Sinzig, a Staufen palace where Barbarossa stayed in 1152, 1158 and 1174, and Remagen, one of the king's table manors, guard the Rhine at the mouth of the Ahr between Cologne's Andernach and Linz.
Philip's troops burned Remagen in October 1198 on their way down to Bonn; Otto's attempt to push up the Rhine to Boppard failed in summer 1199. In 1206 Philip will build the Landskron above the Ahr to hold Sinzig and Remagen. On 1 January 1200 these royal places lie between the two kings' spheres and no garrison or officer is pinned for either side.
Who he is
- Title
- The king's officers at Sinzig and Remagen
- Confidence
- low
de.wikipedia Sinzig, Remagen; Düsseldorf study (raid of October 1198)
Overlord
The king (claimed by both)
What it holds
- Sinzig palace and its royal lands
- Remagen, the king's manor town (it calls itself a 'civitas libera' answering only to the king in 1221)
How it was acquired
Royal since the eleventh century.
Allies and rivals
Cologne's towns of Andernach and Linz flank them; the Staufen hold the Rhine above Andernach (Boppard).
How things stand that morning
Contested: a royal march between Welf Cologne and the Staufen middle Rhine; Remagen burned in 1198.
Wealth
Rhine trade, Ahr wine; the Jews of Sinzig (a third of the town's tax in 1242). No figures.
Military
Sinzig palace; the Landskron is not yet built (1206).
Threats
- Either king's next campaign along the Rhine
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.
- April 1200Conrad of Mainz's truce spares the Rhine road for a time.Depends on: Both kings keeping the truce Stopped by: A campaign before April
Places of note
- Landskron (built 1206, not yet standing): Philip's later castle above the Ahr
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The 1198 burning is attested; control that winter is not.
On the map: Royal lands and church manors mixed; drawn as one contested block.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.