Greetsiel.- The Cirksena in East Frisia :In 1439 in the wake of clashes between different lines of chieftains, the town of Emden was first placed by Hamburg under direct rule and then, in 1453, finally...
in a county that already knew it.