The battle ended in a crushing defeat of the townsfolk, whose survivors were taken into captivity in Minden.
The reason for the dispute, which is referred to as the Minden Feud, was a deed of purchase agreed in 1259, in which the Abbot of Fulda transferred sovereign rights over the town and beneficiary of Hamelin to the Bishop of Minden for 500 silver marks.
This was seen by the townsfolk of Hamelin as threatening their independence; they refused to cooperate and took up arms.
[1] After the battle, the reigning Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Albert I and John I reached an agreement, by which Hamelin could be released from the sovereignty of the Bishop of Minden.
He was concerned about the extension of his sphere of influence to the Weser and made Hamelin a Welf "state town" (Landstadt) with about 2,000 inhabitants.