Wilhelm's election signalled a systemic change for Saint Gall. He was elected abbot from the dynasty of the counts of
Montfort, which was hostile towards the abbey during Berchtold's abbacy and sided with Ulrich during the time of double rule. While the spreading influence of the Montforts from the
Rheintal to the
Argengau had been a point of contention between the house and the convent, the electorate now sought to use the name of the counts for their own benefit. Wilhelm had influential secular brothers who boosted his election, among which were Rudolf I von Montfort and Ulrich I von Montfort, as well as the later
bishop of Chur, Friedrich von Montfort. After the election, Wilhelm endeavored to restore the Abbey's former glory. Those ambitions were stopped by King Rudolf who—after clashing with the strong-willed abbot—soon grew more hostile, forcing Wilhelm to interrupt his first visit at the royal
court in
Augsburg, in December 1282, to avoid further impositions from the king. Inhabitants of the abbey were so unhappy with Wilhelm's strict fiscal policies, and his orders that every monk should be
ordained priest, that they lodged a complaint at the royal court. Their accusations were backed by the court, and in 1287, Rudolf constricted Saint Gall's access to secular goods and used his influence on a
papal legate to impose an
anathema on Wilhelm. Konrad von Gundelfingen had to leave his post. He tried to re-establish himself as abbot through martial means, but relented when Wilhelm paid him 100 Mark. Wilhelm, along with other enemies of the late king, joined an alliance against count Albert which was being assembled by bishop Rudolf von Konstanz. Subsequently, war erupted again in the
Gotteshaus. Albert was largely victorious, but Ulrich von Ramschwag's sons – Ulrich himself had been driven out of the city when Wilhelm returned – suffered a major defeat outside the city of St. Gall on 15 February 1292. Following these events, the conflict was seemingly de-escalating, but never ceased entirely. In 1296, Wilhelm travelled to Austria to negotiate a peace treaty, but had to leave without satisfying the hopes of St. Gall. When a feud broke out between Albert and King
Adolf of Germany, who was Rudolf I's successor, Wilhelm joined forces with the new king, as he had shown himself to be beneficial towards St. Gall. After being granted assurances in the
treaty of Schletstatt of 1 September 1297, the abbot consulted with King Adolf in the vicinity of Frankfurt to support him in his campaign against
Albert I. In the summer of 1298, Wilhelm was the only clerical ruler
(Pfaffenfürst) in Adolf's camp. On 2 July, at the
battle of Göllheim, Wilhelm was one of the fugitives from the battlefield. Defeated and faced with economic difficulties due to the military expenditures and losses, he returned to the abbey. Moreover, the old enemy, Albert I, was now king. Only in 1301 could the questions raised about Schwarzenbach, disputed since 1292, be brought before and resolved by the new king. According to the contents of the contract, the implementation of which would be delayed and never completely finalized, the castle and the city of Schwarzenbach should have been broken up and the city of Wil would have been completely restored. However, Wilhelm had already fallen ill by the time Bishop Heinrich von Konstanz could report the settlement; he died on 11 October, five days before the completion of the peace treaty. == Reading list ==