“Michael Kohlhaas” Kleist in brief summary
The action refers to the middle of the 16th century, to the period of the Reformation. Michael Kolhaas, the protagonist of the story, earns a living by breeding and selling horses. It is a simple and just man, highly appreciating his honor and dignity.
Once he goes to Leipzig and, passing across the border, sees on the Saxon side at the knight’s castle a barrier. He is surprised. He had already crossed the border seventeen times, but he had never been blocked by a barrier. It turns out that the old baron, the owner of the castle, died and in his place came his successor Junker Wenzel von Tronka. He introduced these innovations. Michael Kolhaas pays a border fee and drives his herd to the Saxon land. However, when he approaches the barrier, he is called by someone’s voice from the castle tower and orders to stop. A caretaker emerges from the castle and requires a pass from Michael, without which no one mistress with horses can be allowed to cross the border. Junker
Arriving home, he learns that his servant Hersee returned all beaten up two weeks ago, but still has not recovered. Hersee informs Kolhaas
Michael Kohlhaas promises his servant that he will avenge him and achieve justice. He goes to Dresden to file a complaint with the court. With the help of a familiar lawyer, he writes a lawsuit detailing the violence committed by the cadet Wenczel von Tronk, and demands that the guilty person compensate him for the damage, and he himself bears a well-deserved punishment. After endless delays that lasted for a year, he learns that his case was lost, since the cadet discovered two high-powered relatives: Ginz and Kunz von Tronka, one of whom is under the tsar and the other is a chamberlain.
Kolhaas does not lose hope of achieving justice and passes on his complaint to the Elector of Brandenburg personally. He is very upset when he finds out that the Elector has redirected it to his chancellor, Count Kaleheim, who is in the property with the house of Tronka. Kolhaas again receives a refusal and orders not to disturb the higher authorities with his gossip and squabbling. Then from one traveler it becomes known to him that his blacks are still used in Trokenburg for field work, along with other horses.
Then Kolhaas invites the headman, his neighbor, who has long been planning to expand his land holdings, and invites him to buy all his property in Brandenburg and Saxony, with the exception of horses. The leader accepts his offer. The wife of Michael Kohlhaas is frightened by his plans to seek recognition of his rights in illegal ways. She offers him her help, wants to go to Berlin and herself petition the emperor, because she believes that a woman has more chances to attract attention. This idea is even less successful than all the previous ones. Lisbeth comes back with a dangerous wound in his chest. Obviously, she was so persistently making her way to the sovereign that she received a blow from one of the guards with a pike in the chest. A few days later she dies in the arms of a heartbroken Michael.
Returning after the funeral home, Kolhaas makes up a letter in which he orders the cadet to deliver his fat-fed blacks to him, then collects seven of his servants, arms them and goes to the attack of the castle. He sets the lock on fire, and the servants, displeased with their master, arm and attach to his detachment. The very Junker Wenczel manages to escape. For some time he is hiding in a monastery, where the abbess is his aunt. However, when Kolhaas with the detachment arrives at the monastery, it turns out that Wenzel von Tronke again escaped him and headed to Wittenberg.
In Wittenberg, realizing that with his squad of ten people he can not cope with the whole city, Kolhaas compiles an appeal in which he delivers everything that happened to him and calls on every good Christian to stand by his side. His squad is increasing, the number of supporters is also increasing. He avoids direct confrontation with troops sent against him by the government, and hides in the forests. From time to time, he returns to the city and lights it up again and again. Wittenberg’s defense is even stronger than before, a detachment of 500 men under the command of Prince Meissen. Hidden in the city cadets under protection are transported to Leipzig.
Around Kolhaas by that time there are already 300 people. He is breaking up the prince’s squad. In this battle, Hersee perishes. Soon Kohlaas comes to Leipzig and sets him on fire from three sides. Then Martin Luther undertakes to return Kolhaas to the borders of “the order established by people”. He sends out a proclamation throughout the whole electorate, in which he calls him an apostate and a rebel. Kolhaas, after reading this leaflet, signed by the most respected name of Martin Luther, orders the horse to be saddled and sent to the author of the message under an assumed name. In a conversation with Luther, Kohlhaas informs him that he wants only a legal punishment of Wenzel von Tronk and that he himself be reimbursed for losses and returned the horses in their original form. Martin Luther undertakes to stand up for him before the Elector of Saxony. The next morning he sends a letter to the Elector, in which points to the unworthy acts of the von Tronk masters, requires an amnesty for Michael Kolhaas and the possibility of continuing the trial. The Elector, having learned that the gang of hawk had grown to 400 people and the people on his side, decides to follow the advice of Dr. Luther and allows Kolhaasu free travel to Dresden for a review of his case, provided that within three days he disband the gang and surrender the weapon. If the court ruled that his lawsuit is legal, then he and his accomplices will be granted amnesty. decides to follow the advice of Dr. Luther and allows Kolhaasu free travel to Dresden for a review of his case, provided that within three days he will dissolve the gang and surrender the weapon. If the court ruled that his lawsuit is legal, then he and his accomplices will be granted amnesty. decides to follow the advice of Dr. Luther and allows Kolhaasu free travel to Dresden for a review of his case, provided that within three days he will dissolve the gang and surrender the weapon. If the court ruled that his lawsuit is legal, then he and his accomplices will be granted amnesty.
Kolhaas comes to his house in Dresden, and the Prince of Meissen immediately orders to guard him near him supposedly for protection from the people gathered around him. Riots continue to go on everywhere, but not through the fault of Kolhaas, Johann Nagelshmitt, one of the members of the gang of the hawk, continues with the remnants of his detachment the case started by Michael Kolhaas, and is covered by his name. Enemies of Kolhaas arrange a trap for the young lady, as a result of which he writes a letter to Nagelshmit and informs him that he allegedly wants to join him. The letter is intercepted by the servants of the prince, and on the basis of this paper the prince asks the emperor to conduct a strict investigation of Kolhaas in Berlin. The court decides to return to Kolhaas all that was taken away from him. He is returned to his fattened blacks, the money left by Hersee in the castle, when he was expelled, and Junker Wenczel is sentenced to two years in prison. Michael Kohlaas is pleased with the result, but he has to answer with his death for the disturbed peace in the country.
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