Tanzen verboten? - dancing forbidden?

 Ich habe bereits eine ganze Reihe zum Thema Tanzen hier auf dem Blog veröffentlicht [1]. Ich bin dieses Jahr (2025) bei der Recherche auf einen Fall einer Strafe für das Tanzen gestoßen, die ich sehr interessant fand. Am 16. Oktober 1745 wurde das "Weib" des Landtürmers aus Sanzenbach namens Wacker zu einer Strafe von 20 Schillingen vom Amtmann verurteilt, weil sie an einem Sonntag im "Commenthurhäuslein" getanzt habe. Es muss damals hoch her gegangen sein, denn der Sohn des Forstknechtes Bauer und der Landtürmer Wacker bekamen sich "um erst erwehnten weibs willen" in den "Haaren", wofür beide jeweils 1 fl 15 ß Strafe auferlegt bekamen [2]. Leider erfährt man nicht näher, was die Ursache war, warum sie sich in diesem Gebäude überhaupt aufhielt.

I have already published a whole series of posts on the subject of dancing here on the blog [1]. This year (2025), while conducting research, I came across a case involving a penalty for dancing that I found particularly interesting. On October 16, 1745, the wife of the rural watchman from Sanzenbach—a man named Wacker—was sentenced by the bailiff to a fine of 20 shillings for having danced in the "Commenthurhäuslein" on a Sunday. Things must have gotten quite rowdy on that occasion, for the son of the forester's assistant, Bauer, and the rural watchman, Wacker, came to blows "on account of the aforementioned woman," for which both men were each fined 1 florin and 15 shillings [2]. Unfortunately, the records do not provide any further details regarding the specific reason why she happened to be in that building in the first place.

Dieses abendliche Tanzen (Anno Domini 1734) wäre wohl auch vom Amtmann verboten worden, wenn er davon Wind bekommen hätte. - This evening dancing (Anno Domini 1734) would have been forbidden by the "Amtmann" if he would have get a notice... (Foto: C. Behnke)

 

Württemberger & Haller Fußvolk

Passend zur Veranstaltung dieses Jahr [1] habe ich einen Trupp Württemberger Musketiere aufgestellt. Die Herausforderung war, dass ich nichts über eine Uniformierung der Württemberger Kompanien wusste. Zumindest rudimentär wie bei den hessischen Ausschusstruppen um 1600 [2] wäre eine Uniformierung ja durchaus plausibel.

Die Württemberger Musketiere. - The Württemberg musketeers. (Foto: F. Hanselmann)

 

In keeping with this year's event [1], I have fielded a squad of Württemberg musketeers. The challenge was that I knew nothing about the uniforms of Württemberg companies. However, some form of uniform—at least a rudimentary one, like that of the Hessian militia troops around 1600 [2]—would certainly be plausible.

Von hinten. - From behind. (Foto: F. Hanselmann)

 

Hatten sie sich hinter der Scheune versteckt? - Were they covered behind the barn? (Foto: F. Hanselmann)

 

Anders ist es bei den dazu passenden Haller Aufgebotstruppen. Die Städter hatten, wie bereits angedeutet, wahrscheinlich überwiegend Musketen [3]. Wie auf einer Stadtansicht von Hall von um 1640 zu sehen, trugen die Sieder bereits in der ersten Hälfte des 17. Jh. rote Wämser [4]. Daher repräsentieren bei den Figuren die Musketiere Haller Bürger und die Pikeniere Landleute, obwohl diese im Grunde genommen auch zu einem hohen Anteil Musketen oder Arkebusen hatten [5].

 

Die gesamten Truppen. - All of the troops. (Foto: F. Hanselmann)

The situation is different regarding the corresponding levy troops from Hall. As previously indicated, the townsmen were likely equipped predominantly with muskets [3]. As shown in a view of Hall dating from around 1640, the town's militia members were already wearing red doublets in the first half of the 17th century [4]. Consequently, among the figures, the musketeers represent citizens of Hall while the pikemen represent countrymen—even though, in reality, a large proportion of the latter were also armed with muskets or arquebuses [5].

 

More Musketeers to protect the king

I used the figures from the sets of Mounted Guards of the cardinal and Mounted Musketeers of the king to build a second unit of 6 musketeers on horses. This time they are in full swing with swords and hat in the air. Every classic cinematic version of Dumas' novel shows D'Artagnan and his friends in such a way although it doesn't really seem to be typical for these soldiers. 

One of them is firing his pistol. The equipment of the musketeers was very expensive. (photo: A. Hanselmann)

 

The most famous Musketeer Charles de Batz de Castlemore d'Artagnan was killed during the charge of his musketeers at Maastricht in 1673 on foot. Perhaps his remains were recently found in a church [1]. I can not swear that they never charged on horseback in such a way. But it should be very rare. Unfortunately all of the figures are missing their primary weapon: the musket. I would suppose that they wore them in the same way like the contemporary dragoons [2].

One of them has no cassock but a breastplate. One of them has very nicely sculpted hair. All of them should have muskets as you can see them on other figures. (photo: A. Hanselmann, 2026)

Unfortunately there are no servants on horseback in the set. We find them not only in the novel [3]. The Musketeers were nobles and even ordinary horse units had grooms for horses.

 

I love the details of the heads. As always with Sets by RedBox the horses could be looking better. There are no sacks or such details as we find them in the Set of Swedish cavalry by Revell. (photo: A. Hanselman, 2026)

 

There are two officers in the set of mounted Royal Musketeers which could be used as the Comte de Tréville [4] and his majesty himself.  

 

The secret agent - p. 7 of our Dumas campaign

After the very bad luck during Kettie's ambush, I had the chance to get my revenge using "Pikeman's Lament" [1] shortly before our event in Wackershofen [2].

A long road is leading to the town. (photo: C. Hanselmann)

That was more of an typical adventure such as the secret meeting of the duke of Buckingham with the queen as we can see it in many versions of the Dumas-novel on screen [3]. We rolled for the building where a small treasure will be placed. We rolled a 5, which was a large building next to a small place where a small group of guards were waiting for trouble in the next tavern.

The faubourg of a larger French town. The two buildings in the foreground, the large building next to the spring, the small tavern, the house with the yellow roof and the large church could be used to hide the agent or the treasure. (photo: C. Hanselmann)

I had 3 units of the Cardinal's Guards on Foot. One of them had halberts only and ranked as aggressive Forlorn Hope. They were standing at one end of the Faubourg. Two units of guards are waiting at a gatehouse with a tiny troop on horseback [4]. I had two tasks: 1st to enter the building and bring the treasure to the gatehouse. 2nd to arrest the agent, which was hiding in one of the 6 buildings (Kettie decided in secret where he was). The game was to be end if both missions were either successfully ended or not possible any longer [5].

In turn 1 we missed our activation and therefore Kettie decided to leave the pub with the agent and to run down the road. We had a very different plan before turn 1 - to post one unit of our troops at every road and to search in every building with the fourth. But that was to be changed immediately. We send out our guards on horseback to shoot down the agent and the musketeers. (photo: C. Hanselmann)

 

Kettie had 6 brave guys to escort the agent out of the faubourg on one of the short roads. She would get 3 units of reinforcements (2 x Forlorn Hope and 1 x Veteran Dragoons) in turn 3. Therefore she could just let her agent in the building - it was the tavern - for the 3 turns with some danger that it would be the same building where my soldiers would enter for the treasure.

Regarding our task to arrest the agent - that was how far we came. Kettie could not know that we had our Special Mission "Draw no more than your handkerchief from your pocket" [6]. Therefore we decided to let Augustus von Wiesel himself to stay at the local garrision at the gate house. (photo: C. Hanselmann)

The cardinal and his friend

 I finally painted the last figures of the Set of Mounted Guards [1]. One of them obviously should be the comte de Rochefort - one of the major characters of Dumas' novel. He is the famous men from Meung. The figure has the same clothes like a gentleman in the set of guards on foot [2]. 

The comte de Rochefort is looking somehow strange because he never swings his sword in such a way in the novel. But the figure can be any other officer or civilian on horseback too. (photo: A. Hanselmann, 2026)

Krieg und Durchzüge 1746 - war and armies on the road in 1746

Wir stellen ja dieses Jahr in Wackershofen sowohl die Gegend um Hall während des 30-jährigen Krieges als auch während des Österreichischen Erbfolgekrieges dar. Ähnlich wie 1626 waren auch 1746 der Austragungsort größerer Kampfhandlungen [1] oder kleinerer Gefechte [2][3] in der Gegend [4] in eine andere Region weiter gewandert. Dennoch erlebte man die Spuren des Krieges durch teils massive Truppendurchzüge. So findet sich ein österreichischer Offizier namens Auge, der mit seinen Truppen auf den iltalienischen Kriegsschauplatz wechselte und in dem Zuge im August 1746 durch Hall kam [5]. Leider weiß ich nicht, ob sie noch irgendeinen Einfluss auf die militärischen Ereignisse nach der Schlacht bei Rottofredo [6] hatten.

This year in Wackershofen, we are depicting the area around Hall during both the Thirty Years' War and the War of the Austrian Succession. Similar to 1626, in 1746 the focus of major battles [1] or minor skirmishes [2][3] in the area [4] had shifted to another region. Nevertheless, the effects of the war were still evident through the sometimes massive troop movements. For example, there is an Austrian officer named Auge, who moved with his troops to the Italian theater of war and passed through Hall in August 1746 [5]. Unfortunately, I don't know if they had any further influence on the military events after the Battle of Rottofredo [6].

 

Österreichischer Husar Anno Domini 1743. - An Austrian hussar on our Anno Domini 1743 event. (Foto: J. Krämer)

Anders als 120 Jahre zuvor finden wir allerdings keine Plünderungen oder Entwendung von Tieren in großem Maßstab, auch wenn wir es in kleinem Maßstab noch im Zusammenhang mit dem Gefecht bei Übrigshausen kennen, wo ein Bauer dazu kam, weil er seinem ihm entzogenen Pferd gefolgt war und dadurch in die Probleme der Landleute mit den Österreichern verwickelt wurde. Es wurden nicht nur Vorspanntiere oder Schlachttiere nicht entführt, sondern auch bei den durchmarschierenden Truppen und ihren Kommandeuren darauf geachtet selbst kleinere Rechnungen zu begleichen, selbst wenn jemand wie die "Amtmännin Wiblin" vom Magistrat für die Unterbringung eines Stabes eine größere Summe forderte und immerhin 40 Gulden erhielt [7]. 

Unlike 120 years earlier, we find no large-scale looting or theft of animals, although we do know of a small-scale instance in connection with the skirmish at Übrigshausen, where a farmer became involved because he had followed his stolen horse and thus became entangled in the problems of the local people with the Austrians. Not only were draft animals or animals destined for slaughter not stolen, but the passing troops and their commanders were also careful to settle even small bills, even when someone like the "village head Wiblin" demanded a larger sum from the magistrate for the accommodation of a staff and received a mere 40 guilders [7].

Bayerischer Offizier vom Leibregiment. - A Bavarian officer from the Leibregiment. (Foto: A. Jäger)

"Vivaldi und ich" (Primavera)(2026)

Das Filmplakat zeigt im Hintergrund Anachronismen, im Vordergrund die beiden absoluten Hauptfiguren. - The poster of the movie let you see some anachronisms in the background and the main characters in the foreground. (photo: A. Hanselmann)

 

Es ist faszinierend, dass just in dem Jahr nachdem wir selbst in Venedig waren [1] ein großer Film, der in der Lagunenstadt spielt, in die Kinos kommt. Obendrein ist es auch von daher reizvoll, da unsere diesjährige Veranstaltung in Wackershofen in den 1740ern angesiedelt ist - der Zeit also, als Vivaldi gerade erst verstorben war. In Venedig begegnet man Vivaldi auf Schritt und Tritt, überall hört man jemanden aus den "Vier Jahreszeiten" eine Passage spielen, es gibt Gebäude, die Plaketten haben, die auf seine Lebensphasen hinweisen. Venedig ist natürlich ebenso die Stadt Casanovas über dessen Leben ich momentan lese [2], über den es in letzter Zeit aber keine gelungenen Filme gab [3]. 

It is fascinating that, in the very year following our own visit to Venice [1], a major film set in the Lagoon City is hitting theaters. Moreover, this is particularly intriguing given that our event in Wackershofen this year is set in the 1740s—precisely the era when Vivaldi had just passed away. In Venice, one encounters Vivaldi at every turn; everywhere you go, you can hear someone playing a passage from "The Four Seasons", and buildings bear plaques marking the various stages of his life. Venice is, of course, also the city of Casanova—whose life I am currently reading about [2], though there have been no successful films about him in recent times [3].

Venedig am Abend. Ein Blick auf San Giorgio Maggiore von San Zaccharia aus gesehen. - Venice in the evening. A view from San Zaccharia at San Giorgio Maggiore. (photo: C. Hanselmann)