Mary Of Nassau-Siegen (1418–1472)
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Countess Mary of Nassau-SiegenIn many sources she is called Mary of Nassau-Dillenburg. The County of Nassau-Siegen is erroneously called Nassau-Dillenburg in many sources. The county was not named after the small, unimportant city of Dillenburg, which did not even have a church until 1491, but after the, for that time, large city of Siegen, the economic centre of the county and the counts' main residence. See Lück (1981), ''passim''. It is also evident from the numbering of the reigning counts with the given name John. One John without regal number who ruled the County of Nassau-Dillenburg in the period 1303–1328, and eight counts by the name of John who ruled the County of Nassau-Siegen in the period 1362–1638. (2 February 1418 – 11 October 1472), german: Maria Gräfin von Nassau-Siegen, official titles: ''Gräfin zu Nassau, Vianden und Diez, Frau zu Breda'', was a
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: ...
ess from the
House of Nassau-Siegen Nassau-Siegen was a principality within the Holy Roman Empire that existed between 1303 and 1328, and again from 1606 to 1743. From 1626 to 1734, it was subdivided into Catholic and Protestant parts. Its capital was the city of Siegen, founde ...
, a
cadet branch In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, tit ...
of the Ottonian Line of the
House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled "Count ...
, and through marriage Countess of
Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled "Count ...
.


Biography

Mary was born on 2 February 1418Schutte (1979), p. 41.Dek (1970), p. 21.Dek (1970), p. 69.Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 93. as the second daughter and fifth child of
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: ...
Engelbert I of Nassau-Siegen and his wife Lady Joanne of Polanen. Mary got engaged on 6 January 1428Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 41. and married in Breda on 17 June 1437 to Count John of Nassau-Wiesbaden-IdsteinIn several sources he is called John II. As he was the only count of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein with the given name John, it is unclear why these sources add the regal number II. (1419 – 9 May 1480). Both Mary and John descended from Count Henry II of Nassau, Mary through his son Otto I and John through his son Walram II.Dek (1970).Vorsterman van Oyen (1882). John had succeeded his father Adolf II as Count of
Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled "Count ...
in 1426. Mary came into conflict with her eldest brother Count John IV of Nassau-Siegen. She filed a complaint against her brother with
Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...
Frederick III for forcibly removing her
inheritance Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Officia ...
and goods. On 14 October 1463, the Emperor appointed
Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the male head of a monastery in various Western religious traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not the head of a monastery. The ...
of Fulda as his attorney and instructed him to summon both parties to a trial on his behalf, to interrogate them and to give
judgment Judgement (or US spelling judgment) is also known as ''adjudication'', which means the evaluation of evidence to make a decision. Judgement is also the ability to make considered decisions. The term has at least five distinct uses. Aristotle s ...
. The abbot could – if necessary – examine witnesses and – if necessary – threaten these witnesses with punishment in order to force them to
testify In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. Etymology The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness. La ...
, as well as to carry out the proceedings in all respects in the event that one of the parties did not appear. The abbot summoned John by letter of 17 August 1464 to appear before him 45 days later in Salmünster. John received this summons on 2 September 1464 in
Vianden Vianden ( lb, Veianen or (locally) ) is a commune with town status in the Oesling, north-eastern Luxembourg, with over 1,800 inhabitants. It is the capital of the canton of Vianden, which is part of the district of Diekirch. Vianden lies on t ...
from the hands of the ''servus et nuncius'' of the abbot. The abbot's judgment is unknown, as is what happened next. However, on 7 July 1465, the Emperor informed Mary that John had appealed against the judgment by Archbishop John II 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 ...
unfavourable to him, and summoned her to appear before him on the 45th day after receipt of this summons or on the first day of the following court and informed her that, even if she did not appear, the trial would take place. What happened afterwards is also unclear. What is known is that the Emperor summoned John for the settlement of the inheritance dispute with his sister, because on 9 February 1467 Mary appointed attorneys for the trial. That is the last preserved record of the dispute. Mary died on 11 October 1472 and was buried in the Unionskirche in Idstein. The
epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
once placed in the
choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
for Mary and John, which probably disappeared when the church was rebuilt after 1660, showed the couple standing side by side. John wore the
body armour Body armor, also known as body armour, personal armor or armour, or a suit or coat of armor, is protective clothing designed to absorb or deflect physical attacks. Historically used to protect military personnel, today it is also used by variou ...
typical for the time and a rosary instead of a sword, as well as a
lance A lance is a spear designed to be used by a mounted warrior or cavalry soldier (lancer). In ancient and medieval warfare, it evolved into the leading weapon in cavalry charges, and was unsuited for throwing or for repeated thrusting, unlike s ...
. To his right, Mary was depicted in a long
robe A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. Unlike garments described as capes or cloaks, robes usually have sleeves. The English word ''robe'' derives from Middle English ''robe'' ("garment"), borrowed from Old French ''robe'' ("booty, spoil ...
,
cloak A cloak is a type of loose garment worn over clothing, mostly but not always as outerwear for outdoor wear, serving the same purpose as an overcoat, protecting the wearer from the weather. It may form part of a uniform. Cloaks have been and ...
,
veil A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has been prominent ...
and holding a rosary. At the feet of both figures were their coats of arms, at the heads the crests. At the edge of the epitaph was the
inscription Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the w ...
:
'+ Anno d(omi)ni m cccc Ixxii / die ii me(n)s(i)s octobris o(biit) G(e)n(er)osa d(omi)na maria ac nassawe comitissa i(n) nassawe / c(uius) a(n)i(m)a req(ui)escat i(n) pace. Anno d(omi)ni m cccc / Ixxx die me(n)s(i)s ix may o(biit) nobil(is) ac gen(er)os(us) d(omi)n(us) Joh(anne)s Comes i(n) nassau d(omi)n(u)s i(n) Itstein et i(n) Wisbaden / cui(us) a(n)i(m)a req(ui)escat i(n) pace.'
All that remains of the epitaph is a drawing made by from his ''Epitaphienbuch'', published in 1632.


Issue

From the marriage of Mary and John the following children were born:Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), pp. 41–42. # Mary (1438 – 14 January 1480), married on 25 May 1455 to Count Louis II of Isenburg-Büdingen (1422 –
Büdingen Büdingen is a town in the Wetteraukreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is mainly known for its well-preserved, heavily fortified medieval town wall and half-timbered houses. Geography Location Büdingen is in the south of the Wetterau below the Vogels ...
, 4 June 1511). # (1439 – 27 February 1482), was
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...
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 joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
en Liège. # Margaret (? – 27 May 1486), was
Abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Copt ...
of Klarenthal Abbey. # Anne (1442 – 1 March 1480), married in Mainz on 1 January 1464 to Count Otto II of Solms-Braunfels (22 November 1426 – 29 June 1504). # Count Adolf III (10 November 1443 –
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 ...
, 6 July 1511), succeed his father as Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden in 1480. He married on 20 June 1484 to Countess
Margaret of Hanau-Lichtenberg Countess Margarethe von Hanau-Lichtenberg, known upon her marriage as Margarethe, Countess of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein (15 May 1463 – 26 May 1504) was a German noblewoman who, as the wife of Adolf III of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein, was the Counte ...
(15 May 1463 – 26 May 1504). # Bertha (1446 – 12 April ....), was Abbess of Klarenthal Abbey. # (1448 – Mainz, 7 April 1508), was canon in
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
and Mainz. # Count Philip (1450 – 16 June 1509), succeed his father as Count of Nassau-Idstein in 1480. He married in 1470 to
Countess palatine The Countess of the Palatinate () was the wikt:consort, consort of the Count of the Palatinate, one of the Empire's greatest princes. Non-Hereditary, 1085–1156 House of Hohenstaufen, 1156–1195 House of Welf, 1195–1214 House of Wit ...
(10 July 1456 – 7 September 1527). # Anne (? – 2 June ....), was a
nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
in Klarenthal Abbey.


Ancestors


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * (1882). ''Het vorstenhuis Oranje-Nassau. Van de vroegste tijden tot heden'' (in Dutch). Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff/Utrecht: J.L. Beijers.


External links


Graf Johann II. von Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein und seine Ehefrau Maria von Nassau-Dillenburg 1472/1480, Idstein
(in German). In
Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS)
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Nassau-Siegen, Mary 1418 births 1472 deaths Mary of Nassau-Siegen Mary of Nassau-Siegen 15th-century German women