"From 1487 to ?" Topic

Until when did Lansquenets / lansknecth exist ?

~1570

The Imperial diet in Speyer withdraw the legal independence of the Landsknechts in 1570, which in time transformed them into normal soldiers or mercenaries, ending their special status.

Yet there are some who are still named as such at The Battle of Ivry, March 14, 1590 ???

Well the answer to that question depends on what one considers to be the identifying mark of the Landsknechts.

Was it their legal status? Their unique military culture? Their mode of dress? The usage of the word "landsknecht" to identify German soldiers?

Both the style of dress and the usage of the word Landsknecht continued after the diet of Speyer introduced new and stricter articles of war. The new articles of war were however a big nail in the coffin for the Landsknecht culture and the rights on the common landsknechts though the men attempted to claim their traditional right as late as 1595 but with poor results. (The representatives were flogged, with some hanged afterwards.)

The word landsknecht was still used to describe German soldiers in France in the early 1590s such as at Ivry or later at Rouen but the word is used by non-Germans who may simply had stuck to an older usage.

If we look at the slightly earlier battle of Pitschen/ Byczyna (1588) then only a single unit is described as being Landsknechts, the rest are identified according to their origin such as being from Silesia or Moravia.

Yes Daniel, the usage of the word "landsknecht" to identify German soldiers !

We will say until 1590 ?

The Landsknechts certainly died a slow death, and as soldiers they were around for much longer. It depends on how you define them. Typically they do are this unique blend of Imperial regiments in the tradition of Condottiere and Burgundian organization, Swiss ways of fighting and German soldiers.
Another transformation that the mercenary business underwent roughly the same time was that from a surplus of volunteers to a surplus of demand, leading, among others, to all kinds forced recruitment. The "Landsknecht" of early lore was an often independent warrior, seeking his fortunes in the tales and songs, while later lore showed soldiers more often as fooled or fools on their way to doom. With the glory the urge to depict them in contemporary illustrations also waned, so we do not have the abundance of depictions that the first half of the century bore.

German mercenary infantrymen continue to exist for two centuries after the end of FWOR but they are no longer landsknechts…