St. Elisabeth, Court Day 1225 and the Miracle of the Roses in Weißensee

In 1217, Louis IV, also known as Louis the Holy, became Landgrave of Thuringia. As Landgrave, he had the task of securing royal rights and administering the royal estates in Thuringia. He was superior to all other counts in Thuringia. In order to fulfill his duties, Landgrave Ludwig IV was constantly on the move within Thuringia with his retinue. In 1221, the marriage of Landgrave Ludwig IV to the fourteen-year-old Elisabeth took place in the Georgenkirche in Eisenach. The daughter of the Hungarian king came to Thuringia in 1211 and was initially supposed to marry the eldest son of Landgrave Herrmann I. But he probably died in a hunting accident. However, he presumably died in a hunting accident. According to reports, Elisabeth and Ludwig had a very loving marriage, which was quite rare for strategic marriages at the time. Not only power politics and warlike activities, but also pious deeds determined the actions of Louis IV. However, his wife, the Landgravine Elisabeth – still venerated today as Saint Elisabeth of Thuringia – tried even harder to alleviate poverty and hunger. She also stayed at the castle in Weißensee from time to time. In 1225, Ludwig held a magnificent court meeting with the bishops, counts and other personalities from Thuringia at Runneburg Castle near Weißensee. It was his last court meeting, as Louis the Holy died in 1227 on his crusade to the Holy Land.

We imagine that Elisabeth hid food from the kitchen of Weißensee Castle in a basket to bring it to the sick in the Johanniterhof – 800 meters away from the castle in the protected urban area of Weißensee. She met her husband with the entire court in front of today’s town hall. Knowing that it was strictly forbidden to distribute food from the castle to the poor, he had to ask her to show him the contents of her basket. He is on horseback and his beloved wife – on foot – shows him the basket with her hands raised. No one but Ludwig can see the contents of the basket. He begins to smile and says to his wife, beaming and proud: “Oh, how magical! They are roses as beautiful as my lovely wife!”

If the rose miracle of St. Elisabeth really did take place, then it could only have happened in Weißensee.