The brutal German mercenary knight Getz von Berlichingen loved good civil strife. Like all European mercenaries at the beginning of the 16th century, he and his detachment, consisting of social outcasts, spoke on behalf of that Bavarian duke or baron who had the most well-fed cows and a fat wallet.
But this occupation led him to a personal tragedy. In 1504, while fighting during the siege of the southern German city of Landsgut on the side of the Duke of Bavaria Albert IV, 23-year-old Berlichingen was hit by a cannonball. There are different opinions as to how this happened, but either way, the injury was significant - some say that the ball hit Berlichingen's sword, as a result of which he accidentally cut off his own right hand. Others say that the cannonball itself tore off Berlichingen the brush in which he held his blade. It was creepy anyway.
Here's what happened next …
Regardless of the details, the hand was lost and the knight had to find a new way to fight. It took very little time to solve the problem. Soon after the unfortunate meeting with the core, Berlichingen continued to take part in the battles, making his right hand from iron.
The first arm had only basic elements. In the upper part of the palm there were two loops, to which were attached four hooks in the form of fingers, they could hold a sword, but this limited their mobility. Even in the first version, special attention was paid to aesthetic details, the prosthesis had artificial nails and wrinkles on the knuckles.
Berlichingen did not allow the loss of a limb to affect his fate, and continued to command a group of mercenaries. His life, as Dr. Sharon Romma wrote in an article on artificial limbs in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery magazine, "consisted of fighting, gambling, and usury," while he "acquired the reputation of Robin Hood, who defended the peasants from oppressors. " At the same time, kidnapping nobles for ransom and attacking merchants were part of his workflow.
Promotional video:
After several years of battles with a serviceable, but still inactive arm, Berlichingen switched to a more perfect model. His second iron arm, which was extended to the end of his forearm and had a leather strap, was, in the words of the American Journal of Surgery, "an awkward structure, but made with great ingenuity."
Unlike the first, the second hand was equipped with joints, which made it possible to hold the weapon stronger. Berlichingen, with the help of his left hand, could change the position of the fingers on the right so that they could hold a sword, a feather or the reins of a war horse. The spring mechanisms on the inside of the palm locked the fingers in position using a gear mechanism similar to that used in handcuffs.
This second hand is a rare example of a 16th century limb prosthesis and is still kept in the museum of the Berlichingen castle in their native Jagsthausen, a small German town with a population of about 1,600. To demonstrate pride in the native unyielding knight, the city's coat of arms is still decorated with the image of an iron hand.
Known as "Götz - the Iron Hand," the knight continued to fight until the age of 64, taking part in the campaign against the Ottoman Empire and playing an important role in the invasion of France in 1544. In the end, he ended the mercenary profession and wrote an autobiography. Berlichingen died in 1562 at the age of 82. His autobiography, published in 1731, inspired Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to create the play Getz von Berlichingen.
The play uses a lot of artistic exaggeration and metaphors, which ultimately turned Berlichingen into a character with a tragic fate, who dies young, not at the age of 82. The knight in the play is depicted as a stern warrior with a sensitive soul. Explaining to the monks why he greets people by extending his left hand to shake, he says: “My right hand, although useful in war, is insensitive to the touch of love; it is hidden in a glove; and you see that it is made of iron."
However, the most memorable scene of Berlichingen happened in real life, when he was in the besieged castle of Jagsthausen. Having received the order to surrender, the knight replies "Er aber, sag's ihm, er kann mich im Arsche lecken", which literally means: "Tell him that he can kiss my ass." This phrase, rare at the time, is now known among Germans as the "Swabian greeting."
These immortal words are carved under the Berlichingen bas-relief plaque located in Weisenheim. On the bas-relief, Berlichingen presses his iron hand to his heart in anticipation of the next paid fight.