Tile Kolup facts for kids
Tile Kolup (who died on July 7, 1285), also known as Dietrich Holzschuh, was a man who pretended to be someone else. In 1284, he started claiming he was Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, a powerful ruler who had died many years before.
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Who Was Tile Kolup?
Tile Kolup was an impostor, which means he was someone who pretended to be another person, especially someone important. He used a different name, Dietrich Holzschuh, but he became famous as Tile Kolup. His story is about a time when people hoped their old emperor would return.
Why Did People Believe Him?
Emperor Frederick II had died in 1250. However, many people believed he was not truly gone. Rumors spread that he would come back to fix problems in the empire. Tile Kolup took advantage of these rumors. He claimed to be the returning emperor, ready to set things right.
Kolup's Journey and Support
When Tile Kolup first said he was the emperor in 1284, he was in Cologne. People there did not believe him. They laughed at him and even threw him into a sewer. He was then forced to leave the city.
However, Kolup soon found many people who supported him in Neuss. He even started making his own official-looking papers. These papers had a fake seal, making them seem real. He joined groups who were against King Rudolph of Habsburg. These groups were trying to take over the city of Neuss, but they were not successful.
Holding Court in Wetzlar
In the summer of 1285, Tile Kolup traveled to Wetzlar. There, he acted like a real emperor, holding court and meeting with people. It is not clear how he got all the money he needed for this. He even gave out special permissions, called privileges, using his fake royal seal. Some people from Italy also came to visit him, showing their support.
The End of His Deception
King Rudolph of Habsburg eventually caught Tile Kolup in Wetzlar that same year. Tile Kolup was then punished for pretending to be the emperor. His story shows how much people wanted a strong leader to return during that time.
