What's up with that weird name?
My most commonly used screen-name stortebeker goes back to my adolescent days, back before pirates became the new ninjas, and before the 18th century Caribbean completely eclipsed the rest of historical piracy. Back then my admiration went to a medieval pirate from German waters, a man whose story is equally rooted in historical accounts as in the most exaggerated tall tales. His name was Klaus Störtebeker, (also spelled as Klaas, Claas, Nikolaus, Störtebecker, Storzenbecher), and was a famous menace to the Hanseatic League on the North and Baltic Seas.
Since, just like with the name, there are a number of conflicting theories regarding Störtebeker's life (and death), I just want to pick out the most spectacular pieces of the legends surrounding this famous freeloader captain.
Drinking, Brawling, and Like-dealing
The name Störtebeker goes back to 'Stürz den Becher' or whatever the Low-German equivalent was, meaning 'dump the cup' (or beaker), in other words, the man could empty a whole mug of beer in one gulp. The experts are not quite clear about the size of this mug, but certain estimates say it was close to four liters, or about a whole gallon.
Also his first mention is from the year 1380 in the city of Wismar, where a certain Störtebeker was kicked out from, along with another individual, who had caused each other several bone fractures as a result of heavy brawling. So with drinking and fighting a good basis was established, but it was the freeloading that made all the difference.
What set Störtebeker apart from a common drunken thug, whether on land or on sea, was his way of distributing the loot equally among all crew members, including himself. This way of foregoing a hierarchy in terms of material gain earned him and his Victual Brotherhood the name 'likedeelers' or equal sharers, and the deep respect of 20th century young punks like myself.
All Good Things Must End
Like all good pirate stories, Störtebeker's capture and demise is what supersedes his successful escapades. He made a name for himself while supplying the city of Stockholm with food during the siege in the war with Denmark. After the war it was the Hanseatic League who gave the Victual Brothers a hard time. The Hansa had supported Denmark, and were therefor often on the receiving end of their piracy, so they decided to rid the seas of all likedeelers.
It was in 1401 that Störtebeker's ship was captured, of course by treason. Supposedly, a traitor sabotaged the ship's rudder, by pouring molten lead into its chains. So Störtebeker and his crew were taken to Hamburg to be tried for piracy. As the last ace up his sleeve, the pirate captain offered the Senate of Hamburg a golden chain, so long that it could be wrapped around the entire city, but the city fathers were out for revenge so they refused.
On October 21st, 1401 Klaus Störtebeker was sentenced to death, along with 72 crew members, and executed by decapitation. It is said that Hamburg's mayor had all the crew line up and declared to pardon all of those who their captain could walk past after being beheaded. As it happened, the headless Störtebeker managed to run past eleven of his mates before the judge tripped him. But in the end the promise was broken, and all 73 pirates were executed. Their heads were nailed to a board to discourage any attempts to follow their example, and with time they became a faint memory among admirers.
The Legacy Lives On
As Störtebeker's ship was dismantled, they actually found the treasure he offered the city: the hollow masts were full of gold, silver, and bronze, proving the the captain's last offer was in fact no bluff. The treasure was used to make the tip of the St. Catherine's church in Hamburg.
Centuries later, another legacy of the famous pirate was discovered: During construction work on the 'Grasbrook', Hamburg's execution ground in the middle ages, a skull was found nailed to a board. It was called Störtebeker-skull, and although no connection to the actual pirate could be found, a piece of organic material from its nose helped us come up with an image of what the person might have looked like. Thus, this nameless pirate may just as well be the famous Likedeeler captain, Klaus Störtebeker.