Rupert IV of Nassau, german: Ruprecht IV. von Nassau (died after 1 January 1239),
[Dek (1970).] 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 later became a Knight of 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 ...
.
Life
Rupert IV was the second 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 ...
[Cawley.][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 Poppo II, Count of
Ziegenhain
Ziegenhain is a municipality in the district of Altenkirchen, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It used to be part of the mayoralty of Weyerbusch
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as th ...
.
Rupert is mentioned for the first time in a charter dated 20 March 1198, together with his mother and his brother
Henry II.
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.
Rupert is mentioned as count of Nassau between 1198 and 1230.
He reigned with his brother Henry.
Rupert'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 Rupert's brother 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, Rupert, together with his brother Henry, began building
Sonnenberg Castle 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.
Rupert is mentioned as a Knight of 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.
Rupert died after January 1, 1239, and bequeathed his legacy to the Order. This would eventually lead to conflict between 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 the Order.
Marriage and children
Rupert married before 11 December 1215
[Cawley quotes from a charter dated 11 December 1215, in which ''‘Heinricus und Roppertus comites de Nassovva’'' with the consent of ''‘uxorum nostrarum Methildis et Gertrudis’'' bought property from Mainz cathedral. From this can be concluded that Rupert and Gertrud were already married on 11 December 1215. All genealogies however state that the marriage took place "before 1221".] to Gertrud (died ca. 1222),
possibly a daughter of the Count of
Cleeberg.
From this marriage no children are known.
Sources
*
*
*
References
External links
Die territoriale Entwicklung Nassaus by Ulrich Reuling. . Retrieved on 2009-01-26.
Retrieved on 2009-01-31.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rupert 04, Count of Nassau
Counts of Nassau
12th-century people of the Holy Roman Empire
13th-century people of the Holy Roman Empire
Year of birth unknown
Year of death unknown
13th-century deaths