Henry I of Hesse "the Child" (
German: ''Heinrich das Kind'') (24 June 1244 – 21 December 1308) was the first
Landgrave of
Hesse
Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...
. He was the son of
Henry II
Henry II may refer to:
Kings
* Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014
*Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154
*Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...
, Duke of
Brabant and
Sophie of Thuringia.
Life
In 1247, as
Heinrich Raspe,
Landgrave of Thuringia
Thuringia is a historical and political region of Central Germany.
Kings of Thuringia
*500?–507 Bisinus
*507–529 Baderich
*507–525 Berthachar
*507–532 Herminafried
:''Conquered by the Franks.''
Frankish dukes of Thur ...
, died without issue, conflict arose about the future of Thuringia and Hesse. The succession was disputed between Heinrich Raspe's nephew and his niece:
Sophie
Sophie is a feminine given name, another version of Sophia, from the Greek word for "wisdom".
People with the name Born in the Middle Ages
* Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson
* Soph ...
was the daughter of Heinrich Raspe's brother
Ludwig IV and claimed the territories on behalf of her son Henry, while
Henry the Illustrious
Henry III, called Henry the Illustrious (''Heinrich der Erlauchte'') (c. 1215 – 15 February 1288) from the House of Wettin was List of Margraves of Meissen, Margrave of Meissen and last March of Lusatia, Margrave of Lusatia (as Henry IV) from ...
, margrave of Meissen, was the son of Heinrich Raspe's sister
Jutta. Another competitor were the
Archbishops of Mainz, who could claim Hesse was a fiefdom of the archbishop and now, after the extinction of the
Ludowingians, demanded its return to them. Sophia, supported by the Hessian nobility, succeeded in retaining Hesse against her cousin, who in 1264 accepted the division of the Ludowingian inheritance: Henry of Meissen received Thuringia, while Sophia's son Heinrich would inherit
Hesse
Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...
. In the following year, the Archbishop Werner II von Eppenstein acceded to this outcome in the Treaty of Langsdorf, accepting Henry as his liege-man and Landgrave of Hesse.
At this time, the landgraviate of Hesse consisted of the region between
Wolfhagen,
Zierenberg,
Eschwege
Eschwege (), the district seat of the Werra-Meißner-Kreis, is a town in northeastern Hesse, Germany. In 1971, the town hosted the eleventh ''Hessentag'' state festival.
Geography
Location
The town lies on a broad plain tract of the river Wer ...
,
Alsfeld,
Grünberg,
Frankenberg and
Biedenkopf
Biedenkopf () is a spa town in western Hesse, Germany with a population of 13,491 (2020).
Geography
Location
The town of Biedenkopf lies in the west of Marburg-Biedenkopf district. Ringed by mountains reaching up to above sea level – the ...
. In the same year, Henry acquired a part of the county of Gleiberg with
Gießen
Giessen, spelled in German (), is a town in the German state () of Hesse, capital of both the district of Giessen and the administrative region of Giessen. The population is approximately 90,000, with roughly 37,000 university students.
Th ...
from the
Counts palatine of
Tübingen
Tübingen (; ) is a traditional college town, university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer (Neckar), Ammer rivers. about one in ...
. The landgraviate was centred on the towns of
Kassel
Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...
, where Henry took up his residence since 1277, and
Marburg
Marburg (; ) is a college town, university town in the States of Germany, German federal state () of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf Districts of Germany, district (). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has ...
, where his grandmother
Saint Elisabeth was buried and where Henry built the Castle Marburg.
Struggle for possession of Naumburg
Henry again got into conflict with his liege-lord, the Archbishop, about the possession of
Naumburg
Naumburg () is a town in (and the administrative capital of) the district Burgenlandkreis, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany. It has a population of around 33,000. The Naumburg Cathedral became a UNES ...
. On behalf of the Archbishop, Henry was outlawed in 1274 by King
Rudolf I of Habsburg, but after Henry had supported Rudolph in the war against
Otakar II of Bohemia and had helped to conquer
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
1276, Rudolph reinstated Henry. In 1290 Henry defeated the Archbishop in the battle of
Fritzlar
Fritzlar () is a small town (pop. 15,000) in the Schwalm-Eder-Kreis, Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, Germany, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history.
The town has a medieval center ringed by a wall with numerous watch towers. high ...
and could henceforth maintain his territory.
Though Henry never relinquished his own claim on
Brabant, he supported his nephew
John of Brabant against
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 ...
and
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
in the
Limburg succession war.
Elevation to prince of the realm
On 12 May 1292, Henry was made a ''Reichsfürst'' (prince of the realm) by King
Adolf of Nassau, freeing Hesse of the supremacy of the Archbishop of Mainz. Henry was bestowed with
Eschwege
Eschwege (), the district seat of the Werra-Meißner-Kreis, is a town in northeastern Hesse, Germany. In 1971, the town hosted the eleventh ''Hessentag'' state festival.
Geography
Location
The town lies on a broad plain tract of the river Wer ...
and the Boyneburg (with Sontra), strengthening his position in Hesse. By skillful diplomacy he gained the cities of Sooden-Allendorf,
Kaufungen,
Witzenhausen
Witzenhausen () is a small town in the Werra-Meißner-Kreis in northeastern Hesse, Germany.
It was granted town rights in 1225, and until 1974 was a district seat.
The University of Kassel maintains a satellite campus in Witzenhausen, which offer ...
,
Immenhausen
Immenhausen () is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 12 km north of Kassel on the German Timber-Frame Road. The town has 7,098 inhabitants as of July 2020, including the northern village of Mariendorf and east ...
,
Grebenstein
Grebenstein (; ) is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 16 km northwest of Kassel on the German Timber-Frame Road. In 1762 it was the scene of a skirmish between British and French troops during the Seven Year ...
,
Wanfried,
Staufenberg,
Trendelburg and
Reinhardswald.
In 1263 Henry had married Adelheid of Brunswick, daughter of Duke
Otto of Brunswick, who bore him four daughters and the sons Henry ("the Younger") and
Otto. After Adelheid's death in 1274, Henry had married Mechthild, daughter of
Dietrich VI, Count of Cleves
Dietrich () is an ancient German name meaning "ruler of the people", but also "keeper of the keys" or "lockpick" (either the tool or the profession).
Given name
* Dietrich, Count of Oldenburg (c. 1398–1440)
* Thierry of Alsace (; 1099–1168 ...
, who bore him another four daughters and the sons
John and Louis.
Uncertainty over succession
In 1292 internal conflict arose about the question of Henry's successor. Mechthild of Cleves demanded on her sons receiving a share of the heritage, while Henry and Otto, Henry's sons by his first wife, insisted on excluding their half-brothers from the inheritance. This led to civil war lasting throughout the rest of Henry's lifetime.
Henry died in
Marburg
Marburg (; ) is a college town, university town in the States of Germany, German federal state () of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf Districts of Germany, district (). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has ...
during the conflict, and was buried there in
St. Elisabeth's Church, which became the gravesite of the succeeding Landgraves for several more centuries. After his death, the inheritance was divided between
Otto, who received Upper Hesse (''Oberhessen'') around Marburg, and
John, who received
Lower Hesse (''Niederhessen''), centred on Kassel. John's younger brother Ludwig had entered the clergy and became
bishop of Münster in 1310.
Children
First marriage (1263) to Adelheid, daughter of
Otto I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1244–1274)
#Sophia (1264–after 12 August 1331), married 1276 to
Otto I, Count of Waldeck.
#
Henry the Younger (1265–23 August 1298), married in 1290 to
Agnes of Bavaria, Margravine of Brandenburg-Stendal.
#Matilda (1267–after 1332), married to:
##1283 Count
Gottfried of Ziegenhain;
##after 11 October 1309
Philipp III of Falkenstein-Münzenberg.
#Adelheid (1268–7 December 1315), married 1284 to Count
Bertold VII of Henneberg-Schleusingen.
#Elisabeth (1269/70–19 February 1293), married c. 1287 to Count
Johann of Sayn (bg).
#an unnamed son (c. 1270–c. 1274).
#
Otto (c. 1272–17 January 1328).
Second marriage (1276) to
Mechthild of Cleves,
#
John (died 1311,
Kassel
Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...
).
#Elisabeth (c. 1276–after 6 July 1306), married to
##1290 Duke
William of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel;
##1294
Gerhard of Eppstein.
#Agnes (c. 1277–1335), married to Burgrave
John I of Nuremberg.
#Louis (1282/83–18 August 1357), Bishop of
Münster
Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...
in 1310–57.
#Elisabeth (died after 30 October 1308), married in 1299 to Count
Albert II of Gorizia.
#Katharina (died 1322), married to Count
Otto IV of Orlamünde.
#Jutta (died 13 October 1317), married 1311 to Duke
Otto of Braunschweig-Göttingen.
Ancestry
References
Sources
*
*
External links
Wikisource: ''Allgemeine Deutsch Biographie'' "Heinrich I. (Landgraf von Hessen)" (in German)
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henry I, Landgrave of Hesse
1244 births
1308 deaths
House of Hesse
Landgraves of Hesse
Burials at St. Elizabeth's Church, Marburg