The marshal is the archbishop's deputy in Westphalia: military commander of the duchy, keeper of its peace and guide of travellers under the archbishop's protection.
On 1 January 1200 the holder is not pinned; later lists suggest Hermann of Oesede, named about 1195. From the end of 1200 the marshal will sit at the new town of Rüthen.
Who he is
- Name
- not pinned (later lists name Hermann of Oesede about 1195)
- Title
- Marshal of Westphalia (Marschall von Westfalen)
- Since
- not pinned
- Family
- Later marshals come from Cologne's ministerial families of the Hellweg (Erwitte, Störmede, Soest).
- Confidence
- low
The office's origin is disputed and the first secure record is of 1217. Later lists give Adolf of Dassel (1180) and Hermann of Oesede (about 1195), then a gap to 1207. The marshal stands in for the archbishop as duke during his long absences on the Rhine: he calls out the vassals, castle men, local officers and the Gografen when the land is threatened, gives safe conduct, may send men to the archbishop's wars, but may not start feuds of his own.
Overlord
The archbishop of Cologne as duke of Westphalia
What it holds
- The command of the duchy's levy in the archbishop's absence
- Safe conduct on the archbishop's roads
- Later (from 29 September 1200) a seat at Rüthen
How it was acquired
An office of the archbishop, not a fief; later farmed out for a few years at a time.
Allies and rivals
Serves the archbishop; works with the Soest town officers and the castle men of Volmarstein, Padberg and Hachen.
How things stand that morning
Not pinned who holds the office that winter; the archbishop's Westphalian men follow Otto's side with him.
Wealth
Fees and the profits of escort and justice; no figures.
Military
Leads the Westphalian vassals and castle men when called. No numbers.
Threats
- Arnsberg's doubtful loyalty
- Feuds of Lippe and Paderborn on the eastern edge
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 29 September 1200 and afterThe marshal's seat moves to the new town of Rüthen, which serves as Cologne's power centre in Westphalia until the later 13th century.Depends on: The Rüthen foundation. Stopped by: Its failure.
Where the sources disagree
- de.wikipedia's list puts Simon I of Tecklenburg as marshal in 1207, but Simon died on 8 August 1202 (en.wikipedia); the 1207 entry must be another man or a mistake.
Evidence: First secure record of the office 1217; earlier names come from later lists.
On the map: An office with no land of its own; shown by its seat only.
Primary sources for Cologne
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Annals of Reiner of Saint James, Liège, Reiner of Liège (1197 to 1230, kept year by year). Contemporary annals kept inside Liège. Read online
- Chronicle of Burchard of Ursberg, Burchard of Ursberg (about 1229 to 1230, reworked by Conrad of Lichtenau). Written a generation later by a fierce partisan of the Staufen and a critic of Innocent III. Read online
- Chronicle of Otto of St Blasien, Otto of St Blasien (about 1209 to 1210). A Swabian continuation of Otto of Freising written from the Staufen side. Read online
- Chronicle of the Slavs, by Arnold of Lübeck, Arnold of Lübeck (about 1209 to 1210). Arnold continues Helmold and writes from Lübeck, close to Danish, Welf and Baltic affairs. Read online
- Royal Chronicle of Cologne (in stages from about 1175 to about 1250; the section on 1198 to 1220 written soon after the events). The fullest German narrative of the throne war from the Welf and Cologne side. Read online
- Regesta Imperii V: calendar of the acts of Philip, Otto IV and Frederick II, 1198 to 1272 (calendar of documents of 1198 to 1272, published 1881 to 1901). A dated calendar of every known act of King Philip and King Otto IV, with the acts of popes and princes that bear on the Empire. Read online
- Register of Innocent III on the affair of the Roman Empire, Innocent III and the papal chancery (1198 to 1209, compiled as a separate register at the curia). The pope's own file on the German throne war: letters to and from Philip, Otto, the German princes and bishops, and the famous Deliberatio of late 1200 or early 1201 in which Innocent weighs the claims of Frederick, Philip and Otto before deciding for Otto. Read online
- The Registers of Pope Innocent III for 1199 to 1201, Innocent III and the papal chancery (22 February 1199 to 21 February 1201). The pope's outgoing letters for the year, in his chancery's own copy, touching nearly every realm in the atlas. Read online
2 more in the sources library for The Rhineland, the Low Countries and the Swiss Lands.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.