The Principality of Grubenhagen was a subdivision of the
Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg (german: Herzogtum Braunschweig und Lüneburg), or more properly the Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was a historical duchy that existed from the late Middle Ages to the Late Modern era within the Holy Roman ...
, ruled by the Grubenhagen line of the
House of Welf
The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconia, Franconian family from ...
from 1291. It is also known as Brunswick-Grubenhagen. The principality fell to the Brunswick
Principality of Lüneburg
The Principality of Lüneburg (later also referred to as Celle) was a territorial division of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg within the Holy Roman Empire, immediately subordinate to the emperor. It existed from 1269 until 1705 and its territory ...
in 1617; from 1665 the territory was ruled by the
Calenberg
The Calenberg is a hill in central Germany in the Leine depression near Pattensen in the municipality of Schulenburg. It lies 13 km west of the city of Hildesheim in south Lower Saxony on the edge of the Central Uplands. It is made from a ...
branch of the Welf dynasty.
Geography
The principality was located on the southwestern edge of the
Harz
The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...
mountain range in present-day
South Lower Saxony
South Lower Saxony (german: Südniedersachsen) refers to the southern part of the German federal state of Lower Saxony. The region so described is neither historically nor geographically clearly defined to the north within Lower Saxony. It cuts acr ...
. It included two separate territories, one around the
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
of
Einbeck
Einbeck (; Eastphalian: ''Aimbeck'') is a town in the district Northeim, in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, on the German Timber-Frame Road.
History
Prehistory
The area of the current city of Einbeck is inhabited since prehistoric times. Vario ...
with
Grubenhagen Castle, and another domain around the towns of
Osterode and
Duderstadt
Duderstadt () is a city in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, located in the district of Göttingen.
It is the center and capital of the northern part of the Eichsfeld ("Untereichsfeld"). In earlier times it was the private wealth of the Roman Cat ...
(ceded to
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...
in 1366) with
Clausthal
Clausthal-Zellerfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains. Its population is approximately 15,000. The City is the location of the Clausthal University of Technology. The health resort ...
,
Herzberg, and
Herzberg Castle
Herzberg Castle (german: Schloss Herzberg) is a German ''schloss'' in Herzberg am Harz in the district of Göttingen in the state of Lower Saxony. The present-day, quadrangular building has its origins in the 11th century as a medieval '' castl ...
. The dominion also comprised the eastern exclave of
Elbingerode
Elbingerode is an ''Ortsteil'' of Oberharz am Brocken in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The former town was incorporated into the newly established municipality on 1 January 2010.
Geography
It is situated in the eastern ...
, today part of
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of
and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...
.
History
Grubenhagen was split off from the Brunswick
Principality of Wolfenbüttel
A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...
in 1291, when the sons of late Duke
Albert the Tall (1236–1279) finally divided their heritage. Its first ruler was Duke
Henry the Admirable. Henry's sons split the small principality further in 1322 as they themselves had numerous heirs;
Otto
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', ''Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The name is recorded fro ...
, son of Duke
Henry II, in view of his small share left for
Montferrat
Montferrat (, ; it, Monferrato ; pms, Monfrà , locally ; la, Mons Ferratus) is part of the region of Piedmont in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Mo ...
, married Queen
Joan I of Naples
Joanna I, also known as Johanna I ( it, Giovanna I; December 1325 – 27 July 1382), was Queen of Naples, and Countess of Provence and Forcalquier from 1343 to 1382; she was also Princess of Achaea from 1373 to 1381.
Joanna was the eldest daug ...
in 1376 and became
Prince of Taranto
The Principality of Taranto was a state in southern Italy created in 1088 for Bohemond I of Antioch, Bohemond I, eldest son of Robert Guiscard, as part of the peace between him and his younger brother Roger Borsa after a dispute over the success ...
in 1383. The ongoing fragmentation weakened the position of the Grubenhagen branch regarding estate distributions involving their Wolfenbüttel,
Lüneburg
Lüneburg (officially the ''Hanseatic City of Lüneburg'', German: ''Hansestadt Lüneburg'', , Low German ''Lümborg'', Latin ''Luneburgum'' or ''Lunaburgum'', Old High German ''Luneburc'', Old Saxon ''Hliuni'', Polabian ''Glain''), also calle ...
and
Calenberg
The Calenberg is a hill in central Germany in the Leine depression near Pattensen in the municipality of Schulenburg. It lies 13 km west of the city of Hildesheim in south Lower Saxony on the edge of the Central Uplands. It is made from a ...
cousins.
The Principality of Grubenhagen was finally reunited in 1526 under the rule of the Brunswick duke
Philip I Philip(p) I may refer to:
* Philip I of Macedon (7th century BC)
* Philip I Philadelphus (between 124 and 109 BC–83 or 75 BC)
* Philip the Arab (c. 204–249), Roman Emperor
* Philip I of France (1052–1108)
* Philip I (archbishop of Cologne) (1 ...
. However, in 1596 the Grubenhagen branch became extinct upon the death of his son
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
. The territory was disputed by the different lines of the Welf dynasty: Duke
Henry Julius, Prince of Wolfenbüttel, occupied Grubenhagen; his son
Frederick Ulrich, however, had to cede it to Duke
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, Prince of Lüneburg according to a 1617 ruling of the
Imperial Chamber Court
The ''Reichskammergericht'' (; ; la, Iudicium imperii) was one of the two highest judicial institutions in the Holy Roman Empire, the other one being the Aulic Council in Vienna. It was founded in 1495 by the Imperial Diet in Worms. All legal ...
''(Reichskammergericht)'' at
Speyer
Speyer (, older spelling ''Speier'', French: ''Spire,'' historical English: ''Spires''; pfl, Schbaija) is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the river Rhine, Speyer li ...
.
With the Principality of Lüneburg, the Grubenhagen territory was finally inherited by Duke
Christian Louis, Prince of Calenberg, in 1648. After his death in 1665 Grubenhagen ceased to exist as an independent principality. Formally, it remained a state of the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806.
A Calenberg-Grubenhagen ''Landschaft'' (administrative division) still exists today.
Princes of Brunswick-Grubenhagen
*
Henry I the Admirable (1267–1322) ruled 1291-1322
*
Henry II (Henry of Greece) (c. 1289–1351), son, ruled 1322-1351 jointly with his brothers
**
Ernest I (c. 1297–1361), co-ruler 1322-1361
**
William I
William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...
(c. 1298–1360), co-ruler 1322-1360
**
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
(cleric) (c. 1300–1367), co-ruler 1322-1325
*
Albert I (c. 1339–1383), son of Ernest I, ruled 1361-1383, jointly with his brother John II
**John II (c. 1340–1401), cleric, co-ruled 1361-1364
*Abbot Ernest (c. 1346–c. 1401), claimed co-regency 1383, alimony 1384
*Frederick (c. 1350–1421), guardian 1383–1398, senior 1402–1421
*
Eric
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
(c. 1383–1427), son of Albert I, ruled 1398-1427
*
Henry III, son of Eric 1427-1464, jointly with his brothers
Albert II and Ernest II
**
Albert II 1427-1485
Principality divided in 1479.
*
Henry IV, son of Henry III 1479-1526
**
Philip I Philip(p) I may refer to:
* Philip I of Macedon (7th century BC)
* Philip I Philadelphus (between 124 and 109 BC–83 or 75 BC)
* Philip the Arab (c. 204–249), Roman Emperor
* Philip I of France (1052–1108)
* Philip I (archbishop of Cologne) (1 ...
, son of Albert II 1486-1551
Grubenhagen re-united in 1526.
*
Ernest III, son of Philip I 1551-1567
*
Wolfgang, brother 1567-1595
*
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
, brother 1595-1596
References
External links
Map of Lower Saxony 1789
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grubenhagen, Principality of
1290s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire
1291 establishments in Europe
Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Principalities of the Holy Roman Empire
Harz
1596 disestablishments in the Holy Roman Empire
Former principalities