In December 1140, during the fierce civil war between the noble houses of the Guelphs and the Ghibellines for the crown of the Holy Roman Empire, King Conrad III besieged the impregnable castle of Weinsberg, in present-day Germany. After weeks of desperate resistance, the fortress had no choice but to surrender to royal troops.
Furious at the prolonged defensive obstinacy, the monarch ordered that all men-at-arms be executed. However, he granted a special pardon out of chivalrous mercy: he allowed the women and children to leave the castle before the final assault, taking with them only the most valuable thing they could carry on their backs.
What happened when the gates opened left the besiegers astonished:
- Instead of coming out with gold, jewels, or costly garments, each woman emerged staggering while carrying her husband on her back.
- Unmarried young women or widows carried their fathers, brothers, or male servants so as not to leave anyone behind.
The king's younger brother considered the gesture an insolent deception and demanded their immediate execution, but Conrad III could not help bursting into laughter at the ladies' cunning. Moved by their loyalty and courage, he ruled that "a king's word cannot be broken" and spared the entire garrison's lives.
From that day on, the fortress was popularly named Weibertreu Castle ("Women's Fidelity"), becoming one of the most famous episodes of peaceful wit in medieval military history.
Source: Chronica Regia Coloniensis (12th century)
