Siege of Eltville

The siege of Eltville (or battle of Eltville) in May 1349 was the military engagement by which Charles IV secured the throne of the Holy Roman Empire against his rival, Günther of Schwarzburg. It was the third time a disputed succession in the Empire had been decided by battle.

Charles IV had been elected king in 1346 in opposition to the Emperor Louis IV, who died the following year. On 30 January 1349, Charles's opponents elected Günther king. The latter moved on Frankfurt, where he was crowned on 6 February. Charles then led a large army to the Rhine and encamped at Mainz. The sources do not provide details of his operations. Günther apparently ensconced himself in Eltville, which, according to Matthias von Neuenburg, was a fortified town with a castle (oppidum cum castro). Charles induced Louis IV's son, Louis V of Bavaria, to abandon Günther.

Defeated, Günther agreed to a treaty with Charles on 26 May. On 29 May, he renounced his royal title. In return his supporters received an amnesty and he received a payment of 20,000 marks raised by pawning imperial demesnes. The ill Günther died at Frankfurt on 19 June, possibly poisoned during the siege.