Ernest Casimir I (22 December 1573 – 2 June 1632) was a
Count of Nassau-Dietz and
Stadtholder of Friesland,
Groningen and
Drenthe.
Biography
He was the 11th child of
John VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg
Count John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg (22 November 1536 – 8 October 1606) was the second son of William the Rich and the younger brother of William the Silent. He has a special place in the history of the Netherlands because he is the male-lin ...
, and
Countess Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg. After the death of his father, his counties
Nassau-Dillenburg
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 ...
,
Nassau-Siegen,
Nassau-Dietz, and
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 ...
were divided among his five living sons. Ernest Casimir followed him as
Count of Nassau-Dietz. In 1631, he inherited the small county of Spiegelberg near
Lauenstein.
Ernest Casimir was primarily known as an outstanding military leader during the
Eighty Years' War. He served under
Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, in the siege of the cities of
Steenwijk and
Oldenzaal
Oldenzaal (; Tweants: ''Oldnzel'') is a municipality and a city in the eastern province of Overijssel in the Netherlands. It is part of the region of Twente and is close to the German border.
It received city rights in 1249. Historically, the city ...
, and
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry ( nl, Frederik Hendrik; 29 January 1584 – 14 March 1647) was the sovereign prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1625 until his death in 1647. In the last ...
, during the
Siege of Groenlo and the
Siege of 's-Hertogenbosch. As
Stadtholder of Groningen, he founded the
Nieuweschans fortress in 1628. Although he owned little in Friesland, he was popular there, and people granted his heir the right to rule after his death.
He was killed by a bullet at the siege of Roermond while he was inspecting the trenches in June 1632. His son,
Henry Casimir I, succeeded him as count of Nassau-Dietz and as
Stadtholder of Friesland,
Groningen and
Drenthe.
Family
In 1607, Ernest Casimir married
Sophia Hedwig of Brunswick-Lüneburg, daughter of
Henry Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg. They had nine children:
# stillborn daughter (1608)
# stillborn son (1609)
# unnamed son (1610)
#
Henry Casimir I, Count of Nassau-Dietz
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 Portuga ...
(21 January 1612 – 13 July 1640)
#
William Frederick, Prince of Nassau-Dietz (7 August 1613 – 31 October 1664), married
Albertine Agnes of Nassau
# Elizabeth (25 July – 18 September 1614)
# John Ernest (29 March – May 1617)
# Maurice (21 February 1619 – 18 September 1628)
# Elizabeth Friso (25 November 1620 – 20 September 1628)
Ancestors
References
External links
*
1573 births
1632 deaths
Dutch stadtholders
People from Dillenburg
German people of the Eighty Years' War
{{Europe-noble-stub