Landenberg was a noble family in medieval Switzerland.

History

By the beginning 14th century, they were the most powerful family of eastern Switzerland, separating into four lines, Alt-Landenberg, Landenberg-Greifensee, Hohenlandenberg and Breitenlandenberg. The main line was extinct early, Rudolf I and his son Pantaleon both falling in the battle of Morgarten in 1315. The Landenberg-Greifensee line was the most successful during the 14th century but was outlived by the Hohenladenberg and Breitenlandenberg ones. Breitenlandenberg proved the most successful in the longer run, rising to significant power in the 15th century and lasting into the 19th. The influence of the Landenberg-Greifensee line peaked in the 1350s with Hermann IV, whose sons came into financial difficulties and had to sell a number of castles, among them Alt-Landenberg and Greifensee. The reasons for this decline was their close ties with the house of

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

, which was itself struggling with difficulties and losing its hold over the territory due to both the rise of the city of

Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...

and the growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy. The Breitenlandenberg and Hohenlandenberg lines overcame this crisis by allying themselves with Zürich, adopting Zürich citizenship. Their territorial influence remained confined to the

Zürcher Oberland The Zürcher Oberland ("Zurich highlands") in Switzerland, is the hilly south-eastern part of the canton of Zurich, bordering on the Toggenburg, including the districts of Uster, Hinwil, Pfäffikon as well as the Töss Valley as far as the dist ...

due to the pressure of territorial expansion from both Zürich and the Swiss Confederacy, but by the end of the 14th century they became again very wealthy and gave out major credits to the cities of Winterthur and Constance. The Hohenlandenberg line owned Andelfingen until 1434. The Breitenlandenberg line rose to great importance in Zürichgau in the 15th century. They had Zürich citizenship from the 14th century, and often intermarried with families of the Zürich patriciate like Schäfli. They also entered the Old Zürich War on the side of Zürich, and

Wildhans von Breitenlandenberg Landenberg was a noble family in medieval Switzerland. History By the beginning 14th century, they were the most powerful family of eastern Switzerland, separating into four lines, Alt-Landenberg, Landenberg-Greifensee, Hohenlandenberg and Br ...

was beheaded with his entire garrison at the siege of Greifensee in 1444. The knights of Breitenlandenberg also fought with Zürich, this time on the side of the Swiss, in the

Burgundy Wars The Burgundian Wars (1474–1477) were a conflict between the Burgundian State and the Old Swiss Confederacy and its allies. Open war broke out in 1474, and the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was defeated three times on the battlefield in t ...

. They declined from the 16th century and sold the ancestral Breitenlandeberg castle in the 17th century, residing mostly in Zürich, although they retained jurisdiction in a number of communes, at

Salenstein Salenstein is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in Kreuzlingen District in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. Salenstein was the home village of Napoleon III, who lived at Castle Arenenberg in his youth. H ...

into the 18th century. The male line of Breitenlandenberg was extinct in the 1870s.

Alt-Landenberg

*Beringer, fl. 1209 *Rudolf I, d. 1315

Landenberg-Greifensee

*Hermann I *Hermann II (d. 1306) *Hermann IV (d. 1361), son of Hermann II, married Elisabeth of Schellenberg (d. 1340) and Diemut von Roteneck

Hohenlandenberg

*Beringer II, known for his belligerence and fraud, which resulted in the castle of Hohenlandenberg being destroyed in 1344 *Jakob, married Barbara of

Hegi Hegi is a quarter in the district 2 of Winterthur. It was formerly a part of Oberwinterthur Oberwinterthur is a district in the Swiss city of Winterthur. It is district number 2. The district comprises the quarters Talacker, Guggenbühl, Z ...

**sons Ulrich and Hugo IV, the latter bishop of Constance in 1496 *Ulrich

Breitenlandenberg

*Hermann I (d. before 1377), married Adelheid of Radegg-Blumberg. From 1330 at Turbenthal. *Albrecht I (d. 1388, at the

battle of Näfels The Battle of Näfels was fought on 9 April 1388 between the Canton of Glarus, supported by its allies of the Old Swiss Confederation, and the Duchy of Austria ruled by the House of Habsburg. It was a decisive victory for Glarus, which achieved i ...

), married Verena of Ebersberg *Hermann IV "Schöch" (d. 1437), married Ursula Truchsess of

Diessenhofen Diessenhofen is a village and a municipality in Frauenfeld District in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland. The village is situated on the south shore of the High Rhine just opposite the German town of Gailingen am Hochrhein. History Diessenhofe ...

**sons of Hermann IV were Hermann, bishop of Constance, Kaspar, abbot of

St. Gall abbey The Abbey of Saint Gall (german: Abtei St. Gallen) is a dissolved abbey (747–1805) in a Catholic religious complex in the city of St. Gallen in Switzerland. The Carolingian-era monastery existed from 719, founded by Saint Othmar on the spot ...

who fell in the Old Zürich War, and Rudolf V. *Rudolf V (d. 1460), married Agathe Muntprat (d. 1505) *Frischhans (1446-1516), married Margaretha of Büsingen *Hans (d. 1540), married Blanchefleur of

Rechberg The House of Rechberg is the name of an old noble comital family in Swabia during the Holy Roman Empire period. They were sovereign counts of Rechberg and Rothenlöwen. As a mediatized house (mediatized by Württemberg in 1806), the family belo ...

, knighted in 1476 at the

battle of Grandson The Battle of Grandson, which took place on 2 March 1476, was part of the Burgundian Wars, and resulted in a major defeat for Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundian State, Burgundy, at the hands of the Old Swiss Confederacy, Swiss. Prelude In ...

*Johann Rudolf (d. 1551) *Hans Rudolf (d. 1606) *Hans Dietrich (1571-1620), at

*Hartmann Friedrich (1617-1677) at Salenstein *Wolf Dietrich I (1655-1733), at Salenstein *Wolf Dietrich (1712-1796), at Salenstein *Hans Caspar (1735-1798)

References

* *J. Studer, ''Die Edeln von Landenberg'', 1904

External links

{{Authority control History of Zürich Swiss noble families Roman Catholic families Schramberg