Bernard of Kraiburg, trained in canon law at Vienna in the 1430s, was by 1456 a priest who had served in several capacities in the archdiocese of Salzburg, and who would eventually become bishop of Chiemsee in Bavaria. He was also an author with strong humanist affinities and ties to figures like Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini (see document 2) and Nicholas of Cusa. Among his surviving letters are these two regarding Belgrade. The first, to Sigismund I of Volkersdorf, archbishop of Salzburg, is in German. The letter is almost like a bullet-point list of newsworthy items, and at several points it reflects again what was still a very fluid, confusing situation. In the second letter, Kraiburg writes to Henry Rüger of Pegnitz, a leading administrator in the circles of Archbishop Sigismund. In his position as protonotary, Rüger would have been charged with a wide range of legal and diplomatic duties, and especially matters of documentation and correspondence. As such he would have been a central figure in the overall communication network for the vast regions under the authority of the archbishop, and someone with a keen interest in the kinds of information and rumor that are hinted at here – perhaps above all the rumor of ambitious plans to advance against Constantinople.
20.1. BERNARD OF KRAIBURG TO SIGISMUND, ARCHBISHOP OF SALZBURG
August 25, 1456 (Vienna)
Source: Trans. J. Mixson, from Paul Joachimson, Bernhard von Kraiburg (Nuremberg: Bieling-Dietz, 1901), 34–5, here compared with both N. Iorga, ed., Notes et extraits pour servir à l’histoire des croisades au XV. siècle (Bucharest: Académie Roumaine, 1915), 4: 145–6, and the original text in Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 27063, fol. 131r–v.
To the most reverend prince, my most generous lord, Sigismund, archbishop of Salzburg and legate of the Apostolic See.
Most reverent father, most generous lord, obedience, etc. Lord William Truchtlinger and I have just arrived in Vienna today, that is on the Wednesday night before [the feast of Saint] Augustine, and neither King Ladislaus nor the Count of Celje are in Vienna, but rather departed this morning for Pressburg,1 since John Hunyadi recently died at Petrovaradin,2 around seven miles from Belgrade.3 So we along with my lord [the bishop] of Passau will also make our way to His Royal Grace at Pressburg. Also, the matter between our lord the emperor and King Ladislaus, which had almost been resolved at Baden, has completely fallen apart, and Duke Albert is here in Vienna. I am also prepared to report the following, and want to let Your Grace know:4
There are a fair number of crusaders from German lands here, and notably many who are idle and consume uselessly what they have brought with them. But how the matter stands with them, also on account of the Turks, I actually would rather not write to Your Grace.
King Ladislaus has commanded Jan Jiskra5 to come to him without any excuses.
Also, Your Grace should know of the defeat of the Turks that I have learned about from a reliable report, from one who saw the thing with his own eyes. First of all, the Turk never had over one hundred thousand soldiers for this campaign. Also, he never had more than twenty-one ships available to deploy on the Danube. Hence, he was in great need and unable to transport his troops; instead, he moved all of his troops by land, and came as he was able by dry land.
In the battle there were perhaps four or five thousand engaged on each side. And the fight was the work of the simpleton crusaders, without a leader or commanders, though John Hunyadi and Brother John of Capistrano were in the upper citadel with sixteen thousand troops, none of whom came to the battle. Those who actually fought there numbered perhaps only eight thousand in all. Along the Danube the Christians had numbered over seventy thousand; but none of them cared to join the fight.6
Also, thirteen of the cannons of the Turks have been captured, among them one large one and no more. Almost all of the ships have been burned, the others captured and quite a few [sailors?] came from there.
Also, the Turkish emperor has himself been shot under the left breast. Because of that wound, and also by God’s grace, the Turks have been set to flight. He is now in a city in Bulgaria called Sofia and has been greatly shamed. And the city of Belgrade has in fact not been so badly destroyed by the Turks as some others; in comparison it is not so bad, since on one end [of the walls?] the damage is actually not that great. Then around ten days after the battle, two Turkish ships were also engaged and destroyed on the Sava, also by the simple folk, who had come because of the preaching, and who won the battle.
As things stand, it seems astounding that only eight thousand simple folk, unarmed, could defeat and put to flight one hundred thousand Turks. But to tell the whole story of the fight and how the Turks were defeated and fled would take too long to write. So, when I arrive home, I will report more fully to Your Grace.
Given in Vienna, Wednesday evening before [the feast of] Augustine, in the year, etc. ’56.
1 Modern Bratislava.
2 In modern Serbia, on the south bank of the Danube across from Novi Sad. See document 3.6, n. 1.
3 For the variability of premodern measurements of distance, see document 12, n. 5. Bernard is here likely referencing a “mile” that is some 7.5 km, rendering this distance some 32 miles (53 km). In fact, Belgrade is some 45 miles (70 km) from Petrovaradin. His estimate, in other words, was reasonable.
4 The phrasing of the German here is obscure.
5 Jan Jiskra was a Czech mercenary who had been active in the Hungarian civil wars of the 1440s in the service of Elizabeth of Luxembourg, mother of Ladislaus V.
6 This account, apparently from an eyewitness, is strikingly inconsistent with many of the others.
20.2. BERNARD OF KRAIBURG TO HENRY RÜGER OF PEGNITZ
August 26, 1456 (Vienna)
Source: Trans. J. Mixson, from Paul Joachimson, Bernhard von Kraiburg (Nuremberg: Bieling-Dietz, 1901), 35–6, compared with N. Iorga, ed., Notes et extraits pour servir à l’histoire des croisades au XV. siècle (Bucharest: Académie Roumaine, 1915), 4: 144–5, and the original manuscript, Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 27063, fol. 131v.
To Master Henry of Pegnitz, protonotary of the archbishop of Salzburg.
Venerable and esteemed man, beloved brother: I departed on Sunday from Lauffen and on the fourth day thereafter arrived in Vienna. I traveled as quickly as I could, but when I arrived King Ladislaus and the Count of Celje had already departed. On the day I arrived they had gone down to Pressburg, in haste, because of the death of Hunyadi. You will learn of other things related to these matters from the letters of my most reverend lord.1 Those things which I write in the same letters from the lands of the Turks are true and were seen by and related to me from John Tröster, who is trustworthy. And you can disregard the copies of those letters which first came to Salzburg, because you know the customs and the clamoring of the Hungarians.
Also, the new bull concerning processions and bells and many other things has become known.2 The lord of Pavia had a copy.3 I do not, but I am trying to get one.
Also, there are many crusaders here and in Buda, but there is no one to tell them what to do. They are becoming bored and consuming all of the provisions that have been given to them – they have cost more than forty thousand ducats! And perhaps, unless someone comes along to give them orders, with all their goods consumed, it is only a matter of time before hunger finally consumes them.
Also the lord of Passau4 has told me that the lord emperor [Frederick III] wrote to his counselors from Neustadt in Baden how the city of Constantinople [could be] won by the patriarch Ludovico and the king of Aragon.5 And if that is true, there is nothing more worth hearing. But I myself can hardly believe it. He has suggested a means, by what way it might come into their hands through treason. Also he told me of the very widespread rumor that the emperor of the Turks is dead. This one I will leave alone.
Also, Philip Jänsuch, who alone of the barons of all of Hungary was there with the lord governor [Hunyadi] during the battle at Belgrade, has died. The Voivode Nicholas [of Ilok] is also near death. The bishop of Oradea [John Vitéz] is ill and near death.
Also, Belgrade is no more than thirty-four miles from Buda.6 The lord cardinal legate [Castiglione]7 is in a certain city called Petrovaradin which is about seven miles from Belgrade. The bishop of Passau has also told me that some six thousand Turks have been killed. But others have told me no more than four or five thousand. Belgrade is around sixty German miles, or twelve days’ travel from Constantinople.8
I believe and suspect that the lord Count of Celje will try to become governor of Hungary.
From Vienna, quickly, on Thursday before [the feast of Saint] Augustine, in the year, etc. ’56.
Postscript:9
Master Hans Hinderbach, secretary of our merciful lord the Roman emperor, has just come from Rome and reported to us that he has learned from our holy father the pope how the city of Constantinople might once again be won and recaptured. Then the Venetians, who have been here at the court of our emperor, confirmed that they have taken up a peace treaty with the Turks; and whether or not there will be a general campaign against the Turks from Christendom, the Venetians do not want to be obligated to it because of that peace treaty. Also, after the Turks were defeated at Belgrade, it happened very recently that two ships full of men and supplies were discovered to have been sent by the Venetians to aid the Turks. This caused an uproar among many merchants, and the Venetians answered that they had sent six ships, two of which were attacked and surrendered to the Turks, which was an insult for them.
1 The reference here is presumably to the archbishop of Salzburg, and to the previous letter.
2 See document 5.
3 Cardinal Giovanni Castiglione (d. 1460) was bishop of Pavia from 1453, papal legate to Frederick III, and then cardinal from December of 1456.
4 Presumably the bishop of Passau, Ulrich of Nussdorf (d. 1479). See document 16.1, n. 3.
5 Reference here to the naval and land forces, respectively, of Ludovico Trevisan and Alfonso V of Spain. See document 3.4, n. 3.
6 Again a reasonable estimate. If the German “mile” invoked here was approximately 7.5 km, this distance would be 158 miles (255 km). The actual distance is some 215 miles (350 km).
7 See n. 3 in this document.
8 Here estimated at about 280 miles (450 km), a distance that is actually some 600 miles (980 km).
9 While the main body of the letter was written in Latin, this note was added in German, presumably in haste.