Christian III, Count of Oldenburg (first attested in 12691285) was a ruling Count of
Oldenburg. His parents were
John I of Oldenburg and Richeza (or ''Rixa'') of
Hoya-Stumpenhausen.
Life
Christian III was first mentioned in a document in 1269 as . From 1272, his brother Otto II appears as co-ruler.
During the early years of his reign, the
ministeriales
The ''ministeriales'' (singular: ''ministerialis'') were a class of people raised up from serfdom and placed in positions of power and responsibility in the High Middle Ages in the Holy Roman Empire.
The word and its German translations, ''Minist ...
, led by the Knight Robert von Westerholt, revolted. The rebels managed to invade the city of Oldenburg. Christian, who was still defending Oldenburg Castle, set the city on fire, so that the attackers were left with neither food nor shelter, and had to withdraw. Christian pursued them, and decisively defeated them in the Battle of the Tungeler Marsh. Robert von Westerholt and other rebellious noblemen were taken prisoner. The
chronicle of Rasted describes his victory in great detail.
In contemporary sources, Christian is described as peace-loving ("... the peasants lived in peace and complete tranquility") and friendly towards the church. He was pious and also knew how to enjoy life ("... loved a good wine").
He married Jutta of
Bentheim and had three sons. His oldest son,
John II John II may refer to:
People
* John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (1455–1499)
* John II Casimir Vasa of Poland (1609–1672)
* John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch (died 1302)
* John II Doukas of Thessaly (1303–1318)
* John II Komnenos (1087–1 ...
succeeded in 1285 as Count of Oldenburg; Otto became
Archbishop of
Bremen in 1344.
See also
*
List of rulers of Oldenburg
120px, Shield of the Counts of Oldenburg
120px, Shield of the Counts of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst
This is a list of the counts, dukes, grand dukes, and prime ministers of Oldenburg.
Counts of Oldenburg
* 1088/1101–1108 Elimar I
* 1108–1143 ...
References
* Hans Friedl, Wolfgang Günther, Hilke Günther-Arndt, and Heinrich Schmidt (eds.): ''Biographisches Handbuch zur Geschichte des Landes Oldenburg'', Oldenburg 1992,
* Hermann Lübbing: ''Die Rasteder Chronik 1059-1477'', Oldenburg, 1976,
Counts of Oldenburg
13th-century births
Year of birth unknown
1285 deaths
13th-century German nobility
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