Henry II "the Rich" of Nassau, german: Heinrich II. "der Reiche" von Nassau (
[Cawley.][Dek (1970).] – 26 April 1247/48/49/50, before 25 January 1251)
was
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
Nassau
Nassau may refer to:
Places Bahamas
*Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence
Canada
*Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792
*Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...
. He distinguished himself in particular by his chivalrous and devout spirit. He was charitable and made great donations to the church, so that the monasteries and prayer houses in the area of present-day Nassau experienced the most significant bloom in his time. The greatest favour was the
Teutonic Order
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
to enjoy, to which he donated especially for the renunciation of his brother's, upon his entry into the order.
[Joachim (1880).] Henry participated in the
Sixth Crusade
The Sixth Crusade (1228–1229), also known as the Crusade of Frederick II, was a military expedition to recapture Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land. It began seven years after the failure of the Fifth Crusade and involved very little actua ...
. He was the builder of the castles
Sonnenberg
Sonnenberg is a municipality in the Oberhavel district, in Brandenburg, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, a ...
, Ginsburg and
Dillenburg
Dillenburg, officially Oranienstadt Dillenburg, is a town in Hesse's Gießen (region), Gießen region in Germany. The town was formerly the seat of the old Dillkreis district, which is now part of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis.
The town lies on the German-N ...
.
Life
Henry II was the eldest son of Count
Walram I of Nassau
Walram I of Nassau, german: Walram I. von Nassau (Dek (1970).Van de Venne & Stols (1937). – 1 February 1198Hesselfelt (1965).Vorsterman van Oyen (1882).), also known as Walram I of Laurenburg, was Count of Nassau and is the oldest Nassau wh ...
[Vorsterman van Oyen (1882).] and a certain Kunigunde, possibly a daughter of a count of
Sponheim
Sponheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate in western Germany.
History
Sponheim was the capital of the County of Sponheim.
Sponheim Abbey
There was a Benedictine abbey which was founded in 1101 by Step ...
or a daughter of count Poppo II of
Ziegenhain
Ziegenhain is a municipality in the district of Altenkirchen, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe ...
.
Henry is mentioned for the first time in a
charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
dated 20 March 1198, together with his mother and his brother
Rupert IV.
This mention means that he and his brother were of age at that time, that is to say, they had reached the age of 12.
Henry is mentioned as count of Nassau between 1198 and 1247.
He reigned with his brother Rupert until 1230.
National politics
In the politics of the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
, Henry was generally a loyal supporter of the
Hohenstaufen
The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynasty ...
emperors. However, between 1209 and 1211, he backed the rival
Otto IV
Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218.
Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a follower of his uncle Richard the Lionheart, who made him Count of Poitou in 1196 ...
of
Brunswick as emperor, before reverting sides to support
Frederick II. Between 1212 and 1214, he held prisoner Frederick's (and his own) opponent, Archbishop
Theodoric II
Theodoric II, ''Teodorico'' in Spanish and Portuguese, ( 426 – early 466) was the eighth King of the Visigoths, from 453 to 466.
Biography
Theoderic II, son of Theodoric I, obtained the throne by killing his elder brother Thorismund. The Engli ...
of
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
.
[Thiele (1994), Table 307. Quoted a]
Genealogies of the Middle Ages
. Retrieved on 2009-01-29. Henry was in 1214 with Emperor Frederick II in
Jülich
Jülich (; in old spellings also known as ''Guelich'' or ''Gülich'', nl, Gulik, french: Juliers, Ripuarian: ''Jöllesch'') is a town in the district of Düren, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. As a border region betwe ...
, in 1223 with Frederick's son
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
* Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
in
Worms Worms may refer to:
*Worm, an invertebrate animal with a tube-like body and no limbs
Places
*Worms, Germany, a city
**Worms (electoral district)
*Worms, Nebraska, U.S.
*Worms im Veltlintal, the German name for Bormio, Italy
Arts and entertainme ...
, and in 1224 in
Frankfurt
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
.
In 1228 Henry took part in the Sixth Crusade of Emperor Frederick II. In 1231 Henry attended the
Imperial Diet of Worms and in 1232 he was at the imperial assembly of Frederick II in
Ravenna
Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the cap ...
.
Later, however, Henry transferred to the papal camp, so that Frederick's son
Conrad IV
Conrad (25 April 1228 – 21 May 1254), a member of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was the only son of Emperor Frederick II from his second marriage with Queen Isabella II of Jerusalem. He inherited the title of King of Jerusalem (as Conrad II) up ...
issued an execution order against him in 1241, about the success of which nothing is known.
In 1247 Henry supported the election of Anti-King
William II of Holland
William II (February 1227 – 28 January 1256) was the Count of Holland and Zeeland from 1234 until his death. He was elected anti-king of Germany in 1248 and ruled as sole king from 1254 onwards.
Early life
William was the eldest son and heir ...
, who confirmed all Henry's imperial possessions and gave him the right to mint coins.
Local politics
Henry's father had received the ''Königshof''
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
from Emperor
Frederick I Frederick I may refer to:
* Frederick of Utrecht or Frederick I (815/16–834/38), Bishop of Utrecht.
* Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine (942–978)
* Frederick I, Duke of Swabia (1050–1105)
* Frederick I, Count of Zoller ...
in reward for his support of the emperor in the conflicts of 1170–1180.
[Reuling.] The Nassau possessions in this area were expanded around 1214 when Henry received the Imperial Vogtship (''
Reichsvogtei
''Reichsvogt'' (; ''Imperial Advocate'') was the term for the office of a ''Vogt'' that was nominated by the king of the Holy Roman Empire as his representative. Especially in what is now Switzerland, the ''Reichsvogt'' was a very influential pos ...
'') over Wiesbaden and the surrounding ''
Königssondergau
The Königssondergau (German for "King's Special District") was a Frankish '' gau'' (district) which existed in the area north of the confluence of the Rhine and Main rivers in Germany, from Frankish times until the end of the 12th century. Ofte ...
'', which he held as
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...
doms.
About the year 1200, Henry, together with his brother Rupert, began building
Sonnenberg
Sonnenberg is a municipality in the Oberhavel district, in Brandenburg, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, a ...
on a spur of Spitzkippel peak in the
Taunus
The Taunus is a mountain range in Hesse, Germany, located north of Frankfurt. The tallest peak in the range is ''Großer Feldberg'' at 878 m; other notable peaks are ''Kleiner Feldberg'' (825 m) and ''Altkönig'' (798 m).
The Taunus range spans ...
above Wiesbaden. This was intended for protection against the Archbishop of
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 ...
and its vassals, the
Lords of Eppstein The Lords of Eppstein () were a family of German nobility in the Middle Ages. From the 12th century they ruled extensive territories in the Rhine Main area from their castle in Eppstein, northwest of Frankfurt, Germany.
History
Between 1180 and 11 ...
, who held the lands bordering Wiesbaden. However, the
cathedral chapter
According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...
of
St. Martin's Cathedral in
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 ...
claimed Sonnenberg as their own. To settle the dispute, Nassau paid 30 Marks to the cathedral chapter in 1221 to acquire the land of Sonnenberg Castle. They were also forced to recognize the sovereignty of the Archbishops of Mainz over Sonnenberg, taking the castle as a fief of Mainz.
Towards the end of the 12th century, Walram I had been able to strengthen his power on the lower
Lahn
The Lahn is a , right (or eastern) tributary of the Rhine in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (23.0 km), Hesse (165.6 km), and Rhineland-Palatinate (57.0 km).
It has its source in t ...
. As part of the inheritance of the Counts of Arnstein, he succeeded them as the Archbishopric of Trier's
Vogt
During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...
in
Koblenz
Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary.
Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
, Pfaffendorf (now a borough of Koblenz),
Niederlahnstein Niederlahnstein is a part of the city of Lahnstein in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany.
Description and history
Niederlahnstein is situated on the right bank of the Rhine. In 1905, it had a population of 4,351 people. By 1939, this had grown to 6,81 ...
, and Humbach (
Montabaur
Montabaur () is a town and the district seat of the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. At the same time, it is also the administrative centre of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Montabaur – a kind of collective municipality – to w ...
). However, by the 1230s, Trier's influence near the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
and Lahn had strengthened enough to oust Nassau from the majority of the Archbishopric's vogtships.
The Archbishop had reinforced Montabaur around 1217 in order to protect his possessions on the right bank of the Rhine from Nassau.
In 1224, Henry found support from
Engelbert II Engelbert II may refer to:
* Engelbert II of Istria (died 1141)
* Engelbert II, Count of Gorizia (died 1191)
* Engelbert II of Berg (1185 or 1186 – 1225)
* Engelbert II of Falkenburg (1220–1274), Archbishop of Cologne
* Engelbert II of the Mar ...
, the Archbishop of
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
, who made Henry his ''
Hofmarschall
The ''Hofmarschall'' (plural: Hofmarschälle) was the administrative official in charge of a princely German court, supervising all its economic affairs.
Historically, every civil service was regarded as court service (e.g. the Russian nobility is ...
'' and ''Schenk'' (an honorary title that originally meant "
cup-bearer
A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person must have been regarded as ...
").
However, in exchange for his protection from the Archbishops of Mainz and Trier, Henry had to cede half of
Siegen
Siegen () is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly sho ...
to Cologne. Unaffected by this division of rule, however, Nassau retained its sovereign rights in Siegerland (the region surrounding Siegen), where the important High Jurisdiction (''hohe Gerichtsbarkeit'') and Hunting Ban (''
Wildbann'') explicitly survived to 1259.
During his reign, Henry fought out numerous feuds, especially with the nobles von Willnsdorf over Siegen, and von Merenberg over the ''Landgericht Rucheslo'' in the old ''Erdehegaue''.
In the Siegerland, Henry built Ginsburg Castle during his reign.
Henry's brother, Rupert, had joined the
Teutonic Order
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...
in 1230. On his death in 1239, Rupert bequeathed his legacy to the Order. Henry continuously disputed any division of his realm with the Teutonic Order.
Henry also held the Upper Vogtship over the Diocese of St. George in
Limburg an der Lahn
Limburg an der Lahn (officially abbreviated ''Limburg a. d. Lahn'') is the district seat of Limburg-Weilburg in Hesse, Germany.
Geography
Location
Limburg lies in western Hessen between the Taunus and the Westerwald on the river Lahn.
The to ...
during the construction of the
Limburg Cathedral
Limburg Cathedral (german: Limburger Dom, also known as ''Georgsdom'' ("George's Cathedral") after its dedication to Saint George, is located above the old town of Limburg in Hesse, Germany. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Limburg ...
. In 1239 he transferred, at the request of his vassal Friedrich vom Hain, the income of the
Netphen
Netphen () is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It lies on the river Sieg, roughly 7 km northeast of Siegen.
Geography
Location
Netphen lies on the Rothaargebirge's southern slope and forms the ...
parishes to the
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...
Keppel Abbey near
Hilchenbach. His descendants took over the patronage of the monastery.
Henry's policies in the
Herborner Mark angered the local aristocratic families. Around 1240, Henry built
Dillenburg Castle
Castle Dillenburg, in the provincial town of Dillenburg in Hesse-Nassau, is situated on a hill (elevation 958 feet) above the Dill river, 25 miles northwest from Gießen on the Giessen-Troisdorf railway line.
The main building of the old castle w ...
to better subjugate the dissidents. By 1248, the century-long
Dernbacher Feud The Dernbach Feud (German: ''Dernbacher Fehde'') was an over 100-year-long (c. 1230 – 1333) ongoing dispute in present-day Germany between the House of Nassau, several knightly families, and the Landgrave of Hesse. The conflict erupted mainly over ...
had already begun, involving
Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major histor ...
as well in the context 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).
...
, because of a feud started by Henry with
Sophia of Thuringia and her son
Henry I "the Child" of Hesse over the Herborner Mark, which burdened the Nassau-Hessian relationships beyond his death for centuries.
The necrology of
Arnstein Abbey
Arnstein Abbey (German language, German: ''Kloster Arnstein'') is a former Premonstratensian abbey on the Lahn River, south of present-day Obernhof near Nassau, Germany, Nassau, Germany. It is now a monastery of the Congregation of the Sacred Hear ...
documented the death of ''‘Henrici comitis de Nassauwe, qui contulit nobis ecclesiam in Diffenbach inferiori ...’'' on 26 April.
Henry is still mentioned in a charter from 1247 and is listed as deceased in a charter from 25 January 1251. This means that he died on 26 April in either 1247, 1248, 1249 or 1250. He was succeeded by his sons
Walram II and
Otto I
Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Francia, East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the olde ...
.
Marriage and children
Henry married before 11 December 1215 to
Matilda of Guelders and Zutphen (died 28 October 1247 or later), the youngest daughter of Count
Otto I of Guelders and Zutphen and
Richardis of Bavaria
Richardis of Bavaria (1173 – 7 December 1231) was a German noblewoman. She was a daughter of Count Palatine Otto I of Bavaria, who later became the first Wittelsbach ''Duke'' of Bavaria, and his wife Agnes of Loon.
Richardis married Otto ...
(herself daughter of
Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria
Otto I (1117 – 11 July 1183), called the Redhead (german: der Rotkopf), was Duke of Bavaria from 1180 until his death. He was also called Otto VI as Count Palatine of Bavaria from 1156 to 1180. He was the first Bavarian ruler from the House ...
).
From this marriage were born:
# Rupert (died 19 September before 1247),
was granted
allod In the law of the Middle Ages and early Modern Period and especially within the Holy Roman Empire, an allod (Old Low Franconian ''allōd'' ‘fully owned estate’, from ''all'' ‘full, entire’ and ''ōd'' ‘estate’, Medieval Latin ''allodium ...
in
Diez and
Ober-Lahnstein by the Archbishop of Trier,
was a knight of the Teutonic Order.
#
Walram II ( – 24 January 1276), succeeded his father as Count of Nassau, is the ancestor of the Walramian Line of the House of Nassau.
#
Otto I
Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Francia, East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the olde ...
(died between 3 May 1289 and 19 March 1290), succeeded his father as Count of Nassau, is the ancestor of the Ottonian Line of the House of Nassau.
# Henry (died 28 May after 1247),
was a monk in Arnstein Abbey.
# Elizabeth ( – after 6 January 1295), married Gerhard III, Lord of Eppstein (died 1252).
#
Gerhard Gerhard is a name of Germanic origin and may refer to:
Given name
* Gerhard (bishop of Passau) (fl. 932–946), German prelate
* Gerhard III, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg (1292–1340), German prince, regent of Denmark
* Gerhard Barkhorn (1919–19 ...
(died between 7 April 1312 and 20 September 1314),
[Van der Venne & Stols (1937).] was a clergyman.
#
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 ...
(died
Deventer
Deventer (; Sallands: ) is a city and municipality in the Salland historical region of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands. In 2020, Deventer had a population of 100,913. The city is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, bu ...
, 13 July 1309), was Bishop-Elect of
Utrecht
Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...
1267–1290.
# Catharine (died 27 April 1324), became Abbess of Altenberg Abbey near
Wetzlar
Wetzlar () is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. It is the twelfth largest city in Hesse with currently 55,371 inhabitants at the beginning of 2019 (including second homes). As an important cultural, industrial and commercial center, the un ...
in 1249.
# Jutta (died 1313), married around 1260 to John I, Lord of
Cuijk
Cuijk (; dialect: ''Kuuk'') is a town in the northeastern part of the province of North Brabant, Netherlands. It is the successor of a Roman settlement on the west bank of the Meuse, 13 km (8 mi) south of Nijmegen. Cuijk, which had a po ...
(died 13 July 1308).
# ? Irmgard (died 1 August 1297), was abbess of Val-Benoît.
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
* Table 60.
*
*
*
References
External links
Die territoriale Entwicklung Nassausby Ulrich Reuling. . Retrieved on 2009-01-26.
in
Compiled by Charles Cawley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry 02, Count of Nassau
Christians of the Third Crusade
Christians of the Sixth Crusade
Counts of Nassau
12th-century people of the Holy Roman Empire
13th-century people of the Holy Roman Empire
1180s births
13th-century deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Year of death uncertain