Geldgeschäfte im Auftrag des römischen Königs. Eberhard Windeck, Brügge, Lübeck und König Sigmund (1415 – 1417)

A rare glimpse into 15th-century royal finances reveals how King Sigmund of the Romans relied on pawning precious gifts and leveraging imperial city revenues to fund his European tour, highlighting systemic deficiencies in elective monarchy funding. This study, analyzed through the lens of Eberhard Windeck's biographical account, underscores the fiscal nature of royal policies toward Lübeck, a key Hanseatic and imperial city, during a period marked by communal leadership crises. By examining transactions at the Bruges money market and other revenue instruments, the research sheds light on the lack of general taxes in the Holy Roman Empire, contrasting sharply with contemporary practices in England and France.

Fouquet, G. (2014). Geldgeschäfte im Auftrag des römischen Königs. Eberhard Windeck, Brügge, Lübeck und König Sigmund (1415 – 1417). Zeitschrift Für Historische Forschung, 41(3), 375–399. https://doi.org/10.3790/zhf.41.3.375