Pilgrims Seeking Redress Reach Wurzburg, July 14, 1476

The mass of pilgrims marching to Wurzburg had reached the bridge that crossed the river into the city, by the morning of Sunday, July 14, 1476. Bishop Rudolph and his men had gone to the castle called the Frauenberg along the Main River, awaiting an assault. They could easily see the swarm massing on the other side of this bridge from the high castle. The bishop's marshall Jorg von Racken (or von Gebsettel), Wunderli tells us, met them and asked their intentions. They would not leave until they had Hans Behem, their prophet, the Drummer, or, they would destroy the fortress. They believed he was there and believed that the Virgin Mary would help deliver him, one way or the other.
This account is from that of Johann Trithemius, put together much later, in 1514 from an unknown collection of accounts. After relating the above encounter and decrying the 'madness', the 'single-minded purpose', 'the foolish confidence' of the throngs, he turns to the view of those in the fortress.

"Those who were in the fortress were astonished to find such a great number of people, and at first not knowing who these people were or where they came from, were astonished more than one can believe. At last, when they understood the reasons for the gathering of pilgrims, they forgot their fears and loaded their cannons to shoot at the mob. But the bishop told them not to shoot. He sent ... a prudent man ... [the marshal, Jorg], along with a few horsemen, to persuade them to desist in their wicked deigns to sieze the fortress; and to warn them not to become entangled in such a dangerous undertaking without good cause." [p. 121]

The marshal gave the warning and the crowd heard speeches from their ranks on what to do. The bishop sent another warning telling all who had previously sworn allegiance to the clergy, officials, nobles, or the knights and squires should now fulfill those allegiances and surrender to the knight Conrad von Hutten, sent by the bishop. Many did. Many also asked to find another way into the city, saying they wished not to get entangled with the mob. These too were allowed to go elsewhere to ford the river there. The rest, maybe ten thousand, twice the size of the city itself, stayed where they were, on the far side of the river. Wunderli says,

"When his emissary, Conrad von Hutten, had returned, Bishop Rudolph ordered the castle gunners to fire their cannons -- but to aim over the heads of the people." [p. 122]

 The bishop, it appears, had hoped to scare them off. But when the cannons blew and missed any perceptible target, the pilgrims rejoiced. It was a miracle. Mary had protected them. But this was short lived. Next, the cannon were re-aimed, into the crowd. Several were killed and wounded.
Then the knights were let loose, who rode across the bridge and began trampling the crowd and running people through with their lances. One group was chased to a churchyard in a nearby town who turned and began throwing stones at the knights chasing them. But these, too, were run over and then captured and taken back to Wurzburg as prisoners. [p. 123]

These events are the basic facts, despite the various accounts, Wunderli reminds us, according to the sources available. He tells us the anonymous writer from Eichstatt had said that more than three hundred were captured in the churchyard outside of town, although seventy of them, then escaped. The cells and dungeons at Wurzburg were overflowing. Some forty had to be kept under guard at another churchyard etc.  Another account (that Wunderli tells us was often wrong or unreliable), said that 38 pilgrims were killed and 127 put into jail. [pp. 123-24]

The pilgrimage to Niklashausen, the enchanted time of this summer's draught was over.
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all quotes from  Peasant Fires: The Drummer of Niklashausen by Richard Wunderli, Indiana University Press, Bloomington and Indianapolis, 1992.