„Wider die Anfechtungen der Ketzer“. Nikolaus Tempelfelds Traktat Ordo nature et racionis in der Übersetzung durch Peter Eschenloer. Edition und Erläuterungen

Abstract

The article deals with the complicated political situation in Silesia, specifically Breslau (Wrocław) in the middle of the fifteenth century. During this period, all submissive counties had to swear the oath of allegiance to King George of Bohemia, “king of heretics” as he was dubbed by Frederick G. Heymann. One canon of the Breslau cathedral, Nikolaus Tempelfeld (ca. 1400-1474), vehemently agitated against this, trying successfully to influence public opinion in the city. He wrote elaborate treatises on the theme of why George, an evident heretic, could not be king, claiming that it was impossible for truly Catholic people to accept him as a king. We know of three or four treatises by Tempelfeld, all in Latin. One of them was translated by the well-known Breslau town clerk Peter Eschenloer (ca. 1420-1481). Both the author and his translator are briefly introduced, and the German treatise is edited and commented.