Erasmus of Lueg

Modern painting of Erasmus of Lueg

Erasmus of Lueg[1] (German: Erasmus von Lueg,[2][3] Erasmus Lueger; Slovene: Erazem Predjamski[4]) was a burgrave of Predjama Castle in the 15th century and a renowned robber baron.[4]

Early life

He was the son of the Imperial Governor of Trieste, Nikolaj Lueger.

Rogue

According to legend, in 1483 he killed Marshall Pappenheim at the Vienna Court[2] during an argument in which Pappenheim had offended the honor of Erasmus's dead friend, Andreas Baumkircher of Vipava. However, Pappenheim was a relative of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III so Erasmus fled to his castle, Predjama, to escape punishment.[4] He then allied himself with the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus and started to attack Habsburg estates and towns in Carniola.[2] Emperor Fredrick III sent the governor of Trieste, Gaspar Ravbar, to besiege Predjama Castle. Ravbar tried to starve Erasmus to death, but Erasmus survived on food delivered via a secret tunnel through the cave system under the castle.

Erasmus was killed after a long siege.[4] According to a popular but unfounded legend, Erasmus was betrayed by one of his men and was killed while in his room, or in his garderobe, by a shot from a cannon or catapult.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ "The Knight Erasmus Lived in the Castle of Luegg". RTV SLO. December 19, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Jurende's Mährischer Pilger. Brno. 1841. p. 154.
  3. ^ Goedeke, Karl (2011). Vom Weltfrieden bis zur französischen Revolution 1830. Berlin: Akademie Verlag. p. 195.
  4. ^ a b c d Stanonik, Marija (2013). Folkloristični portreti iz 20. stoletja. Ljubljana: ZRC. p. 178.
  5. ^ "Erazem Predjamski ni umrl na stranišču". Dnevnik. February 27, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  6. ^ Potočnik, Tomaž (2015-12-30). "Erazem iz Rotterdama: Duhovna gostija". Keria: Studia Latina et Graeca. 17 (2): 93. doi:10.4312/keria.17.2.93-130. ISSN 2350-4234.