A fencer, or a thresher?

Martin Tirol von Kaden, a real asshole Marxbruder

Quick little post today all about a Marxbruder who shows up in the Strasbourg records from 1577 to 1578: Martin Tirol von Kaden.  During the two years he was in town he requested 4 fechtschul and stirred up some serious trouble.  Below are a couple of translations of his requests, where the council spells out some of his misdeeds and buffoonery.

January 19th, 1577

Martin Tirol of Kaden, a furrier, master of the long sword, a strong bullish ruffian, requests to allow him to hold a fechtschul on Monday.

We reported that he fenced last Monday on the then-held fechtschul as if he was more a thresher than one of the fencers, adding onto this (an act of) blasphemy. He showed himself so adversarial that it would be better if he was put in the jail[?] on the schindtbruck („skinner's bridge“).

Recognized. One should deny him his request.

What a dick!  His very first fechtschul request includes calling him a ruffian, talking about him baja-blasting other fencers, and talkin’ shit about God all at the same time.  They even threw him in the clink for it!  Surprisingly he would request another fechtschul a couple months later that was approved, but apparently Martin couldn’t close out the year with a whimper.  There is a third and final fechtschul request in 1577 that is much more in line with his jerkishness.

December 7th, 1577

Martin Tirol of Kaden, furrier, master of the long sword, requests to allow him a fechtschul on Monday. The Herr Ammeister reports that he has held another schul this year where a great disturbance happened. He was supposedly struck by a cutler-citizen whom he hounded on foot and followed home. (There) he berated him and, according to the citizen, vandalized the workshop terribly. He (the cutler) is reportedly an unfortunate and intellectually disabled person [lit. „head“] who didn't hit him with the wheel.

Recognized. His request has been denied.

Sounds like his approved fechtschul didn’t go so well after all, following home a messerschmidt who hit him during the matches to harass and mess up his place of work.  This passage also includes some difficult grammar and odd word choices, such as “unsinnig” which referred to some degree of intellectually disabled.

Martin would appear once in 1578 with a pretty typical fechtschul request during which “He presents himself with all due respect.”  You better be, dude, after all that!  It seems that the stereotypes of the furriers/Marxbruder being thugs and meanies was embodied in Tirol, and luckily he disappears from the city from then on out.