Eberhard II, Count Of Württemberg on:
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Eberhard II, called ''"der Greiner"'' (the Jarrer) (after 1315 – 15 March 1392, in
Eberhard II, called ''"der Greiner"'' (the Jarrer) (after 1315 – 15 March 1392, in Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the S ...
), Count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...
of Württemberg
Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart.
Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Würt ...
from 1344 until 1392.
Eberhard II was son of Count Ulrich III of Württemberg and Sofie of Pfirt. He married Countess Elizabeth von Henneberg-Schleusingen on 17 September 1342. Life and achievements
They had two children: * Ulrich, who was killed in the victorious battle of Döffingen and married Elisabeth of Bavaria, daughter of Louis IV. They were the parents of his successor Eberhard III. * Sophie (1343–1369), who married in 1361 John I, Duke of Lorraine. From the beginning of his regency in 1344 up to 1361 he reigned together with his brother Ulrich IV, whom he forced to sign a treaty which confirmed the inseparability of Württemberg. Soon afterwards Ulrich IV renounced his co-rule on 1 May 1362. To strengthen his might and to enlarge the territory of Württemberg Eberhard II joined several pacts and clashes with Emperor Charles IV. As a result, he and his brother received extra privileges. In 1343 he conquered the town of Mengen. A sensation was created 1367 by the assault of Count Wolf von Eberstein on Eberhard II and his son Ulrich during their stay "in Wildbad" (presumably Wildbad or Teinach). Both fled and seized Neueberstein Castle immediately with a large number of men. However this siege turned out to be unsuccessful. During his regency he strongly aligned his policy against theFree Imperial Cities
In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...
, which stood in the way of the extension of Württemberg's territory. He fought battles against the towns united in the '' Schwäbischer Städtebund'' (Swabian City League) in 1376, 1372 in Altheim, 1377 in Reutlingen
Reutlingen (; Swabian: ''Reitlenga'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of June 2018, it has a population of 115,818.
Reutlingen has a university of applied sciences, which ...
and 1388 near Döffingen. The result of this was a stalemate which secured the independency of the towns. Nevertheless, the territorial gains during his rule were substantial, for example Böblingen
Böblingen (; Swabian: ''Beblenga'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, seat of Böblingen District. Sindelfingen and Böblingen are contiguous.
History
Böblingen was founded by Count Wilhelm von Tübingen-Böblingen in 1253. Wü ...
and Calw.
Reception
Eberhard entered literature throughSchiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friend ...
and Uhland.
References
* Das Haus Württemberg - Ein biographisches Lexikon, 1997, W. Kohlhammer {{DEFAULTSORT:Wurttemberg, Eberhard 02, Count of 1310s births 1392 deaths 14th-century counts of Württemberg Year of birth uncertain Burials at Stiftskirche, Stuttgart