BERLICHINGEN, b6e11K-ing'cn, Gorz or GoTT•RIEO VON ( 14SO-1562). A German feudal knight and soldier of fortune. He was born at Jagsthausen, Wurttemberg, and was initiated into feudal warfare at an early age. He first served the Elector Frederick of Brandenburg, but soon took up the cause of Albert of Bavaria. In 1504, at the siege of Landshut, he lost his right hand, and having had it replaced by an iron one. he was thenceforth known as Glitz of the Iron Hand. He lived in constant feuds with his neighbors and waylaid passing merchants, vp.y ing these pastimes with deeds of chivalry. His disregard for the edict against private war fare caused Glitz to he twice put under the ban of the Empire, first in 1512 and again in 1518. He was a stanch supporter of Luther. In 1525 the revolted peasants, according to his story, came to the castle of Berlichingen and insisted forcibly on his assuming command over them. The revolt was soon put down and Glitz taken prisoner, and only released after two years' captivity, and on promise of abstaining from fur ther warfare. After a long period of inactivity he
reappeared on the scene in 1542, and took part in the campaign in Hungary against the Turks, and in 1544 fought for Charles V. against Francis I. Glitz died at his castle July.23,1462. While living in retirement he wrote his famous autobiography, which first appeared in 1731 and has since been edited by Sch6nhuth (Heilbronn, 1859), and by :Midler (Leipzig, 1882). Goethe chose the famous knight as the hero of one of his best-known dramas, Glitz ran Berlichingen, which Sir \Val ter Scott translated, and in the eyes of his torians generally Glitz represents the typical feu dal knight. The best biographies of him are: Glitz, Graf van Berlichingen-Rossach, Gesehichte des Hitters Glitz con Berlichingen snit der eiscr nen Hand (Leipzig, 1861) ; Buesching, Lebo:.
cies Golz con Berliehingen (Berlin, 1810). The family of Berl ichingen-Rossach are descendants of the famous knight.