Enno II of East Frisia (1505 – 24 September 1540 in
Emden
Emden () is an Independent city (Germany), independent town and seaport in Lower Saxony in the north-west of Germany and lies on the River Ems (river), Ems, close to the Germany–Netherlands border, Netherlands border. It is the main town in t ...
) was the son of
Edzard I of East Frisia. In 1528 he became
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
East Frisia
East Frisia () or East Friesland (; ; ; ) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisia (peninsula), East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia and to the ...
. For most of his life he ruled together with
Johan I of East Frisia, who remained
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, while Enno was
Lutheran
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
.
Enno II lost
Jever
Jever () is the capital of the district of Friesland (district), Friesland in Lower Saxony, Germany. The name Jever is usually associated with a major brand of beer, Jever Pilsener, which is produced there. The city is also a popular holiday res ...
because he failed to fulfill the marriage obligations his father had arranged for him to
Maria of Jever. Enno and his brother Johan were supposed to marry the heirs of Jever, but Enno broke off the arrangement, which greatly offended Maria of Jever, who as a result became a lifelong enemy of Enno. She made sure that Jever was given to the
County of Oldenburg
The County of Oldenburg () was a county of the Holy Roman Empire.
In 1448 Christian I of Denmark (of the House of Oldenburg), Count of Oldenburg became King of Denmark, and later King of Norway and King of Sweden. One of his grandsons, Adolf, ...
after her death.
Enno also voluntarily relinquished
Butjadingen
Butjadingen () is a peninsula and municipality in the Wesermarsch district, in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Geography
Butjadingen is situated on the German North Sea coast. It is bordered on the west and southwest by the Jade River and the east by the ...
at his marriage to
Anna of Oldenburg (1501–1575). Only the
Lordships of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund
The Lordships of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund (German language, German: ''Herrlichkeiten Esens, Wittmund und Stedesdorf'') formed a contiguous area in the old district of Harlingerland in the north of the East Frisia (peninsula), East Frisian ...
remained, ruled by the aggressive
chieftain
A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom.
Tribal societies
There is no definition for "tribe".
The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of weste ...
,
Balthasar Oomkens von Esens
Balthasar Oomkens von Esens (c. 1500 – 1540) was an East Frisian nobleman who died during the siege of his castle in Esens by the Bremen army. He was described by his partisans as the last true Frisian freedom fighter, although some decried hi ...
. Enno drove out Balthasar in 1530, but he returned and devastated East Frisia with help from the duke of
Guelders
The Duchy of Guelders (; ; ) is a historical duchy, previously county, of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries.
Geography
The duchy was named after the town of Geldern (''Gelder'') in present-day Germany. Though the present pr ...
. Enno was forced to recognise Balthasar as Lord of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund. Enno did not come out well from his feud with Guelders.
Enno played an important role in the attacks on the numerous East Frisian
abbeys
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The conc ...
and monasteries. He confiscated their possessions to finance his wars. Enno died at the age of 35, and his wife
Anna of Oldenburg became
regent
In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
for their sons.
Children
* Elisabeth, 1531–1555, married in 1553 count Johann V of Schaumburg-Pinneberg (1531–1560)
*
Edzard II, 1532–1599
* Hedwig, 1535–1616, married in 1562 to duke
Otto II of Brunswick-Harburg (1528–1603)
* Anna, 1534–1552
* Christoffel, 1536–1566
*
Johan II, 1538–1591.
Ancestors
See also
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Enno 02 of East Frisia
1505 births
1540 deaths
Counts of East Frisia