Erazem Lueger

Who is Erazem Lueger?

Erazem Lueger was a knight of Predjama castle in the 15th century and a renowned robber baron. Erazem was the son of the Imperial Governor of Trieste, Nikolaj Lueger. According to legend, in 1483 he killed Marshall Pappenheim at the Vienna Court during an argument in which Pappenheim had offended the honour of Erazem's friend, Andrej Baumkircher of Vipava. However Pappenheim was a relative of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III so he fled to his castle Predjama to escape punishment. He then allied himself with the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus and started to attack Habsburg estates and towns in Carniola. Emperor Fredrick III sent the governor of Trieste Gaspar Ravbar to siege Predjama Castle. Ravbar tried to starve Erazem to death but Erazem seemed to have an unlimited supply of fresh food. Later it was known that Erazem had gotten his fresh food supply through a secret passage through the caves. After a long siege Erazem was betrayed by one of his men and was killed by a shot from a cannon.

A headstrong and rebellious knight, Erasmus rebelled against the Austrian emperor Fredrick III and eventually killed his kinsman. Thus enraged, the Austrian leader commissioned the governor of Trieste to capture and kill Erasmus. This is where the impregnability of Predjama Castle was truly put to the test.