The House of Helfenstein was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

noble family during the High and

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Renai ...

. The family was named after the family castle, Castle Helfenstein, located above

Geislingen an der Steige Geislingen an der Steige is surrounded by the heights of the Swabian Alb and embedded in 5 beautiful valleys. It is a town in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The name relates to its location "on the climb ...

in the Swabian Alb region of

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...

, Germany. The family held the rank of

Graf (feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility, usually translated as "count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title of "earl" (whose female version is "coun ...

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: ...

and was very significant in the 13th and 14th Centuries, but fell into financial difficulties and the family lost his estate in 1627. Later the main branch of the family emigrated to America and even today they are successor members of this German dynasty. Currently the german-argentinean Ernst Heinrich von Helfenstein have the honorary title by inheritance of Baron and Count by subsequent to his Father.

Coat of arms

The House of Helfenstein used an elephant on their coat of arms. According to one source, the elephant is a type of ''Namenwappen'' (German: Coat of Arms from a name), in this case Helfenstein became ''Elefanten'' or elephant because of similarity between the sounds. A more fanciful source claims that the elephant comes from the first ancestor of the family, Helfrich, a citizen of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in 225 AD, a captain of the 5th Legion of Veterans based in Germany and the Lord of the Fils River. Helfrich acquired an elephant for his coat of arms. Their emblem depicted an elephant and was awarded in 46 BC for bravery against a charge of elephants in the Battle of Thapsus. Known locations for leg V Alaudae . Chapter One: The Counts von Helfenstein] from the Legion's emblem.

History

While the ancestral castle, Ruine Helfenstein, Burg Helfenstein, was built around 1100 the family may originate about three centuries earlier. Ulric Helfenstein was appointed Second Provost at an earlier Blaubeuren Abbey by

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

cited o
Worldroots.com
in 800. His son Rudolf was born around 820. On 12 December 861 he founded the church at

Wiesensteig Wiesensteig is a town in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located on the river Fils, 16 km south of Göppingen. Geography Geographical location Wiesensteig is located in the upper Fils valley ...

. Later he also founded the Cyriasus Abbey in Wiesensteig. It is possible that the Counts from Vils ( Fils) were the ancestors of the House of Helfenstein,Oswald Gabelkover: ''Historia und Beschreibung des uralten Geschlechts der Grafen von Helfenstein von 860 bis 1604'', in: Württembergische Geschichte, Württ. Landesbibliothek Stuttgart, Cod. Donaueschingen 591, Bl. 109v, 1539–1616 because in 1060 the

Archbishop of Salzburg The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Salzburg ( la, Archidioecesis Salisburgensis) is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Austria. The archdiocese is one of two Austrian archdioceses, serving alongside the Archdiocese ...

Gebhard of Salzburg Blessed Gebhard von Salzburg ( 101015 June 1088), also occasionally known as Gebhard of Sussex, was Archbishop of Salzburg from 1060 until his death. He was one of the fiercest opponents of King Henry IV of Germany during the Investiture Controver ...

(from the Counts of Vils) was also known as Gebhard von Helfenstein. This connection is debated. The first recorded member of the family was Eberhard the Elder, who built the ancestral castle known as Burg Helfenstein (English:

Helfenstein Castle Helfenstein Castle represents the remnants of the fortified castle (''burg'') Helfenstein of the counts of Helfenstein located above the city of Geislingen an der Steige, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was destroyed in 1552. See also *List of c ...

) around 1100. Helfenstein castle was located at a key point along the

imperial road {{About, the imperial medieval roads, other uses, Reichsstraße (disambiguation){{!Reichsstraße In medieval times, imperial roads (german: Reichsstraße) were designated routes in the Holy Roman Empire that afforded protection to travellers in r ...

from Brabant to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. This allowed the Counts of Helfenstein to guard and tax travellers and merchants. The city of

grew up at the foot of the castle as a toll collection station and rest stop for travellers.Helfenstein history
Around 1200 Count Ludwig IV of Spitzenberg (near

Kuchen Kuchen (), the German word for cake, is used in other languages as the name for several different types of savory or sweet desserts, pastries, and gateaux. Most Kuchen have eggs, flour and sugar as common ingredients while also, but not always, ...

) and

Sigmaringen Sigmaringen ( Swabian: ''Semmerenga'') is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district. Sigmaringen is renowned for its castle, Schloss Sigmaringen ...

married the heir of Eberhard II (known as the Younger) of Helfenstein, his daughter. Through the marriage to the heir of Helfenstein family, the fortunes of both families were intertwined. The Counts of Spitzenberg were closely allied with the Holy Roman Emperor and had served the Empire in a variety of positions. Ludwig's brother, Gottfried, had marched with Frederick Barbarossa on the

Third Crusade The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...

and had died on the Crusade in 1190. The Spitzenberg male line died out completely a generation later in 1226. This meant that the Helfenstein lands and the Spitzenburg lands would be combined and Ludwig IV of Spitzenburg became Ludwing I of Helfenstein. He quickly expanded his county, adding numerous holdings in the upper and middle Fils River Valley, on the highlands of the Swabian Alb, in

Ulm Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...

, in Heidenheim an der Brenz as well as in the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...

River Valley near

and

Schloss Sigmaringen Sigmaringen Castle (German: ''Schloss Sigmaringen'') was the princely castle and seat of government for the Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Situated in the Swabian ''Alb'' region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, this castle dominates the s ...

. The next significant Helfenstein count was Ulrich V, who as a member of

Emperor Charles IV Charles IV ( cs, Karel IV.; german: Karl IV.; la, Carolus IV; 14 May 1316 – 29 November 1378''Karl IV''. In: (1960): ''Geschichte in Gestalten'' (''History in figures''), vol. 2: ''F–K''. 38, Frankfurt 1963, p. 294), also known as Charle ...

's household in 14th century

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

served the Emperor in many ways. The Emperor rewarded him with a marriage, which raised his social status, to Maria of Bosnia. This marriage led to many problems and caused the financial downfall of the Helfenstein family. The collapse of the

House of Hohenstaufen The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynast ...

(

Kings of Germany This is a list of monarchs who ruled over East Francia, and the Kingdom of Germany (''Regnum Teutonicum''), from Treaty of Verdun, the division of the Francia, Frankish Empire in 843 and the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 until German ...

from 1138 to 1254) threw southern Germany into chaos. For nearly two centuries, each noble fought against the others. The Helfenstein family joined the conflicts. In 1356 Ulrich V (known as Ulrich the Elder) and his cousin Ulrich VI (known as Ulrich the Younger), split the House of Helfenstein into two lines; the Wiesensteiger and Blaubeurer branches. The Wiesensteiger branch inherited the county of Geislingen with Burg Helfenstein, but pledged the entire holding to the

Free Imperial City In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...

in 1382 for a loan. In 1396 the city called for repayment, but the House of Helfenstein owed at least 123,439 Gulden to the city. To repay the loan, most of the County of Geislingen including the ancestral castle and 27 villages or hamlets were given to Ulm. The Blaubeuren branch lost most of their property to the

House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is a German dynasty and former royal family from Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors of modern Württemberg, which was then calle ...

in 1448 when Württemberg acquired Heidenheim. In 1450 Württemberg acquired the Wiesensteig holdings from Ulm, but lost those holdings seven years later in 1457. The Wiesensteig lands would later pass to

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

from 1642 until 1752. Bavaria had already owned the Blaubeuren lands including Heidenheim from 1450 until 1504, but in 1504 Bavaria gave the Blaubeuren lands to Württemberg. Following the loss of their lands, the House of Helfenstein lost all political power. The last male member of the family died in 1627 in Wiesensteig, which signified the end of this family name. The Helfenstein family later moved to Salzburg to become part of the "Salzburgers" arriving at the Georgia Colony 1734 . One branch of the family 'Latinised' their name to Helveston. During the American Revolution Philip Helveston with family fought as notable rebel's and were routed and driven away in the battle of Ebenezer Georgia by British regulars. In 1782 they resettled in the Mississippi territory now known as Alabama. Another branch of the family, descended from Nichel Helfenstein who emigrated to Philadelphia in 1739, Anglicised their family name to Helvenston.

Members

Counts

* Eberhard I the Elder (fl.1100) * Eberhard II the Younger (fl.1200) * Ulrich II (d.17 V 1294), m. Agnes von Tübingen

Helfenstein-Wiesensteigen branch

* Ulrich V the Elder (d.7 IV 1372) m. Maria of Bosnia (1333–1403) * Ulrich VIII (d.1375) * Friedrich I d. 20 VIII 1438) m. Agnes von Weisberg * Friedrich II (1408–1483) m. Agnes von Eberstein (d.1456) and Irmgard von Helfenstein-Blaubeuren * Ludwig (21 XI 1447 – 27 XII 1493) m. Elisabeth von Limpurg-Speckfeld (1466–1538) * Friedrich III (III 1479–1502) m. Barbara von Rechberg (d.15 IV 1522) * Ludwig I Helfrich (1480-17 IV 1525) m. Margarethe von Eddelsheim (1480-VI 1537) * Ulrich XI (1490-26 V 1548), m. Katharina von Waldburg-Sonnenberg (21 X 1495-14 X 1563) * Ulrich XIII (8 II 1524 – 17 I 1570) m. Katharina von Monfort (d.26 XII 1594)

Helfenstein-Blaubeuren branch

* Ulrich VI the Younger (d.13 V 1361) m. Beatrix von Schlüsselberg (d. 24 I 1355) ** Ulrich VII (d. 1375) m. Anna of Oettingen (d.1360) ***Johann II (d. 27 II 1444) m. Irmgard von Kirchberg (d.3 III 1444) ****Ulrich X ****Anna (1430-6 XI 1472) m. Wilhelm II von Castell (1425-7 VIII 1479) ****Konrad II (d. 14 XII 1474) m. Anna von Seckendorf (d. 23 XI 1474) *****Georg I (d.1517) m. Cecilia of Truchtelfingen (1) and Elisabeth von Limpurg-Speckfeld (2) (1466–1538) ******Ursula (1496–1576) ******Magdalena (b.1497) ******Wilhelm (b.1498) ******Agatha (b.1502) ******Dorothea (b.1503) ******Wilhelm (b.1506) ******Anna *****Irmgard m. Friedrich II von Helfenstein-Wiesensteigen (1408–1483)(view above) *****Hans IV (d.1483) *****Ursula *****Bernhard (d.1501) *****Ernst (d.XI 1483) *****Wolfgang *****Cecilia *****Magdalena *****Friedrich *****Sibylla (d. 11 V 1487) *****Christoph *****Anna ***Anna ***Agnes m. Heinrich von Rechberg ** Wulfhild * Georg II von Helfenstein (7 XI 1518-17 XI 1573) m. Maria de Bowart (d.1565) and Apollonia von Zimmern-Mösskirch (1547 – 31 VII 1604) * Schweikhard von Helfenstein (26 VI 1539–1599) m. Maria von Hohenzollern (28 VIII 1544 – 13 XII 1611)

Other

* Adelheid von Helfenstein (fl.1356) * Irmel von Helfenstein (fl.1444) * Barbara von Helfenstein (1552–1605) * Magdalena von Helfenstein (1562–1622) * Katharina von Helfenstein (1563–1627)

References

* Altertumsverein Geislingen (Steige): ''Helfenstein. Geschichtliche Mitteilungen von Geislingen und Umgebung'', 12. Heft, Geislingen (Steige), 1949 * Heinz Bühler: ''Richinza von Spitzenberg und ihr Verwandtenkreis. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Grafen von Helfenstein'', in: ''Württembergisch Franken'', Heft 58, 1974 * Hugo Glökler: ''Rund um den Helfenstein. Eine Heimatkunde von Stadt und Bezirk Geislingen-Steige'', Geislingen (Steige), 1954 * Heinrich Friedrich Kerler: ''Geschichte der Grafen von Helfenstein – nach den Quellen dargestellt'', Ulm, 1840 * Karl Putz: ''Unsere Heimat rund um Geislingen-Steige'', Geislingen (Steige), 1935 * Wilhelm Karl Prinz zu Isenburg, Frank Baron Freytag von Loringhoven, Detlev Schwennicke (Hrsg.): ''

Europäische Stammtafeln ''Europäische Stammtafeln'' - German for ''European Family Trees'' - is a series of twenty-nine books which contain sets of genealogical tables of the most influential families of Medieval European history. It is a standard reference work for thos ...

. Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der europäischen Staaten – Schwaben'', Band 12, Marburg, 1992 * Philippa Gregory: ''The Virgin's Lover''.

External links

Grafen von Helfenstein

{{DEFAULTSORT:House Of Helfenstein Helfenstein, House of