Page:The history of medieval Europe.djvu/589

GERMANY IN THE LATER MIDDLE AGES 539 election and both Louis of Bavaria and the Hapsburg, Frederick of Austria, claimed the crown. Louis finally won out. The House of Hapsburg, however, continued to hold Austria and surrounding territories, and in 1363 added the Tyrol or eastern Alps to its possessions. Louis IV belonged to the Wittelsbach family which is still the royal line in Bavaria. After him the Luxemburg House returned to power in the person of Charles IV Houses of (1347-1378), who published the Golden Bull, and SSlESJ his son, v Wenzel, who was deposed in 1400. burg Wenzel was so addicted to intoxicants that any one wishing to make sure of finding him sufficiently sober to transact state business did well to interview him early in the day. He was liable to be found under the table by the end of breakfast. It is one of the ironies of history that one of the chief extant monuments associated with this emperor is the bronze font in which he was baptized at St. Sebaldus Kirche, Niirnberg. Wenzel' s reign was marked by wars between leagues of cities, leagues of knights, and the greater terri- torial princes. There were associations of knights in Hesse, Westphalia, Franconia, southern Germany, and along the Rhine. The two chief city leagues were those of Swabia and of the Rhine. The Swabian League was formed in 1376 when fourteen towns banded together to resist new taxes levied by Charles IV. In two years' time the membership increased to eighty-nine towns. Wenzel was helpless before this situation, but the princes inflicted some defeats upon the towns, until in 1389 both sides agreed to dissolve their leagues. After Rupert, who had previously been Count of the Palatinate, had disputed the imperial title for ten years with Wenzel, who refused to remain deposed, ReiRnof Sigismund, a younger son of Charles IV, was Sigismund, elected emperor in 1410. He finally prevailed I4IO ~ 1437 upon his brother Wenzel to yield the throne to him, and out- lived another claimant, named Jobst. Sigismund was full of schemes, but for want of support was unable to carry most Of them out. He succeeded, however, in getting together a