König Sigismund als Schiedsrichter in den dynastischen Konflikten der bayerischen Wittelsbacher in der ersten Hälfte des 15. Jahrhunderts : Politik und Kommunikation

The rule of Emperor and Roman King Sigismund of Luxembourg in the Holy Roman Empire is considered weak because it could not rely on its own imperial principality. Therefore, the ruler had to base his policy towards the princes and cities of the empire on his royal dignity and the royal prerogatives. Among these privileges belonged the position of the Roman King as supreme feudal lord and judge of the imperial princes. The role of judge was increasingly exercised by the Roman king in the late Middle Ages in the form of arbitral tribunals. This article examines the court proceedings that Sigismund conducted as Roman King in the disputes between the Dukes of Bavaria – as a judge, but above all as an arbitrator. The most important question is whether the king instrumentalized his position as arbiter for his own power-political interests with regard to Bavaria and the Bavarian dukes of the Wittelsbach dynasty. In particular, the correspondence between the Bavarian dukes and between them and King Sigismund is examined. It is revealed that Sigismund did not consistently exploit the opportunities of his position as judge and arbitrator to his own advantage. Nevertheless, the Bavarian dukes saw the danger of the king's influence in Bavaria and tried to find alternative variants for suitable arbitration tribunals.