Brotherhood of Saint Mark

Hans Talhoffer may have been an early member, or even one of the founders (the lion of St Mark appears in his coat of arms in a manuscript of 1459).

In 1487, Frederick III granted them the monopoly on the title "master of the long sword" (Meister des langen Schwerts), effectively making them a fencers' guild.

This title was relevant for the Landsknechts, because a certified "master of the long sword" wielding the Zweihänder was entitled to twice the pay of a normal soldier (Doppelsöldner).

The earliest reference to the brotherhood calls them the brotherhood of Our dear lady and pure Virgin Mary and the Holy and warlike heavenly prince Saint Mark (German: bruderschafft Unserere lieben frawen und der reynen Jungfrawen Marien vnd des Heiligen vnd gewaltsamen Hyemelfursten sanct Marcen).

A second fencing brotherhood, the Federfechter, was founded in Prague in 1570, and recognized by the city of Frankfurt, in spite of protests by the Marx brothers, in 1575.

The Arms of the Brotherhood of St Mark
The Federfechter coat of arms shows two hands gripping a quill, a griffin holding a sword (repeated as the crest ), two crossing winged swords and a swordsman armed with a Zweihänder .