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Störtebeker | |
|---|---|
 Reconstruction of head from skull ascribed to Störtebeker | |
| Born | 1360 Unknown |
| Died | assumed 20 October 1401 (aged 40–41) assumedHamburg |
| Cause of death | execution by beheading |
| Other names | Storzenbecher |
| Occupation(s) | merchant,privateer, violent entrepreneur |
| Years active | assumed 1392–1401 |
Klaus Störtebeker (also known asKlaas Störtebecker, Johann Störtebecker orNikolaus Storzenbecher)[1] (1360 – supposed 20 October 1401) was a Germanpirate. Reputed to be the leader of a group ofprivateers known as theVictual Brothers (German:Vitalienbrüder), his group was hired to assist in a war between Sweden and Denmark and continued to capture merchant vessels mainly in theBaltic Sea andNorth Sea. Sharing their spoils equally, they named themselves "Likedeelers" (literally: equal sharers).[2]
WithinGerman folklore, Störtebecker is a legendary figure similar toRobin Hood, stealing from the rich to help the poor, and amassing and hiding great treasure. His reputed feats border the supernatural, such as allegedly walking past his crew after being beheaded.
A large number of myths and legends surround the few facts known about Störtebeker's life. His name is both a nickname and a surname, meaning "empty the mug with one gulp" inLow German. The moniker refers to the pirate's supposed ability to empty a four-litre (about 1 US gal) mug of beer in one gulp. At this time, pirates and other fugitives from the law often adopted a colorfulnom de guerre.
Störtebeker entered public consciousness around 1398, after the expulsion of the Victual Brothers from theBaltic Sea island ofGotland, where they had set up a stronghold and headquarters in the town ofVisby. During the following years, Störtebeker and some of his fellow captains (the most famous of whom wereGödeke Michels,Hennig Wichmann andMagister Wigbold) capturedHanseatic ships, irrespective of their origin.[3]
Störtebeker had a stronghold inMarienhafe,East Frisia, dating from about 1396. He married a daughter of theEast Frisian chieftainKeno ten Broke (c. 1310–1376). A tower bearing his name (Störtebekerturm) still exists at the Evangelical Lutheran Marienkirche in Marienhafe.[4][5]
According to legend, in 1401, aHamburgian fleet led bySimon of Utrecht caught up with Störtebeker's force nearHeligoland. According to some stories, Störtebeker's ship had been disabled by a traitor who cast molten lead into the links of the chain which controlled the ship's rudder. Störtebeker and his crew were captured and brought to Hamburg, where they were tried for piracy. Legend says that Störtebeker offered a chain of gold long enough to enclose the whole of Hamburg in exchange for his life and freedom. However, Störtebeker and all of his 73 companions were sentenced to death and were beheaded on theGrasbrook. The most famous legend of Störtebeker relates to the execution itself. Störtebeker is said to have asked the mayor of Hamburg to release as many of his companions as he could walk past after being beheaded. Following the granting of this request and the subsequent beheading, Störtebeker's body arose and walked past eleven of his men before the executioner tripped him with an outstretched foot. Nevertheless, the eleven men were executed along with the others. Thesenate of Hamburg asked the executioner if he was not tired after all this, but he replied he could easily execute the whole of the senate as well. For this, he himself was sentenced to death and executed by the youngest member of the senate.[6]
According to other legends, when Störtebeker's ship was found, the masts contained a core of gold (one of gold, one of silver, and one of copper). This was used to create the tip ofSt. Catherine's church in Hamburg. His famous drinking cup was stored in the town hall of Hamburg, until it was destroyed in the great fire of 1842.[7]
Recent events have suggested it is more likely that Störtebeker and his crew died in 1400. A bill for digging graves for 30 Victual Brothers dated to this year survives in the Hamburg records. This would also suggest the story that Störtebeker was sentenced to death with 70 other privateers is at least misleading; at minimum, he certainly was buried with 30 other men. The year 1400 also excludes the involvement of Simon of Utrecht and the shipBunte Kuh [de] ("Colorful Cow"), since the records show the ship was not completed until 1401. In fact, the Hanseatic fleet that attacked Störtebeker was commanded by Hermann Langhe (also Lange) and Nikolaus Schoke (Nicoalus Schocke), who set sail for Heligoland in August 1400, and the course of the battle is not described by any reliable sources.[8]
No authentic portrait of Störtebeker is known. An etching made by fifteenth century German artistDaniel Hopfer, often erroneously identified as a portrait of Klaus Störtebeker, is actually of Kunz von der Rosen (1470–1519),court jester of EmperorMaximilian I. However, a tentative reconstruction of Störtebeker's appearance has been made using a skull alleged to be his. This skull, displayed at theMuseum for Hamburg History since 1922, was stolen in January 2010[9] and found by the police in March 2011.[10]
Störtebeker is mentioned in severalApothecer Melchior books by Estonian writerIndrek Hargla.
Stortebeker is the name of the leader of the youth gang The Dusters in the novelThe Tin Drum byGunter Grass.
The character of Klaus Störtebeker has appeared in various recent publications includingDie Vitalienbrüder: Ein Störtebeker Roman. a German language novel byWilli Bredel (Hinstorff Verlag, 1996,ISBN 978-3-356-00658-2)
Störtebeker was portrayed on television byKen Duken inStörtebeker, a 2006 miniseries. He was also the subject of a 2007 documentary and of the feature-length movie12 Paces Without a Head, in the making in 2008.[14][15]
The German breweryStörtebeker Braumanufaktur chose their name as a homage to Störtebeker.
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