Countess Ottilie of Nassau-SiegenIn many sources she is called Ottilie 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. (before or on 18 April 1437 – July 1493), german: Ottilie Gräfin von Nassau-Siegen, official titles: ''Gräfin zu Nassau, Vianden und Diez'', 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, title ...

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 o ...

, and through marriage respectively Countess of Katzenelnbogen and Countess of Tierstein.

Biography

Ottilie was born before or on 18 April 1437,Schutte (1979), p. 41, Dek (1970), p. 67 and Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 92 all mention born in April 1437. Since her mother died on 18 April 1437, Ottilie must have been born before or no later than on 18 April 1437. possibly in

Breda Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...

,Since her mother died in Breda (in childbirth?), Ottilie was probably born in that city. as the only daughter 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: ...

Henry II of Nassau-Siegen and his first wife Countess

Genoveva of Virneburg ''Genoveva'', Op. 81, is an opera in four acts by Robert Schumann in the genre of German Romanticism with a libretto by Robert Reinick and the composer. The only opera Schumann ever wrote, it received its first performance on 25 June 1850 ...

.Schutte (1979), p. 41.Dek (1970), p. 67.Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 92. Ottilie married in 1449/1450Dek (1970), p. 67 mentions the year 1450. Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 92 mentions the year 1449. to Count Philip ‘the Younger’ of Katzenelnbogen (1427 – 27 February 1453Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 92 mentions the date of death 30 January 1454.), the eldest son of Count Philip ‘the Elder’ of Katzenelnbogen and his first wife Countess

Anne of Württemberg Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in th ...

. Following the death of her father in 1451, Ottilie claimed his part of the County of Diez as her

inheritance Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, Title (property), titles, debts, entitlements, Privilege (law), privileges, rights, and Law of obligations, obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ ...

.Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 93.The sources do not mention whether Ottilie also claimed her father’s part of the

County of Vianden The Counts of Vianden, ancestors of the House of Orange-Nassau, were associated with the castle of Vianden (Vianden Castle) in Luxembourg. In the 12th to 15th centuries the counts of Vianden were the mightiest lords of the area between the riv ...

. This led to a conflict with her paternal uncle Count John IV of Nassau-Siegen, who had succeeded his brother in all his possessionsHuberty, et al. (1981), p. 219. and was granted the County of Diez as a fief by

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

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 ...

on 4 November 1451. The conflict was complicated further due to the fact that another part of the County of Diez belonged to Ottilie’s father-in-law Philip ‘the Elder’ of Katzenelnbogen. Ottilie reached an agreement with her uncle regarding their inheritance in 1454. Ottilie remarried on 3 June 1475Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 92 mentions the year 1471. Dek (1970), p. 67 does not mention a wedding date. to Count Oswald I of Tierstein (Dek (1970), p. 67 mentions the year 1423 without the circa. Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 92 does not mention a date of birth. – before 1488Dek (1970), p. 67 mentions the year . Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 92 mentions the year .). Oswald had succeeded his father as Count of Tierstein in 1455. He was also

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

in the

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

, the

Sundgau Sundgau ( or ; ) is a geographical territory in the southern Alsace region (Haut Rhin and Belfort), on the eastern edge of France. The name is derived from Alemannic German ''Sunt- gowe'' ("South shire"), denoting an Alemannic county in the Old Hi ...

and the

Breisgau The Breisgau () is an area in southwest Germany between the Rhine River and the foothills of the Black Forest. Part of the state of Baden-Württemberg, it centers on the city of Freiburg im Breisgau. The district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, ...

and councillor in

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gr ...

and the

Electorate of Cologne The Electorate of Cologne (german: Kurfürstentum Köln), sometimes referred to as Electoral Cologne (german: Kurköln, links=no), was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. ...

. In 1479 Count Philip ‘the Elder’ of Katzenelnbogen died without male issue. He was succeeded by his daughter

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

and her husband

Landgrave Landgrave (german: Landgraf, nl, landgraaf, sv, lantgreve, french: landgrave; la, comes magnus, ', ', ', ', ') was a noble title used in the Holy Roman Empire, and later on in its former territories. The German titles of ', ' ("margrave"), a ...

Henry III ‘the Rich’ of Hesse-Marburg.Lück (1981), p. 33. Ottilie’s daughter,

Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen (c. 1451 – 15 August 1517, Baden-Baden), was by marriage Margravine of Baden-Baden. Life She was the only child of Philipp II ''the Younger'' of Katzenelnbogen (1427 – 27 February 1453) and Ottilie of Nassau-Siegen ...

, however, also immediately laid claim to the

County of Katzenelnbogen The County of Katzenelnbogen was an immediate state of the Holy Roman Empire. Chatti Melibokus is a very old tribe who stayed on a high hill in the Bergstraße region of Hesse (the part that lies south), in Germany. It existed between 109 ...

. On 6 May 1482 Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen renounced her claims to the counties Katzenelbogen and Diez and received a financial compensation. In 1481 Ottilie’s first cousin Count John V of Nassau-Siegen fully succeeded in enforcing the still unfinished settlement of Ottilie’s claims to the County of Diez. In 1485 Ottilie’s second husband, Oswald I of Tierstein, attempted to murder John V of Nassau-Siegen because of his dissatisfaction with the marriage grant and the settlement of the inheritance. The ''Rentmeister'' 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 ...

, Heinrich Weiß, was able to prevent the attempt. The settlement was finally confirmed in 1510. Ottilie died in July 1493.Dek (1970), p. 67 mentions only the year of death. Schutte (1979), p. 41 states died July (?) 1495. The year 1495 is probably an error because her first cousin of the same name died in that year.

Issue

First marriage

From Ottilie’s first marriage to Count Philip ‘the Younger’ of Katzenelnbogen only one daughter was born: #

( –

Baden-Baden Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the states of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos (river), Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the ...

, 15 August 1517), married 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 ...

on 19 December 1468Medieval Lands Baden
mentions the wedding date 30 January 1469. to Margave Christopher I of Baden (13 November 1453 –

Hohenbaden Castle Hohenbaden Castle (at the time of its establishment ''Schloss Hohenbaden'', now ''Old castle'' or ''Altes Schloss'') in German Baden-Baden was the residence of the margraves of Baden for almost 400 years. The castle was built around 1100 by Herman ...

, 19 April 1527Kleinschmidt (1876), p. 232 mentions the date of death 29 April 1527.). The wedding of Ottilie and Christopher was a double wedding, as on the same day and location Christopher’s sister married Count Engelbert II ‘the Illustrious’ of Nassau-Breda, the eldest son of Count John IV of Nassau-Siegen.Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 95.Medieval Lands Baden
mentions the wedding date 30 January 1468.

Second marriage

From Ottilie’s second marriage to Count Oswald I of Tierstein the following children were born: # Count

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, ...

(d. 30 November 1519), married Marguerite de Neuchâtel (d. after 5 December 1533). # Count Oswald II (d. 27 August 1512), married Elisabeth of Löwenstein (d. after 1510).

Ancestors

Literature

Notes

References

Sources

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