This page was created by Zachary Barney. The last update was by Amanda Luyster.
Composite Stechzeug - What is This?
This German jousting armor was made in the late 15th century in southern Germany, probably in Nuremberg. During this time, the Hundred Years' War between the English and the French had recently ended, and the Byzantine Empire had been conquered by the Ottoman Turks. England and France were beginning to consolidate their power under their monarchs with the creation of several bureaucratic networks that would collect taxes and fund armies which made the nations less reliant on their nobles. In the late 15th century, Germany was still a loose confederation of small kingdoms that were collectively known as the Holy Roman Empire. These small kingdoms were constantly at war with each other over land and influence in the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, one of the most influential people in medieval Europe. The late 15th century was also marked by the cultural movement known as the Renaissance, famous for its paintings and statues by artists such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.