Count Adolf I of Nassau-SiegenIn many sources he is called Adolf I of Nassau(-Dillenburg). His official title was Count of Nassau, but it is incorrect to refer to him as the only reigning Count of Nassau, because the County of Nassau was divided into Nassau-Beilstein, Nassau-Siegen, Nassau-Weilburg and Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein. Adolf co-ruled the County of Nassau-Siegen, which is erroneously called Nassau-Dillenburg in many sources. See note 2. (1362 – 12 June 1420), german: Adolf I. Graf von Nassau-Siegen, was since 1388

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 Diez, through his first marriage. With his brothers, he succeeded his father in 1416 as Count 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, found ...

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 at that time, 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. (a part of the

County of Nassau The County of Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later part of the German Confederation. Its ruling dynasty, the male line of which is now extinct, was the House of Nassau. Origins Nassau, originally a county, developed ...

), and also inherited the County of Vianden in 1417. He descended from 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 ...

Biography

Adolf was born in 1362Huberty, et al. (1981), p. 219.Dek (1970), p. 66.Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 90. as the eldest son of

John I of Nassau-Siegen and Countess . Adolf succeeded his father-in-law Count Gerhard VII of Diez as Count of Diez.

Roman King The king of Rome ( la, rex Romae) was the ruler of the Roman Kingdom. According to legend, the first king of Rome was Romulus, who founded the city in 753 BC upon the Palatine Hill. Seven legendary kings are said to have ruled Rome until 509 ...

Wenceslaus Wenceslaus, Wenceslas, Wenzeslaus and Wenzslaus (and other similar names) are Latinized forms of the Czech name Václav. The other language versions of the name are german: Wenzel, pl, Wacław, Więcesław, Wieńczysław, es, Wenceslao, russian ...

invested him with the county.Both authors state that the investment took place in 1384, four years before the death of Count Gerhard VII. As Count of Diez, Adolf build . With his brothers, John II ʻwith the Helmetʼ, Engelbert I and John III ʻthe Youngerʼ, Adolf succeeded his father in 1416 as Count of

.von Stramberg (1865), p. 722.Dek (1970), p. 66 and Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 90 state that Adolf co-ruled with his brother John II only. They had already agreed on a joint continuation of the government on 21 December 1409. Whichever of the brothers would be native or closest to his lands on the fatherʼs death should take possession of them in all brothersʼ name until a division would have taken place. Whoever would take something for himself alone would be disinherited. All parental decrees favouring one brother over the other were declared

null and void In law, void means of no legal effect. An action, document, or transaction which is void is of no legal effect whatsoever: an absolute nullity—the law treats it as if it had never existed or happened. The term void ''ab initio'', which means " ...

in advance. Adolf hereby tacitly renounced his right to the part of

Nassau-Hadamar Nassau-Hadamar is the name of two side lines of the Ottonian main line of the House of Nassau. The older line of the counts of Nassau-Hadamar existed from 1303 to 1394; the younger line existed from 1607 to 1711 and received the hereditary title o ...

and the districts of Herborn,

Haiger Haiger is a country town in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. The nearest city is Siegen, about 25 km north of Haiger. Geography Location Haiger lies about 5 km west of Dillenburg, and 20 km southeast of Siegen on the eastern ...

and

Löhnberg Löhnberg is a municipality north of Weilburg in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany. Geography Location Löhnberg lies between Wetzlar and the district seat of Limburg an der Lahn. Neighbouring communities Löhnberg borders in the ...

, which he could have claimed in advance from the

marriage contract ''Marriage Contract'' () is a 2016 South Korean television series starring Lee Seo-jin and Uee. It aired on MBC from March 5 to April 24, 2016 on Saturdays and Sundays at 22:00 for 16 episodes. Plot Kang Hye-soo (Uee) is a single mother who ...

with the heiress of the County of Diez. In accordance with this agreement, the brothers took over the government jointly after their fatherʼs death in 1416. However, the intended division did not take place: Adolf had no male offspring, the elder John was not married, the younger of the same name was a

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

; it was to be expected that a division would not last long. Together, the brothers bought back the other half of the

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

Siegen Siegen () is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region. The university town (nearly 20,000 students in the 2018–2019 winter semest ...

from the Electorate of Cologne.Lück (1981), p. 23 states that their father exchanged the County of Arnsberg in 1381 for the other half of Siegen from the Electorate of Cologne. When Elisabeth of Sponheim-Kreuznach, Countess of Vianden, died without issue in 1417, the four brothers, grandsons of

Adelaide of Vianden Countess Adelaide of Vianden (d. 30 September 1376), german: Adelheid Gräfin von Vianden, was a Countess from the House of Vianden, the cadet branch of the House of Sponheim that ruled the County of Vianden, and through marriage Countess ...

, Elisabethʼs great-aunt, inherited the County of Vianden with the lordships of St. Vith, Bütgenbach,

Dasburg Dasburg is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany. Before the French Revolutionary Wars it was a part of the Duchy of Luxemburg The Duchy of Luxemburg ( nl, Luxemburg; french: Luxembourg; ...

and

Grimbergen Grimbergen () is a municipality in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant, 10 km north of the capital Brussels. It comprises the towns of Beigem, Grimbergen, Humbeek, and Strombeek-Bever. In 2017, it had a population of 37,030 and an are ...

.Dek (1970), p. 66 and Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 90 state that only Engelbert I, the third of the brothers, inherited the County of Vianden. Adolf died on 12 June 1420. He was succeeded as Count of Diez by his son-in-law Godfrey VII of Eppstein-Münzenberg in one half and by his brothers in the other half. His brothers also succeeded Adolf as Count of Nassau-Siegen and Count of Vianden, dividing the County of Nassau-Siegen. Burgdiez.jpg, Diez Castle. Photo: Peter Klassen, 2006. Burg-Ardeck-Holzheim-JR-G6-3717-2009-08-04.jpg, Ardeck Castle. Photo: Johannes Robalotoff, 2009. Siegen Schloss - 20.3.2011 - panoramio (1).jpg, Siegen Castle, 2011. Vianden castle.jpg, Vianden Castle. Photo: Vincent de Groot, 2004.

Marriages and issue

First marriage

Adolf married in 1384 to Countess Jutta of Diez (after 1367 – 14 August 1397), daughter of Count Gerhard VII of Diez and Countess Gertrud of Westerburg.
From the marriage of Adolf and Jutta only one daughter was born: # Jutta (d. 2 August 1424), married in 1401 to Lord Godfrey VII of Eppstein-Münzenberg (d. 28 June 1437), since 1420 Count of half Diez.

Second marriage

Adolf remarried before 25 February 1401 to Kunigunde of Isenburg-Limburg (d. 11 June 1401/1402), daughter of John II of Isenburg, Lord of Limburg and Countess Hildegard of Saarwerden. The marriage remained childless.

Illegitimate child

Adolf had one illegitimate son: # Johann von Diez, was a

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 Diez.

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

Nassau
In

by Charles Cawley.

In

by Paul Theroff. , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Adolf 01, Count of Nassau-Siegen Nassau-Siegen, Adolf 01 Nassau-Siegen, Adolf 01 Counts of Diez Counts of Nassau Counts of Vianden House of Nassau-Siegen 14th-century German nobility 15th-century German nobility