Emicho of Flonheim

The leader of one of the People’s Crusades of 1096. Emicho was long identified in scholarship as one of the counts of Leiningen, but was in fact count of Flonheim on the middle Rhine.

In spring 1096, Emicho emerged as leader of crusaders from this region and led them to the city of Mainz with the aim of attacking its Jewish population. After his force was joined by newly arrived crusaders from France, the townspeople opened the gates, and the crusaders slaughtered almost all the Jews of the city, who had taken refuge with the archbishop, Ruthard II (27 May 1096). Emicho’s army then marched to Hungary, but was refused passage by King Colo-man and proceeded to besiege the frontier town of Wiesel-burg (June 1096). After a six-week siege the crusaders were repulsed and routed by the Hungarians. Emicho made his way back to Germany, while some survivors from his army joined other crusading expeditions.

-Alan V. Murray

Bibliography

Mohring, Hannes, “Graf Emicho und die Judenverfolgungen von 1096,” Rheinische Vierteljahrsbldtter 56 (1992),

97-111.

Stow, Kenneth, “Conversion, Apostasy, and

Apprehensiveness: Emicho of Flonheim and the Fear of Jews in the Twelfth Century,” Speculum 76 (2001),

911-933.

Toussaint, Ingo, Die Grafen von Leiningen: Studien zur leiningischen Genealogie und Territorialgeschichte bis zur Teilungvon 1317/18 (Sigmaringen: Thorbecke, 1982).