1S4 POLITICAL HERESY. — THE CHURCH. deavored, in 1207, to reduce the recalcitrant population, but with- out success, except to get some money. * Yet the Stedingers were welcomed as fullv orthodox when their aid was wanted in the struggle which raged from 1208 till 1217, between the rival archbishops of Bremen, first between Waldemar and Burchard, and then between TYaldemar and Ger- hardt. Banged at first on the side of 'Waldemar, after the triumph of Frederic II. over Otho their defection to Gerhardt was decisive, and in 1217 the latter obtained his archiepiscopal seat, where he held his allies in high favor until his death in 1219. He was suc- ceeded by Gerhardt II., of the House of Lippe, a warlike prelate who endeavored to overthrow the liberties of Bremen itself, and to levy tolls on all the commerce of the Weser. The Stedinger tithes were not likely to escape his attention. Other distractions, including a war with the King of Denmark and strife with the recalcitrant citizens of Bremen, prevented any immediate effort to subjugate the Stedingers, but at length his hands were free. His brother, Hermann Count of Lippe, came to his assistance with other nobles, for the independence of the Weser peasant-folk was of evil import to the neighboring feudal lords. To take advantage of the ice in those watery regions the expedition set forth in De- cember, 1229, under the leadership of the count and the archbishop. The Stedingers resisted valiantly. On Christmas Day a battle was fought in which Count Hermann was slain and the crusaders put to flight. To celebrate the triumph the victors in derision ap- pointed mock officials, styling one emperor, another pope, and others archbishops and bishops, and these issued letters under these titles — a sorry jest, which when duly magnified represented them as rebels against all temporal and spiritual authority. +
- Schumacher, Die Stedinger, Bremen, 1865, pp. 26-8. — Adam. Bremens. Gest.
Pontif. Hammaburg. c. 203. — Chron. Erfordiens. ami. 1230 (Schannat Vindem. Litt. I. 93).— Chron. Rastedens. (Meibom. Rer. Germ. II. 101).— Albert. Stadens. Chron. ann. 1207 (Schilt S. R. Germ. I. 299).— Joan. Otton. Cat. Archiepp. Bremens. ann. 1207 (Menken. S. R. Germ. II. 791). f Albert. Stadens. Chron. ann. 1208-17, 1230.— Joan. Otton. Cat. Archiepp. Bremens. ann. 1211-20. — Anon. Saxon. Hist. Impp. ann. 1229 (Menken. III. 125).— Chron. Rastedens. (Meibom. II. 101). There is considerable confusion among the authorities with regard to these events. I have followed the careful investigations of Schumacher, op. cit. pp. 219-23.
