Frederick VII, Count Of Toggenburg

Friedrich VII, count of Toggenburg (ca. 1370 – 30 April 1436), was the last of the

Counts of Toggenburg The counts of Toggenburg (''Grafen von Toggenburg'') ruled the Toggenburg region of today's canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and adjacent areas during the 13th to 15th centuries. A baronial family of Toggenburg is mentioned in the 11th and 1 ...

who ruled in what would become

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. His death without heirs or a will led to the

Old Zürich War The Old Zurich War (; 1440–1446) was a conflict between the canton of Zurich and the other seven cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy over the succession to the Count of Toggenburg. In 1436, Count Friedrich VII of Toggenburg died, leaving nei ...

Born at Solavers Castle near

Grüsch Grüsch is a Swiss village in the Prättigau and a municipality in the political district Prättigau/Davos Region in the canton of Graubünden. On 1 January 2011, the former municipalities of Fanas and Valzeina were merged with Grüsch.

in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

canton of Graubünden, he was the son of Diethelm and Katharina von Werdenberg-Heiligenberg. After 1387 he was at the head of the line of succession for the family. In 1391 he married

Elisabeth von Matsch Elisabeth von Matsch (also ''von Mätsch'', ''Mazzo'', ''von Toggenburg'', date of birth unknown; † after 20 June 1442, assumably on 24 November 1446, probably in the Rüti Abbey) was the last countess of the Swiss noble House of Toggenburg from ...

. He was only loosely involved in the daily operations of his lands, but was very involved in military affairs. He was a member of a small group of very successful military leaders in the region. Until 1406 he was a ''

condottiero Condottieri (; singular: ''condottiero'' or ''condottiere'') were Italian military leaders active during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. The term originally referred specifically to commanders of mercenary companies, derived from the ...

'' for the

Austrians Austrians (, ) are the citizens and Nationality, nationals of Austria. The English term ''Austrians'' was applied to the population of Archduchy of Austria, Habsburg Austria from the 17th or 18th century. Subsequently, during the 19th century, ...

for which he received rights to the cities of

Sargans Sargans is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of Sarganserland (Wahlkreis), Sarganserland in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of St. Gallen (canton), St. Gallen in Switzerland. Sargans is known for ...

, Windegg,

Freudenberg Freudenberg can refer to: Companies * Freudenberg Group, a German family-owned diversified group of companies Places France * Freudenberg, Moselle, a village in the French département of Moselle (department), Moselle Germany * Schloss Freuden ...

and Nidberg. He then made peace with his enemies which protected his old and new estates. On 21 January 1407 ''Fridrich von Toggenburg, Herr zu Brettengow und Tafas'' donated to ''his own and the salvation of his ancestors who were buried'' (at the

Rüti church Rüti, which comes from the Old High German word , meaning " clearing", is a popular name for towns in the German speaking part of Switzerland. It can refer to the following: *Rüti, Glarus in Glarus *Rüti, Zürich in Zürich *:Rüti Reformed Chu ...

) ''and where he also expects to be buried'', the church rights of ''Wangen in der March'' to the

Rüti Monastery Rüti Monastery () was a former Premonstratensian monastery, founded in 1206 and suppressed in 1525 on occasion of the Reformation in Zürich, situated in the Municipalities of the canton of Zürich, municipality of Rüti ZH, Rüti in the canton ...

, sealed by Fridrich and the knights ''Herman von Landenberg'', ''Johans von Bonstetten'' from ''

Ustra Ustra () is a medieval fortress in the eastern Rhodope Mountains in southern Bulgaria. It is among the highest and best preserved fortifications in the mountain range. The fortress was controlled by the Byzantine and the Bulgarian Empires until ...

'' and ''Herman von der Hochenlandenberg''. In 1417 he acquired the rights over the city of Feldkirch and in 1424 added

Rheineck Rheineck is a municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of Rheintal in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland. History Rheineck is first mentioned about 1163 as ''castellum Rinegge''. In 1218 it was mentioned as ''Rinegg''. An older ...

and

Altstätten Altstätten is a small List of towns in Switzerland, historic rural town and a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district Rheintal (Wahlkreis), Rhine Valley, in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of St. Gallen (canton), St. Gall i ...

. Following his successful invasion of

Appenzell Appenzell () was a cantons of Switzerland, canton in the northeast of Switzerland, and entirely surrounded by the canton of St. Gallen, in existence from 1403 to 1597. Appenzell became independent of the Abbey of Saint Gall in 1403 and entered ...

, in 1428 at the end of the

Appenzell Wars The Appenzell Wars () were a series of conflicts that lasted from 1401 until 1429 in the Appenzell region of modern-day Switzerland. The wars consisted of uprisings of cooperative groups, such as the farmers of Appenzell or the craftsmen of the c ...

, he had acquired almost all the Austrian possessions from

Montafon Montafon ( in local dialect: "''Muntafu''") is a long valley in the westernmost Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg. It is traversed by the river Ill (Vorarlberg) and extends from the city of Bludenz and the Verwall Alps in the north, to th ...

as well as the county of Werdenburg from

to the upper regions of

Lake Zurich Lake Zurich (, ; ) is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or can be used to describe the lake as a whole, or just that part of the lake downstream of the Hurden peninsula and ...

. While he did have at least one illegitimate son, Johannes, he died without heirs or a will on 30 April 1436 and was buried in the

respectively

Rüti Church Rüti, which comes from the Old High German word , meaning " clearing", is a popular name for towns in the German speaking part of Switzerland. It can refer to the following: *Rüti, Glarus in Glarus *Rüti, Zürich in Zürich *:Rüti Reformed Chu ...

. The lords of Raron, Montfort-Tettnang, Sax-Misox, Brandis and Aarburg all had claims on the Toggenburg lands. When the

canton of Zürich The canton of Zurich is an administrative unit (Swiss canton, canton) of Switzerland, situated in the northeastern part of the country. With a population of (as of ), it is the most populous canton of Switzerland. Zurich is the ''de facto'' Capi ...

claimed the Toggenburg lands followed by the cantons of

Schwyz Schwyz (; ; ) is a town and the capital of the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland. The Federal Charter of 1291 or ''Bundesbrief'', the charter that eventually led to the foundation of Switzerland, can be seen at the ''Bundesbriefmuseum''. The of ...

and

Glarus Glarus (; ; ; ; ) is the capital of the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Since 1 January 2011, the municipality of Glarus incorporates the former municipalities of Ennenda, Netstal and Riedern.1370s births 1436 deaths Rüti, Zürich 14th-century Swiss nobility 15th-century Swiss nobility Counts of Toggenburg House of Toggenburg {{Switzerland-bio-stub