Wolrad IV, Count of Waldeck
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Count Wolrad IV ‘the Pious’ of Waldeck-Eisenberg (7 July 1588 – 6 October 1640), german: Wolrad IV. ‘der Fromme’ Graf von Waldeck-Eisenberg, official titles: ''Graf zu Waldeck und Pyrmont'', was since 1588 Count of
Waldeck-Eisenberg The principality, or county of Waldeck-Eisenberg was a principality in the Holy Roman Empire that belonged to the Upper Rhenish Circle. Waldeck-Eisenberg (1507-1598) The principality of Waldeck-Eisenberg was created In 1507 when the principalit ...
. He founded of the new line of Waldeck-Eisenberg. Never before was the independence of the
County of Waldeck The County of Waldeck (later the Principality of Waldeck and Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire and its successors from the late 12th century until 1929. In 1349 the county gained Imperial immediacy and in 1 ...
more threatened by Hesse than during the reign of Count Wolrad IV. Together with his elder brother
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, however, he later successfully continued the sovereignty-oriented territorial policy of their father Josias I. They made use of the legal possibilities and chose during the for Waldeck disastrous
Thirty Years’ War The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Fought primarily in Central Europe, an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of battle ...
the for them favourable side of
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
. However, neither count lived to see the end of the war and with it the conflict with Hesse.Haarmann (2014), p. 24.


Biography

Wolrad was born at
Eisenberg Castle Eisenberg Castle may refer to: * Eisenberg Castle, Bavaria, a ruined castle in Bavaria * Eisenberg Castle, Korbach Eisenberg Castle (German: ''Burg Eisenberg'') is a ruin near the German town of Korbach in Hesse. The castle was founded in the 14 ...
on 7 July 1588Hoffmeister (1883), p. 51. as the second son of Count Josias I of Waldeck-Eisenberg and Countess
Mary of Barby and Mühlingen Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
. He was baptised at Eisenberg Castle on 4 August. Two days later, on 6 August, his father died suddenly and unexpectedly there, where the guests for the baptism of Wolrad were still staying. Because Wolrad and his elder brother Christian were still minors, they were under the guardianship and regency of their mother and Count . The reforms started by their father were not continued, to the advantage of the estates of the realm, which had come under pressure. The other cadet branches of the House of Waldeck became extinct shortly after each other. Count died young on 16 September 1598 of dysentery. With Count Francis III of Waldeck-Landau, who had opposed Hesse like no other before him, the cadet branch also became extinct on 12 March 1597. As he had no descendants, Francis III bequeathed his share of the county by will and testament to the children of Count Josias I. At a young age Wolrad and Christian witnessed how the hitherto dormant conflict over the sovereignty over the County of Waldeck developed from 1604 – the year in which Christian took over the government – into an open and later belligerent dispute which was dramatic for Waldeck. After the death of Landgrave Louis IV of Hesse-Marburg, his cousin
Maurice of Hesse-Kassel Maurice of Hesse-Kassel (german: Moritz; 25 May 1572 – 15 March 1632), also called Maurice the Learned or Moritz, was the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) in the Holy Roman Empire from 1592 to 1627. Life Maurice was born in Kassel ...
inherited part of the land. Although a change of religion was excluded by the will and testament and the Peace of Augsburg did not allow it, territorial lord Maurice, who converted to Calvinism in 1605, introduced the
Reformed confession Calvinist confessions of faith are the creed, confessions of faith of various Calvinist churches. These documents express consensus on doctrine for the church adopting the confession. A few confessions are shared as subordinate standards (i.e. au ...
and exerted both political and religious pressure on Waldeck. Wolrad and Christian responded by making Lutheranism the religion for the entire county. Wolrad came of age in 1607. In that same year the County of Waldeck was divided up again. For although Wolrad and Christian clearly acted jointly in government, they are said to have quarrelled regularly. Wolrad got the northern part, with the cities of Arolsen and and Christian obtained
Wildungen Bad Wildungen is a state-run spa and a small town in Waldeck-Frankenberg district in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the German Timber-Frame Road. Geography Location Bad Wildungen lies in the eastern foothills of the Kellerwald range in the so ...
, Waldeck, and . They jointly owned the city of Korbach.Haarmann (2014), p. 25. From the beginning of their reigns in 1607 and 1604 respectively, Wolrad and Christian followed their father’s policy entirely. After the long years of regency and thus the lack of an active policy adapted to the needs of the time, this would turn out to be very unpleasant for the young counts. Due to the long period of political stagnation, the now revived attempts to reorganise the country internally and at the same time the limitation of the feudal rights externally acted as a sharp caesura for the County of Waldeck.Menk (1992), p. 13. Both counts had their
imperial immediacy Imperial immediacy (german: Reichsfreiheit or ') was a privileged constitutional and political status rooted in German feudal law under which the Imperial estates of the Holy Roman Empire such as Imperial cities, prince-bishoprics and secular prin ...
confirmed shortly after
Matthias Matthias is a name derived from the Greek Ματθαίος, in origin similar to Matthew. People Notable people named Matthias include the following: In religion: * Saint Matthias, chosen as an apostle in Acts 1:21–26 to replace Judas Iscariot * ...
coronation as Emperor on 20 January 1612, at which Christian was present. But this did not secure the county’s sovereignty. The long absence of a strong territorial policy in the whole country led after 1607, when Christian and Wolrad tried to bring the County of Waldeck back in line with ‘modern’ developments, to such a large number of serious conflicts, that from 1614 onwards one can clearly speak of a deep governmental crisis. The number of sessions of the since then alone is proof of the tensions that existed in the county. But even more worrying was the external pressure that had been exerted on the county and its rulers by the completely unpredictable Landgrave Maurice, since the attack on the border town in 1615. From the increasing dangers from outside Wolrad and Christian drew the consequence that in the same year they sought to join the '' Wetterauer Grafenverein'', in which smaller states united against Hesse and to which the Counts of Waldeck had already sought support during the time of Count Phillip II of Waldeck-Eisenberg. Furthermore, they did everything possible to introduce the defence measures, that had been implemented in the neighbouring counties, in Waldeck too. In view of Waldeck’s feudal links with Hesse, Landgrave Maurice considered joining to be impossible. But Christian, through his marriage to Elisabeth, daughter of Count John VII ‘the Middle’ of Nassau-Siegen, had the counts of the ''Wetterauer Grafenverein'' on his side, even though Maurice was a son-in-law of John VII ‘the Middle’ too. But it was not until the attempts of Wolrad and Christian to gain dominion over the city of Korbach that provoked Landgrave Maurice to such an extent that he invaded and occupied the country. Apart from the
landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel (german: Landgrafschaft Hessen-Kassel), spelled Hesse-Cassel during its entire existence, was a state in the Holy Roman Empire that was directly subject to the Emperor. The state was created in 1567 when the Lan ...
, Christian and Wolrad also had disputes with the city of Korbach, the main domestic opposition.Menk (1992), p. 14. From 1610 onwards Wolrad and Christian had continued their father’s efforts to control the largest and most influential city in the county. The controversial question of the highest jurisdiction in Waldeck, which the counts had answered in their favour, led initially to the '' Reichskammergericht''. The judicial mills grinded slowly. A deduction drafted and published in 1619 by
chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
Zacharias Viëtor, which once again emphasised Waldeck’s imperial immediacy, shows how dangerous the situation was for the independence of the County of Waldeck. In the summer of 1620Menk (1992), p. 14 dates the start of the occupation in November 1621. the situation had become so intense that Landgrave Maurice occupied the county – with the exception of and Arolsen. The county was to be
annexed Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
by Hesse. Waldeck was in danger of losing its independence more than ever before. The two Counts of Waldeck did not give up. The ''Wetterauer Grafenverein'' had sent soldiers to Waldeck, who were trapped in the castle together with Count John VII ‘the Middle’. While Wolrad won Prince Maurice of Orange, one of the most successful military commanders of the time, as an ally and thus dragged the Dutch Republic into the conflict, Christian tried to win over Emperor Ferdinand II, whose life Christian had saved during a hunt. The policy of Landgrave Maurice did not go unnoticed in the Holy Roman Empire, despite the fact that the Bohemian-Palatinate War was of greater importance. Under pressure from the Emperor and others and threats of disadvantages, the landgrave ended the occupation of Waldeck in the summer of 1621.Menk (1992), p. 14 dates the end of the occupation in 1622. After the acute threat to the county had been averted, Wolrad and Christian did not give up and tried, through the ''Reichskammergericht'' and the ''
Reichshofrat The Aulic Council ( la, Consilium Aulicum, german: Reichshofrat, literally meaning Court Council of the Empire) was one of the two supreme courts of the Holy Roman Empire, the other being the Imperial Chamber Court. It had not only concurrent juris ...
'', to get legally closer to their goal. Moreover, they demanded compensation for the damage that the soldiers of the Hessian landgrave had caused in Waldeck during the occupation.Menk (1992), p. 15. After lengthy negotiations, Emperor Ferdinand II obliged Landgrave Maurice in 1630 to pay. The negotiations ended in a settlement in
Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...
in 1632. The subjugation of Korbach in February 1624, where a commissioner of the counts was appointed by treaty, thus eliminating the economic power that was still the strongest competitor in the county, contributed to a certain relaxation of the situation in the county. Even territorial gains were made in what were difficult times. The
County of Pyrmont The County of Waldeck (later the Principality of Waldeck and Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire and its successors from the late 12th century until 1929. In 1349 the county gained Imperial immediacy and in 1 ...
became part of Waldeck. After the death of Count Philip Ernest of Gleichen on 18 November 1619, his younger brother Hans Louis ruled in Pyrmont. When it became clear that he would have no descendants, he signed a succession treaty with his relatives Wolrad and Christian from Waldeck and ceded the County of Pyrmont to them in 1625. Hans Louis died on 15 January 1631. Wolrad and Christian took the title of Count of Pyrmont in early 1630.Haarmann (2014), p. 26. In contrast to the favourable developments for the counts, there were the devastating consequences of the Thirty Years’ War. The acquisition of the County of Pyrmont, which lies almost 90 kilometres north of the County of Waldeck, proved to be difficult, because, as in previous years, the Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn laid claim to it. Prince-bishop Ferdinand I had the county occupied in 1629 and besieged
Pyrmont Castle Pyrmont Castle (german: Burg Pyrmont) stands west of Münstermaifeld near Roes and Pillig on a slate rock outcrop above a waterfall on the Elzbach in the southern Eifel mountains in Germany. It is in the municipality of Roes in the district of ...
, forcing its surrender after ten months. However, in 1631 Christian met King Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden, changed sides during the war and secured the county’s support from the great power. After Sweden’s victory over the
imperial forces Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, ...
in June 1633 at the Battle of Oldendorf, Pyrmont was also taken a short time later and returned to Sweden’s ally Waldeck. However, Waldeck’s ties to Sweden could not prevent hardship and misery. Troops passing through almost bled the County of Waldeck dry. Moreover, in the middle of the 1630s the
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...
broke out. Imperial troops retook possession of Pyrmont Castle on 26 September 1636. Wolrad and Christian did not live to see the recapture. Wolrad died in Arolsen on 6 October 1640, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son Philip Theodor.


Marriage and issue

Wolrad married in Durlach on 8 September 1607 to
Margravine Margrave was originally the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or of a kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain feudal families in the Em ...
Anne of
Baden-Hachberg The Margraviate of Baden-Hachberg was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire, in the upper Rhine valley, which existed from 1212 to 1415. History The Margraviate came into being around 1212 by splitting off from the Margraviate of Baden. Henry ...
( Hochberg, 13 November 1587 – 11 March 1649), daughter of Margrave James III of Baden-Hochberg and Countess Elisabeth of Pallandt-Culemborg (1567–1620).
From the marriage of Wolrad and Anne the following children were born:Hoffmeister (1883), p. 52. # Mary Elisabeth (Eisenberg Castle, 2 September 1608 – Basel, 19 February 1643), was since 2 October 1620 ''Stiftsfrau'' in
Gandersheim Abbey Gandersheim Abbey (german: Stift Gandersheim) is a former house of secular canonesses ( Frauenstift) in the present town of Bad Gandersheim in Lower Saxony, Germany. It was founded in 852 by Duke Liudolf of Saxony, progenitor of the Liudolfing or ...
, became deaconess on 30 March 1626. Was since 1623 also Abbess of . Married at Karlsburg Castle on 12 January 1634 to Margrave Frederick V of Baden-Durlach ( Sulzburg, 6 July 1594 – Karlsburg Castle, 8 September 1659). # Josias Floris (Arolsen, 23 juli 1612 – , 1 February 1613). # Count Philip Theodor (2 November 1614 – Korbach, 7 December 1645), succeeded his father in 1640. Married in Culemborg on 25 August 1639 to Countess Maria Magdalene 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 ...
(, 21 October 1622 –
Spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (and sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa towns or spa resorts (including hot springs resorts) typically offer various health treatments, which are also known as balneoth ...
, 20/30 August 1647). # John Louis (Arolsen, 20 November 1616 – near
Wouw Wouw is a village in the southern Netherlands. It is located in North Brabant, between the cities Roosendaal and Bergen op Zoom, close to the border with Belgium. Until 1997 Wouw was the seat of the municipality of Wouw. The municipality consiste ...
, 17 July 1638), served in the Dutch States Army. #
Fürst ' (, female form ', plural '; from Old High German ', "the first", a translation of the Latin ') is a German word for a ruler and is also a princely title. ' were, since the Middle Ages, members of the highest nobility who ruled over states of ...
George Frederick (Arolsen, 31 January 1620 Jul. – Arolsen, 9 November 1692Jul.), succeeded his nephew Henry Wolrad in 1664, was elevated to ''
Reichsfürst Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( la, princeps imperii, german: Reichsfürst, cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors o ...
'' in 1682. Married in Culemborg on 29 November/9 December 1643 to Countess Elisabeth Charlotte of Nassau-Siegen (
Emmerich Emmerich may refer to: Places * Emmerich am Rhein, city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany ** Emmerich Rhine Bridge ** Emmerich station * Emmerich, Wisconsin, unincorporated community in the town of Berlin, Wisconsin, United States Other uses * ...
, 11 March 1626 – Culemborg, 16 November 1694Jul.). # James (Arolsen, 2 May 1621 – near , 3 June 1645), served in the Dutch States Army. # Christian (Arolsen, 17 March 1623 – Arolsen, 21 October 1623). # Anne Juliane (Arolsen, 15 January 1624 – Arolsen, 20 August 1624). # Wolrad V (Arolsen, 25 November 1625 – Bartenstein, 29 January 1657), was major general in the army of Brandenburg. # Charlotte (Arolsen, 4 February 1629 – Arolsen, 3 July 1629).


Ancestors


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * (1914). "Waldeck, George Friedrich". In: & (redactie), ''Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek'' (in Dutch). Vol. Derde deel. Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff. p. 1377–1378. *


External links


Descendants of Wolrad I Gf von Waldeck in Waldeck
In

by Miroslav Marek.

In

by Paul Theroff. {{DEFAULTSORT:Waldeck-Eisenberg, Wolrad 04 1588 births 1640 deaths Wolrad 04, Count of Waldeck-Eisenberg German people of the Thirty Years' War 16th-century German people 17th-century German people