One of my long term hobbies is historical recreation, mostly medieval, done in the Society for Creative Anachronism. One of the things I do is to make things, including jewels. In a few weeks I will be spending two weeks living in a medieval pavilion surrounded by ten thousand or so fellow recreators, teaching classes, cooking medieval dishes over a fire, telling poems and stories around a campfire.
I am not sure I understand your question. Slavery was rare to nonexistent in Germany at the time and serfdom was mostly for peasant farmers, so why would they not have been free men?
Sorry for my poor English, what I want to express should be "free mercenaries". It seems that swordsmen at that time did not serve a certain country, but traveled between various countries and nobles, accepting different commissions.
I think that prior to about the 18th century (and post Roman) most soldiers were not employees of governments. Either they were mercenaries willing to work for multiple employers or they were feudal retainers, fighting for their lord who would be fighting for his lord, possibly the king.
I think the German swordsmen were professionals, so probably mercenaries, but I don't actually know.
I am not sure I understand your question. Slavery was rare to nonexistent in Germany at the time and serfdom was mostly for peasant farmers, so why would they not have been free men?
Sorry for my poor English, what I want to express should be "free mercenaries". It seems that swordsmen at that time did not serve a certain country, but traveled between various countries and nobles, accepting different commissions.
I think that prior to about the 18th century (and post Roman) most soldiers were not employees of governments. Either they were mercenaries willing to work for multiple employers or they were feudal retainers, fighting for their lord who would be fighting for his lord, possibly the king.
I think the German swordsmen were professionals, so probably mercenaries, but I don't actually know.