County Of Henneberg
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The House of Henneberg was a medieval German comital family (''Grafen'') which from the 11th century onwards held large territories in the Duchy of Franconia. Their county was raised to a princely county (''Gefürstete Grafschaft'') in 1310. Upon the extinction of the line in the late 16th century, most of the territory was inherited by the Saxon
House of Wettin The House of Wettin () is a dynasty of German kings, prince-electors, dukes, and counts that once ruled territories in the present-day German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe, and its ori ...
and subsequently incorporated into the
Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and larg ...
n estates of its
Ernestine Ernestine is a feminine given name. Ernest is the male counterpart of this name. Notable people with the name include: * Ernestine Anderson (1928–2016), American jazz and blues singer * Ernestine Bayer (1909–2006), American athlete * Ernestine ...
branch.


Origins

The distant origins of this family are speculative yet seem to originate in the Middle Rhine Valley, east of modern-day
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. Charibert, a nobleman in Neustria is the earliest recorded ancestor of the family, dating before 636. Five generations pass between Charibert and the next descendant of note,
Robert III of Worms Robert III (800–834), also called Rutpert, was the Count of Worms and Rheingau of a noble Frankish family called the Robertians. It has been proposed that he was the son of Robert of Hesbaye. Biography By his wife, Waldrada, he had, Robert th ...
. Both the
Capetian dynasty The Capetian dynasty (; french: Capétiens), also known as the House of France, is a dynasty of Frankish origin, and a branch of the Robertians. It is among the largest and oldest royal houses in Europe and the world, and consists of Hugh Cape ...
and the Elder House of Babenberg (Popponids) are direct male lineal descendants of Count Robert I and therefore referred to as Robertians. The designation ''Babenberger'', from the castle of
Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...
''(Babenberch)'', was established in the 12th century by the chronicler
Otto of Freising Otto of Freising ( la, Otto Frisingensis; c. 1114 – 22 September 1158) was a German churchman of the Cistercian order and chronicled at least two texts which carries valuable information on the political history of his own time. He was Otto I ...
, himself a member of the Babenberg family. The later House of Babenberg, which ruled what became the
Duchy of Austria The Duchy of Austria (german: Herzogtum Österreich) was a medieval principality of the Holy Roman Empire, established in 1156 by the ''Privilegium Minus'', when the Margraviate of Austria (''Ostarrîchi'') was detached from Bavaria and elevated ...
, claimed to come of the Popponid dynasty. However, the descent of the first margrave Leopold I of Austria († 994) remains uncertain.


County of Henneberg

In the 11th century, the dynasty's estates around the ancestral seat Henneberg Castle near
Meiningen Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 25,000 (2021).
belonged to the German
stem duchy A stem duchy (german: Stammesherzogtum, from '' Stamm'', meaning "tribe", in reference to the Franks, Saxons, Bavarians and Swabians) was a constituent duchy of the German Empire at the time of the extinction of the Carolingian dynasty (death o ...
of
Franconia Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch''). The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...
. They were located southwest of the
Rennsteig The () is a ridge walk as well as an historical boundary path in the Thuringian Forest, Thuringian Highland and Franconian Forest in Central Germany. The long-distance trail runs for about from and the valley in the northwest to and the r ...
ridge in the Thuringian Forest, then forming the border with the possessions held by the Landgraves of Thuringia in the north. In 1096 one Count Godebold II of Henneberg served as a burgrave of the Würzburg bishops, his father Poppo had been killed in battle in 1078. In 1137 he established
Vessra Abbey Vessra Abbey (german: Kloster Veßra) was a Premonstratensian monastery in the village also named Kloster Veßra in the district of Hildburghausen, Thuringia, Germany. The monastery was founded in the 1130s by Gotebold II, Count of Henneberg, ...
near Hildburghausen as the family's house monastery. The counts lost their position as the bishops were raised to "Dukes of Franconia" in the 12th century. Nevertheless, in the course of the
War of the Thuringian Succession The War of the Thuringian Succession (German: ''Thüringisch-hessischer Erbfolgekrieg'') (1247–1264) was a military conflict over a successor to the last Landgrave of Thuringia for control of the state of Thuringia (now in modern-day Germany). ...
upon the death of Landgrave Henry Raspe, Count Herman I of Henneberg (1224–1290) in 1247 received the Thuringian lordship of
Schmalkalden Schmalkalden () is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district, in the southwest of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is on the southern slope of the Thuringian Forest at the Schmalkalde river, a tributary to the Werra. , the town had a popula ...
from the Wettin margrave Henry III of Meissen. After the extinction of the Bavarian House of Andechs upon the death of Duke Otto II of Merania in 1248, the Counts of Henneberg also inherited their Franconian lordship of Coburg (then called the "new lordship", later Saxe-Coburg). In 1274 the Henneberg estates were divided into the Schleusingen, Aschach-
Römhild Römhild () is a town in the district of Hildburghausen, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 14 km west of Hildburghausen, and 21 km southeast of Meiningen. On 31 December 2012, it merged with the former municipalities Gleichamberg, H ...
and Hartenberg branches. Count Berthold VII of Henneberg-Schleusingen (1272–1340) was elevated to princely status in 1310, his estates comprised the towns of Schmalkalden, Suhl and Coburg. In 1343 the Counts of Hennberg also purchased the Thuringian town of
Ilmenau Ilmenau () is a town in Thuringia, central Germany. It is the largest town within the Ilm district with a population of 38,600, while the district capital is Arnstadt. Ilmenau is located approximately south of Erfurt and north of Nuremberg w ...
. The Coburg lands passed to the Saxon House of Wettin upon the marriage of Countess
Catherine of Henneberg Catherine of Henneberg (german: Katharina von Henneberg ; c. 1334, in Schleusingen – 15 July 1397, in Meissen) was a Countess of Henneberg by birth and from 1347 by marriage Margravine of Meissen, Landgravine of Thuringia, etc. She was the wi ...
to Margrave Frederick III of Meissen in 1347. After the Imperial Reform of 1500, the County of Henneberg formed the northernmost part of the Franconian Circle, bordering on the
Upper Saxon Upper Saxon (german: Obersächsisch, ; ) is an East Central German language spoken in much of the modern German state of Saxony and in adjacent parts of southeastern Saxony-Anhalt and eastern Thuringia. As of the early 21st century, it's mostl ...
Ernestine duchies and the lands of the Upper Rhenish prince-abbacy of
Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. History ...
in the northwest. A thorn in the side remained the enclave of
Meiningen Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 25,000 (2021).
, a fief held by the Bishops of Würzburg, which was not acquired by the counts until 1542.


Disestablishment

Whereas the male line of the House of Babenberg became extinct in 1246, the Counts of Henneberg lived on until 1583. In 1554
William IV of Henneberg-Schleusingen Graf#History, Princely count William IV of Henneberg-Schleusingen (29 January 1478 – 24 January 1559), a member of the House of Henneberg, was a ruler of the House of Henneberg, Principality of Henneberg, within the Holy Roman Empire. The son of ...
had signed a treaty of inheritance with Duke John Frederick II of Saxony. However, when the last Count George Ernest of Henneberg died, both the
Ernestine Ernestine is a feminine given name. Ernest is the male counterpart of this name. Notable people with the name include: * Ernestine Anderson (1928–2016), American jazz and blues singer * Ernestine Bayer (1909–2006), American athlete * Ernestine ...
and the Albertine branch of the
Wettin dynasty The House of Wettin () is a dynasty of German kings, prince-electors, dukes, and counts that once ruled territories in the present-day German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe, and its orig ...
claimed his estates, that were finally divided in 1660 among the Ernestine duchies of
Saxe-Weimar Saxe-Weimar (german: Sachsen-Weimar) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine branch of the Wettin dynasty in present-day Thuringia. The chief town and capital was Weimar. The Weimar branch was the most genealogically senior extant bra ...
and Saxe-Gotha and the Albertine duke Maurice of Saxe-Zeitz. The Lordship of
Schmalkalden Schmalkalden () is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district, in the southwest of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is on the southern slope of the Thuringian Forest at the Schmalkalde river, a tributary to the Werra. , the town had a popula ...
fell to Landgrave William IV of Hesse-Kassel, according to an inheritance treaty of 1360. After the
Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...
(1815), the former Albertine parts around Schleusingen and Suhl fell to the Prussian province of
Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
. King
Frederick William III of Prussia Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, wh ...
assumed the title of a Princely Count of Henneberg, which his successors in the House of Hohenzollern have borne ever since.


Counts of Henneberg


Partitions of Henneberg under Henneberg rule


Table of rulers

(Note: Here the numbering of the counts is the same for all counties, as all (or at least the majority of them) were titled Counts of Henneberg, despite of the different parts of land and its particular numbering of the rulers. The princes are numbered by the year of their succession.)


Notable members of the Henneberg family

*
Bertold von Henneberg-Römhild Bertold von Henneberg-Römhild (1442–1504) was Archbishop of Mainz and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 1484, imperial chancellor from 1486, and leader of the reform faction within the Empire. Biography The son of George, Count ...
(1442 – December 21, 1504),
Prince-elector The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. From the 13th century onwards, the prince ...
and
archbishop of Mainz The Elector of Mainz was one of the seven Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. As both the Archbishop of Mainz and the ruling prince of the Electorate of Mainz, the Elector of Mainz held a powerful position during the Middle Ages. The Archb ...
, son of George, count of Henneberg-Römhild. * Count Otto von Henneberg, known commonly as Otto von Botenlauben from 1206, probably born in 1177 in Henneberg, died in Reiterswiesen near Bad Kissingen before 1245, was a German minnesinger, crusader and founder of
Frauenroth Abbey Frauenroth Abbey is a former Cistercian nunnery in Burkardroth in Bavaria, South Germany, in the bishopric of Würzburg The abbey, dedicated to Saint George and All Saints, was built in 1231 by Count Otto von Botenlauben and Beatrix de Courtenay ...
. *
Herman I, Count of Henneberg Herman I, Count of Henneberg (1224 – 18 December 1290) was the son of Count Poppo VII of Henneberg and his wife, Jutta of Thuringia (born: 1184; died: 6 August 1235 in Schleusingen), the eldest daughter of Landgrave Herman I of Thuringia. Th ...
*
Catherine of Henneberg Catherine of Henneberg (german: Katharina von Henneberg ; c. 1334, in Schleusingen – 15 July 1397, in Meissen) was a Countess of Henneberg by birth and from 1347 by marriage Margravine of Meissen, Landgravine of Thuringia, etc. She was the wi ...
*
William II, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen William II of Henneberg-Schleusingen (born: 14 March 1415; died: 8 January 1444,Sources disagree slightly: some indicate January 7th, some January 9th killed in a hunting accident) was the second husband of Catherine of Hanau (born: 25 January 1408 ...
*
William III, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen Princely count William III of Henneberg-Schleusingen (12 March 1434 – 25 May 1480 in Salorno) was a member of the House of Henneberg. He was the son of William II of Henneberg and Catherine of Hanau. William III inherited the princely coun ...
*
William IV, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen Princely count William IV of Henneberg-Schleusingen (29 January 1478 – 24 January 1559), a member of the House of Henneberg, was a ruler of the Principality of Henneberg, within the Holy Roman Empire. The son of William III of Henneberg, Willi ...


Castles

File:Henneberg mit Schlossberg und Henneburg.jpg,
Henneberg, Thuringia Henneberg is a village and a former municipality in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 January 2019, it is part of the town Meiningen. It was the origin of the medieval House of Henneberg The House of Henneberg ...
Bertholdsburg2008.JPG, Bertholdsburg Castle, Schleusingen File:Schloss Glücksburg Aussenhof.JPG,
Römhild Römhild () is a town in the district of Hildburghausen, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 14 km west of Hildburghausen, and 21 km southeast of Meiningen. On 31 December 2012, it merged with the former municipalities Gleichamberg, H ...
Castle File:Coburg-Veste4.jpg, Coburg Castle


Coats of arms incorporating Henneberg

Image:Wappen Wartburgkreis.svg,
Wartburgkreis Wartburgkreis is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the west of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) the districts Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis, Gotha, Schmalkalden-Meiningen, and the districts Fulda, Hersfeld-Rotenburg and Wer ...
Image:Wappen Landkreis Hildburghausen.svg,
Landkreis Hildburghausen Hildburghausen is a district in Thuringia, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen, the city of Suhl, the districts of Ilm-Kreis, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt and Sonneberg, and the state of Bavaria ( ...
Image:Wappen Ilm-Kreis.svg, Ilm-Kreis Image:Wappen Landkreis Schmalkalden-Meiningen.svg,
Schmalkalden-Meiningen Schmalkalden-Meiningen is a ''Landkreis'' in the southwest of Thuringia, Germany. Its neighboring districts are (from the northwest clockwise) the districts Wartburgkreis, Gotha, Ilm-Kreis, the district-free city Suhl, the district Hildburghausen, ...
Image:Wappen Suhl.png, Suhl Image:Wappen Schleusingen.png, Schleusingen Image:Wappen Meiningen.svg,
Meiningen Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 25,000 (2021).
Image:Themar coa.png,
Themar Themar () is a town in the district of Hildburghausen, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated on the river Werra, 11 km northwest of Hildburghausen, and 14 km southwest of Suhl. Main sights * St. Bartholomew's Church, Themar * St. J ...
Image:DEU Schmalkalden COA.svg,
Schmalkalden Schmalkalden () is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district, in the southwest of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is on the southern slope of the Thuringian Forest at the Schmalkalde river, a tributary to the Werra. , the town had a popula ...


See also

* Bishopric of Würzburg *
Vessra Abbey Vessra Abbey (german: Kloster Veßra) was a Premonstratensian monastery in the village also named Kloster Veßra in the district of Hildburghausen, Thuringia, Germany. The monastery was founded in the 1130s by Gotebold II, Count of Henneberg, ...
*
Aura Abbey Aura Abbey (Kloster or Abtei Aura) was a house of the Benedictine Order located at Aura an der Saale in Bavaria in the Diocese of Würzburg. History Built on the site of an earlier castle, and dedicated to Saints Laurence and Gregory, it was ...
*
Römhild Römhild () is a town in the district of Hildburghausen, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 14 km west of Hildburghausen, and 21 km southeast of Meiningen. On 31 December 2012, it merged with the former municipalities Gleichamberg, H ...
*
Sondheim vor der Rhön Sondheim vor der Rhön is a municipality in the district Rhön-Grabfeld, Bavaria, Germany. It is administrated by the ''Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Ostheim''. As of 2002 it had a population of 1123, and covers an area of 18.58 km2. History The f ...
*
Münnerstadt Münnerstadt is a town in the district of Bad Kissingen in Bavaria, Germany. It has a population of around 7,600. Geography It borders on the towns of Burglauer, Bad Bocklet, Nüdlingen, Maßbach, Großbardorf, and Strahlungen. The municipal ter ...
*
Irmelshausen Irmelshausen is a village in the municipality of Höchheim in the district of Rhön-Grabfeld in Bavaria in Germany. Castle Irmelshausen is best known for its castle and related church. Irmelshausen, on the old border between East and Wes ...
*
Bad Kissingen (district) Bad Kissingen is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by (from the northwest and clockwise) the district Main-Kinzig and Fulda in Hesse, and the districts of Rhön-Grabfeld, Schweinfurt and Main-Spessart. History Th ...
* Poppo * William II, German Emperor/Scraps *
Schmalkalden-Meiningen Schmalkalden-Meiningen is a ''Landkreis'' in the southwest of Thuringia, Germany. Its neighboring districts are (from the northwest clockwise) the districts Wartburgkreis, Gotha, Ilm-Kreis, the district-free city Suhl, the district Hildburghausen, ...
*
Wartburgkreis Wartburgkreis is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the west of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) the districts Unstrut-Hainich-Kreis, Gotha, Schmalkalden-Meiningen, and the districts Fulda, Hersfeld-Rotenburg and Wer ...
*
Hildburghausen (district) Hildburghausen is a district in Thuringia, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen, the city of Suhl, the districts of Ilm-Kreis, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt and Sonneberg, and the state of Bavaria ( ...
*
List of states in the Holy Roman Empire (H) This is a list of states in the Holy Roman Empire beginning with the letter H: References

{{reflist Lists of states in the Holy Roman Empire, *H ...


References

* Schwennicke, Detlev. Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge. uropean Family Trees: Family Trees for the History of European States, New Series. BAND II, ''Tafel 10:Die Robertiner I und die Anfänge des Hauses Capet, 922-923 König der Westfranken'', Marburg, Verlag von J.A. Stargardt (1984) * Historische Landkarte: ''Grafschaft Henneberg 1755 mit den Ämtern Schleusingen, Suhl, Kühndorf mit Bennshausen'', Reprint 2003, Verlag Rockstuhl, * Johannes Mötsch: ''Regesten des Archivs der Grafen von Henneberg-Römhild.'' Volumes 1 und 2. Böhlau, Köln etc. 2006,


External links

*
Henneberg Genealogy
* Direct male descent of Babenberger from Robertiner (Capet) family, in the
German Wikipedia The German Wikipedia (german: Deutschsprachige Wikipedia) is the German-language edition of Wikipedia, a free and publicly editable online encyclopedia. Founded on March 16, 2001, it is the second-oldest Wikipedia (after the English Wikipedia), ...
* Early Babenberger genealogy, in the
German Wikipedia The German Wikipedia (german: Deutschsprachige Wikipedia) is the German-language edition of Wikipedia, a free and publicly editable online encyclopedia. Founded on March 16, 2001, it is the second-oldest Wikipedia (after the English Wikipedia), ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hennenberg, House of German noble families Noble families of the Holy Roman Empire Babenberg Principalities of the Holy Roman Empire