Signumnd ii. Von brands – Wikipedia

In 1499 Sigmund II was captured by Brandis by Graubünden troops in his castle in Maienfeld. In contrast to his brother Ludwig, he refused to flee troops.

Sigmund II of Brandis (* before 1486, † November 18, 1507) was a member of the Swiss gender of the barons of Brandis. He became known for his arrest and hostage together with his brother Ludwig during the Swabian War in 1499. Ludwig was caught in Lucerne, Sigmund in Chur. Together with his siblings, he was ruler about Schellenberg and Vaduz in today’s Principality of Liechtenstein. He was also the ruler of Maienfeld in today’s Graubünden and Blumenegg in Vorarlberg. ^[first]

Sigmund von Brandis was a son of Ulrich von Brandis and his wife Praxedis von Helfenstein and grandson of Wolfhart V of Brandis. He had a brother Ludwig of Brandis, with whom he shared the rule of the barons in the Rhine Valley. Four other brothers hit a spiritual career. His older brother Ludwig took over the rule over Schellenberg and Vaduz, he himself the rule over Maienfeld and Blumenegg. Sigmund II of Brandis was married to Katharina von Hewen. There were no descendants from marriage. His youngest brother Johannes von Brandis was the last male descendant of the Lords of Brandis. This later sold the territories to the Counts of Sulz from Rottweil and the three Bünde.

After the death of his father in 1486, Sigmund and his brother Ludwig competed together. In 1492 and 1496, these bends of the two brothers were confirmed by the German king. Sigmund II was responsible for an internal division for Maienfeld and Blumenegg. He was involved in legal conflicts with the city of Maienfeld.

At the beginning of the Swabian War, the Troops of the Confederates camped in Sargans, the imperial troops in Balzers and the troops of the three Bünde in Maienfeld and on the St. Luzisteig – a pass that connected the Austrian Feldkirch with the Bünder Maienfeld. The brothers were in a difficult situation. On the one hand, they were committed to the Habsburg emperor, on the other hand, the old Confederation, as they were citizens of the city of Bern and their ancestors had received the castle law with it. By possession of the Maienfeld rule, they were also part of the Three frets . On February 6, 1499, troops from Uri Captain Heini Wolleb briefly crossed the Rhine and set fire to some houses in Balzers. This is considered the beginning of the Swabian or Swiss War. The conflict is said to have been triggered by mutual insults across the Rhine.

The Landsknechte of the Swabian Confederation in the service of the emperor attacked the positions of the Graubünden on St. Luzisteig and occupied Maienfeld the following day. But the Graubünden were not beaten and attacked Maienfeld on the same day. In doing so, they slapped the Swabian troops and caught the lord of the castle Sigmund II, who – in contrast to his brother Ludwig – refused to flee. After the recapture of Maienfeld, the Graubünden stormed the fortifications of St. Luzisteig and conquered Balzers. On February 12th, the Confederates stored by Sargans intervened and hit the imperial Swabian troops in battle at Triesen. On February 13, the allies Graubünden and federal troops took Vaduz and also captured Ludwig von Brandis. In negotiations, he offered 20,000 guilders for his release and for the integrity of his county Vaduz. The allies did not respond to such a trade and brought it to Werdenberg first in the night of February 13-14, then via Rapperswil to Lucerne. His brother was detained in Chur. The Swabian and federal troops devastated and looted the gentlemen Vaduz and Schellenberg.

On July 8th, the conference statute in Lucerne dealt with the prisoners. The situation was difficult because they were also the citizens of the city of Bern and were under their protection as such. She wanted to release the day statute, but Ulrich von Sax, who was in the service of the Confederates, called for an exchange of Sigmund II of Brandis against the Ammann by Appenzell Rudolf von Rappenstein, captured by the imperial troops, an ally of Sax.

After peace at Basel, the day statute decided to release the two brothers and reinstate into their areas of land. On December 13, the subjects in Schellenberg and Vaduz swore loyalty to the Lords of Brandis. Blumenegg and Maienfeld also became part of the brothers’ territory. At least between 1502 and 1504 Sigmund II practiced violence over Maienfeld.
However, he planned the rule of Maienfeld and Blumenegg to the Roman, German King King Maximilian, the later German emperor. In 1505 he received a deposit of 1100 guilders. After the death of his brother Ludwig, he had the rule rights about Vaduz and Schellenberg confirmed on August 2, 1507 after the Reichstag in Constance by the emperor. Due to his death, the sale no longer came about.
The country was devastated by the fights and just a few years later (1509–1512) the gentlemen Schellenberg, Vaduz and Blumenegg were sold to the Counts of Sulz. ^[2] Maienfeld was sold to the three frets in 1510. ^[3]

1. ↑ Sigmund II., Historical Lexicon of Liechtenstein
2. ↑ Claudius Gurt: Rule between Fronten; The Lords of Brandis and the Swiss or Swabian War in 1499 , Yearbook Volume 114, Historical Association for the Principality of Liechtenstein (2005), pp. 97–115
3. ↑ Maienfeld Historical Lexicon of Liechtenstein