The House of Bentheim is one of the oldest extant German noble families. They are a

mediatized Mediatization or mediatisation may refer to: * German mediatisation, German historical territorial restructuring * Mediatization (media) Mediatization (or medialization) is a process whereby the mass media influence other sectors of society, includ ...

family, formerly being rulers of their own territories directly under the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

. They belong to both the ancient nobility ('' Uradel'') and the high nobility ('' Hochadel''). Today, there are two main lines of the family: the princes of

Bentheim-Steinfurt Bentheim-Steinfurt was a historical county located in northwestern North Rhine-Westphalia in the region surrounding Steinfurt, Germany. Bentheim-Steinfurt was a partition of Bentheim-Bentheim, itself a partition of the County of Bentheim. Bentheim- ...

and the princes of

Bentheim-Tecklenburg Bentheim-Tecklenburg was a German county based in the region around Tecklenburg in northern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. History Bentheim-Tecklenburg emerged as a partition of the County of Bentheim in 1277, and was partitioned between it ...

. There is also a third, non-princely line of the family, the counts of

Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda was a historical county of the Holy Roman Empire, located in present northwestern North Rhine-Westphalia and southwestern Lower Saxony, Germany. The princely branch of Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda, with its family seats ...

History

The earliest known member of the family is Everwin von Götterswick/Güterswyk, c. 1200, supposedly the descendent of a knight named Godert who had settled on the lower Rhine near Wesel. In 1421, Everwin's descendent Everwin (1397–1454) inherited the

County of Bentheim The County of Bentheim (''Grafschaft Bentheim'', Low German ''Benthem'') was a state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the south-west corner of today's Lower Saxony, Germany. The county's borders corresponded largely to those of the modern adm ...

from his mother's family. In 1451, the Lordship of Steinfurt was also added to the family, through marriage. In 1486, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III formally recognized Bentheim as an immediate Imperial County; it belonged to the Westphalian College of Counts. The county was partitioned numerous times over the following centuries, notably in 1609, following the death of Count Arnold von Bentheim-Steinfurt. The Bentheims lost their status as independent rulers in 1806, following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, when they were

by the Grand Dutchy of Berg. At the Congress of Vienna (1814–1815), the counties of

and

were assigned to the kingdoms of Hanover and Prussia, respectively. In 1817, King Frederick William III granted both branches the rank of prince; from 1854, both branches had hereditary seats in the Prussian House of Lords. DEU_Landkreis_Grafschaft_Bentheim_COA

The counts of Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda came into being in the 19th century following the morganatic marriage of a prince of Bentheim-Tecklenburg; the King of Bavaria granted their issue the title of counts. Both princely branches still own numerous historical family properties, including Bentheim Castle, many of which are open to the public.

Members

List of princes of Bentheim-Steinfurt List of princes of Bentheim-Tecklenburg List of counts of Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda

References

{{reflist German noble families European noble families Prussian nobility