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: ...
ess Mary of Nassau-Siegen
[In many sources she is called Mary of Nassau-Dillenburg. The County of Nassau-Siegen is erroneously called Nassau-Dillenburg in many sources. The county was not named after the small, unimportant city of Dillenburg, which did not even have a church until 1491, but after the, for that time, large city of Siegen, the economic centre of the county and the counts' main residence. See Lück (1981), ''passim''. It is also evident from the numbering of the reigning counts with the given name John. One John without regal number who ruled the County of Nassau-Dillenburg in the period 1303–1328, and eight counts by the name of John who ruled the County of Nassau-Siegen in the period 1362–1638.] (2 February 1418 – 11 October 1472), , official titles: ''Gräfin zu Nassau, Vianden und Diez, Frau zu Breda'', was a countess from the
House 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 ...
, a
cadet branch
A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...
of the
Ottonian Line of the
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is the name of a European aristocratic dynasty. The name originated with a lordship associated with Nassau Castle, which is located in what is now Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Nassau in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With t ...
, and through marriage Countess of
Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein
The House of Nassau is the name of a European aristocratic dynasty. The name originated with a lordship associated with Nassau Castle, which is located in what is now Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Nassau in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With t ...
.
Biography
Mary was born on 2 February 1418
[Schutte (1979), p. 41.][Dek (1970), p. 21.][Dek (1970), p. 69.][Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 93.] as the second daughter and fifth child of
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: ...
Engelbert I of Nassau-Siegen and his wife Lady
Joanne of Polanen.
Mary got engaged on 6 January 1428
[Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 41.] and married in
Breda
Breda ( , , , ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. ...
on 17 June 1437
to Count
John of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein[In several sources he is called John II. As he was the only reigning count of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein with the given name John, it is unclear why these sources add the regal number II.] (1419
– 9 May 1480
). Both Mary and John descended from Count
Henry II of Nassau, Mary through his son
Otto I and John through his son
Walram II. John had succeeded his father
Adolf II as Count of
Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein
The House of Nassau is the name of a European aristocratic dynasty. The name originated with a lordship associated with Nassau Castle, which is located in what is now Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Nassau in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With t ...
in 1426.
Mary came into conflict with her eldest brother Count
John IV of Nassau-Siegen. She filed a complaint against her brother with
Emperor
The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
Frederick III for forcibly removing her
inheritance
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...
and goods. On 14 October 1463, the Emperor appointed
Abbot
Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...
of
Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the city hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
Histor ...
as his
attorney and instructed him to summon both parties to a trial on his behalf, to interrogate them and to give
judgment
Judgement (or judgment) is the evaluation of given circumstances to make a decision. Judgement is also the ability to make considered decisions.
In an informal context, a judgement is opinion expressed as fact. In the context of a legal trial ...
. The abbot could – if necessary – examine witnesses and – if necessary – threaten these witnesses with punishment in order to force them to
testify
Testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter.
Etymology
The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness.
Law
In the law, testimony ...
, as well as to carry out the proceedings in all respects in the event that one of the parties did not appear. The abbot summoned John by letter of 17 August 1464 to appear before him 45 days later in
Salmünster. John received this summons on 2 September 1464 in
Vianden
Vianden ( or (locally) ) is a commune with town status in the Éislek region, north-eastern Luxembourg, with a population of 2,203 as of 2023. It is part of the canton of the same name. Vianden lies on the Our river, near the border between ...
from the hands of the ''servus et nuncius'' of the abbot.
The abbot's judgment is unknown, as is what happened next. However, on 7 July 1465, the Emperor informed Mary that John had appealed against the judgment by
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
John II of
Trier
Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...
unfavourable to him, and summoned her to appear before him on the 45th day after receipt of this summons or on the first day of the following court and informed her that, even if she did not appear, the trial would take place. What happened afterwards is also unclear. What is known is that the Emperor summoned John for the settlement of the inheritance dispute with his sister, because on 9 February 1467 Mary appointed attorneys for the trial. That is the last preserved record of the dispute.

Mary died on 11 October 1472
and was buried in the
Unionskirche in
Idstein
Idstein () is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt (region), Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt (Old Town) it is part of the ''Deutsch ...
. The
epitaph
An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...
once placed in the
choir
A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
for Mary and John, which probably disappeared when the church was rebuilt after 1660, showed the couple standing side by side. John wore the
body armour
Body armour, personal armour (also spelled ''armor''), armoured suit (''armored'') or coat of armour, among others, is armour for human body, a person's body: protective clothing or close-fitting hands-free shields designed to absorb or deflect ...
typical for the time and a
rosary
The Rosary (; , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), formally known as the Psalter of Jesus and Mary (Latin: Psalterium Jesu et Mariae), also known as the Dominican Rosary (as distinct from other forms of rosary such as the ...
instead of a
sword
A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...
, as well as a
lance
The English term lance is derived, via Middle English '' launce'' and Old French '' lance'', from the Latin '' lancea'', a generic term meaning a wikt:lancea#Noun">lancea'', a generic term meaning a spear">wikt:lancea#Noun">lancea'', a generi ...
. To his right, Mary was depicted in a long
robe
A robe is a loose-fitting outer garment. Unlike garments described as capes or cloaks, robes usually have sleeves. The English word ''robe'' derives from Middle English ''robe'' ("garment"), borrowed from Old French ''robe'' ("booty, spoil ...
,
cloak
A cloak is a type of loose garment worn over clothing, mostly but not always as outerwear for outdoor wear, which serves the same purpose as an overcoat and protects the wearer from the weather. It may form part of a uniform. People in many d ...
,
veil
A veil is an article of clothing or hanging cloth that is intended to cover some part of the human head, head or face, or an object of some significance. Veiling has a long history in European, Asian, and African societies. The practice has be ...
and holding a rosary. At the feet of both figures were their
coats of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...
, at the heads the
crests. At the edge of the epitaph was the
inscription
Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...
:
'+ Anno d(omi)ni m cccc Ixxii / die ii me(n)s(i)s octobris o(biit) G(e)n(er)osa d(omi)na maria ac nassawe comitissa i(n) nassawe / c(uius) a(n)i(m)a req(ui)escat i(n) pace. Anno d(omi)ni m cccc / Ixxx die me(n)s(i)s ix may o(biit) nobil(is) ac gen(er)os(us) d(omi)n(us) Joh(anne)s Comes i(n) nassau d(omi)n(u)s i(n) Itstein et i(n) Wisbaden / cui(us) a(n)i(m)a req(ui)escat i(n) pace.'
All that remains of the epitaph is a
drawing
Drawing is a Visual arts, visual art that uses an instrument to mark paper or another two-dimensional surface, or a digital representation of such. Traditionally, the instruments used to make a drawing include pencils, crayons, and ink pens, some ...
made by from his ''Epitaphienbuch'', published in 1632.
Issue
From the marriage of Mary and John the following children were born:
[Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), pp. 41–42.]
# Mary (1438 – 14 January 1480), married on 25 May 1455 to Count
Louis II of Isenburg-Büdingen (1422 –
Büdingen
Büdingen () is a town in the Wetteraukreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is mainly known for its well-preserved, heavily fortified medieval town wall and half-timbered houses.
Geography
Location
Büdingen is in the south of the Wetterau below the Vog ...
, 4 June 1511).
# (1439 – 27 February 1482), was
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western canon, th ...
in
Mainz
Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...
en
Liège
Liège ( ; ; ; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia, and the capital of the Liège Province, province of Liège, Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east o ...
.
# Margaret (), was
Abbess
An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa'') is the female superior of a community of nuns in an abbey.
Description
In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Lutheran and Anglican abbeys, the mod ...
of
Klarenthal Abbey
Klarenthal Abbey (''Kloster Klarenthal'' in German) is a former convent of the Order of Poor Ladies in the borough of Klarenthal in Wiesbaden, Germany. Klarenthal is the only abbey in present-day Wiesbaden.
History as an active monastery
Klarent ...
.
# Anne (1442 – 1 March 1480), married in Mainz on 1 January 1464 to Count
Otto II of Solms-Braunfels (22 November 1426 – 29 June 1504).
# Count
Adolf III (10 November 1443 –
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden (; ) is the capital of the German state of Hesse, and the second-largest Hessian city after Frankfurt am Main. With around 283,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 24th-largest city. Wiesbaden form ...
, 6 July 1511), succeed his father as Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden in 1480. He married on 20 June 1484 to Countess
Margaret of Hanau-Lichtenberg (15 May 1463 – 26 May 1504).
# Bertha (1446 – 12 April ....), was Abbess of Klarenthal Abbey.
# (1448 – Mainz, 7 April 1508), was canon in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
and Mainz.
# Count
Philip
Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...
(1450 – 16 June 1509), succeed his father as Count of Nassau-Idstein in 1480. He married in 1470 to
Countess palatine (10 July 1456 – 7 September 1527).
# Anne (), was a
nun
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...
in Klarenthal Abbey.
Ancestors
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Graf Johann II. von Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein und seine Ehefrau Maria von Nassau-Dillenburg 1472/1480, Idstein(in German). In
Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS)
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nassau-Siegen, Mary
1418 births
1472 deaths
Mary of Nassau-Siegen
Mary of Nassau-Siegen
15th-century German women
Daughters of counts
Mothers of German monarchs