Hans Waldmann

This is Hans Waldmann, a leader of the Zurich contingents who was at the battles of Morat and Nancy.  He originated from Zug canton and through marriage he appears to have risen through the social ranks within the city of Zurich by the time of the Swiss-Burgundian wars. His successful leadership on the battlefield enhanced his political career and he was elected mayor of Zurich in 1483. However he was to be deposed some years later, following his attempts to raise tax rates on local villages that led to an armed peasant uprising against him. He was subsequently tried, found guilty of corruption and executed in 1489 – as depicted in the Luzern Chronicle of 1515 (below).

These are all plastic figures from the Mercenaries box.  Waldmann has a sallet from the mounted men at arms sprue, as is his right arm – with metal halbard attached. His flagbearer also uses an arm from the same box, with the gauntlet replaced with a bare open hand from a longbowman’s arm (...oh the joy of these plastics!) and a metal Swiss head. His style of beard is shown in the Schilling Chronicles for some of the city elders and I’m quite pleased (and somewhat surprised) by my addition using Procreate, to try and represent a man of some status being entrusted with Waldmann’s personal arms. The accompanying halberdier is another plastic and metal head combo; the only addition being his bend – a fairly common method of identification in the later fifteenth century and again shown in the Swiss chronicles. The section of wattle fence is Renedra, cut down and bent to shape. The flag is another one from Pete’s Flags sheet of Swiss commanders (see the previous entry for a link to purchase from ebay).

Now, time to get back to those Burgundian men at arms that have been on the painting table for far too long…