Peine castle stands on the Fuhse between Hildesheim and Brunswick.
Its lords were Welf ministeriales who turned to the Staufen after 1180. Henry the Lion stormed Peine with other rebel castles about 1193; Ludolf rebuilt it in 1194. About 1202 Otto's steward Gunzelin of Wolfenbüttel takes it after a feud with Bishop Hartbert. The town of Peine is founded only about 1220 (town rights 1223).
Who he is
- Name
- Ludolf of Peine, or a son of the same name
- Title
- Lord of Peine castle
- Since
- the family held Peine from the early 12th century (Berthold of Peine, witness 1130)
- Born
- not pinned
- Family
- Berthold of Peine (1130); his son Ludolf (Henry the Lion's charter of 1154). After Henry's fall in 1180 Ludolf, or a son of the same name, went over to the Staufen.
- Confidence
- low
de.wikipedia (Burg Peine; Gunzelin von Wolfenbüttel).
Overlord
Formerly the Welfs; after 1180 the lords answered to the Staufen side; ties to Hildesheim are likely (Gunzelin's feud of about 1202 was with the bishop) but not pinned.
What it holds
- Peine castle (rebuilt 1194) and its district on the Fuhse
How it was acquired
Welf ministerial office turned into a lordship after 1180.
Allies and rivals
Enemies of the Welfs; probably leaning on Hildesheim.
How things stand that morning
Held by the Peine family against the Welfs. Allegiance not pinned for 1200; Staufen-leaning since 1180.
Wealth
Castle district rents; the road between Hildesheim and Brunswick.
Military
Peine castle. No figures.
Threats
- The Welfs next door
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.
- About 1202 (not yet)Peine falls to Gunzelin of Wolfenbüttel.Depends on: Welf-Hildesheim feud. Stopped by: A settlement.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Only the castle history is pinned.
Primary sources for Empire
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 Marbach (compiled to 1238, the section on 1198 to 1210 written in the early 13th century). Alsatian annals on the Staufen side of the Upper Rhine. Read online
- 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 Reinhardsbrunn; Chronicle of St Peter's, Erfurt (Erfurt chronicle in the 13th century; Reinhardsbrunn compilation about 1340 to 1349 from older annals). The two Thuringian chronicles. 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
- Chronicle of Hainaut, Gislebert of Mons (about 1195 to 1196). Ends in 1195, so it has no 1200 entries, but it is the indispensable background for Flanders and Hainaut: the career of Count Baldwin V of Hainaut (VIII of Flanders), his union of the two counties, the settlement with Philip over Artois, the rights, castles, fiefs and vassals of Hainaut listed by a man who ran its chancery, and the youth of Baldwin IX, who held both counties in 1200. Read online
8 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.