In any case, the marriage was secret until 1472, when Frederick, the eldest son, wanted a position in the cathedral chapters of Speyer and Worms and needed to prove his descent unambiguously.
In 1470, Elector Philip the Sincere had relieved his uncle Frederick I from his promise not to marry in 1470; nevertheless, for reasons of state the whole situation was kept secret.
After Frederick I died in 1479, his successor Philip even held Clara prisoner at Lindenfels Castle for several years, just to keep the situation secret.
[citation needed] Later historians have adopted the unclear terminology of their predecessors, even when the issue became less important dynastically and historically[2] In the 19th century, the historians Johann Ludwig Klüber and August Wilhelm Heffter researched the issue and wrote a very detailed paper, showing on the basis of clear evidence that both sons had been legitimate and that Clara Tott must have descended from a noble family.
She assisted her husband when he organized the local choir, and induced him to appoint the famous singer Johann Steinwert von Soest as its leader.