Adolf of Nassau (Orange)
Adolf von Nassau (born July 11, 1540 in Dillenburg ; † May 23, 1568 at the Battle of Heiligerlee ) Count von Nassau was the fourth son of Wilhelm von Nassau and Juliana zu Stolberg . Adolf was the second youngest brother of William of Orange .
After studying in Wittenberg , Adolf von Nassau fought in the Danish-Swedish three-crown war in 1564 . The critic of the witch hunt Johann Weyer (1515 / 16–1588) reports that there he decidedly turned against the witchcraft of his comrades. In 1566 he took part in the 2nd Austrian War against the Turks , who were able to penetrate deeper and deeper into Europe. In 1568 he fought at the side of his brother Wilhelm in Brabant when he took up the fight against Philip II .
Battle of Heiligerlee
As the commander of the cavalry, Adolf moved north with his other brother Ludwig and his troops, where they met Spanish troops under Johann von Ligne at Heiligerlee . On May 23, 1568 there was a skirmish between the opponents. After the state troops had trapped the Spaniards, Adolf's horse ran away with him and only came to a stop in the midst of the enemy troops. Johann von Ligne threw himself on Adolf and killed him and two horsemen who came to help. Shortly afterwards, the perpetrator was gunned down and died.
tomb
Adolf's body was first buried in a monastery church near Groningen . Concerned about the revenge of the Spaniards, a safer grave was searched for, according to a document in a "nearby town". According to the Dutch historian Lammert Doedens, the East Frisian cities of Emden , Leer or Aurich would come first in this regard . During his research Doedens came across the baptismal register of Mauritz von Oranien, Adolf's nephew. Its godfather was Count Anton I of Oldenburg , which suggests a close relationship with the Protestant Oldenburg count house. In addition, Ludwig von Nassau stayed in Oldenburg shortly after his brother was buried. Ludwig was not officially housed in the castle , but in a town house. Doedens suspects that secret negotiations for the transfer of the body to the safe Oldenburg were conducted.
In the boiler room of the Lambertikirche , bones of unclear origin have been lying in a collecting coffin since 1937. Doedens suspects that these include the remains of Adolf. DNA examinations by anthropologists from the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen should bring scientifically sound results in this regard in 2016.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Johann Weyer: De praestigiis daemonum et incantationibus ac veneficiis , Basel: Johann Oporinus successor 2nd ed. 1577, p. 719; Christoph Meiners : Historical comparison of the customs and constitutions, the laws and trades of trade and religion, the sciences and educational institutions of the Middle Ages with those of our century , Vol. III, Hannover: Helwing 1794, p. 368f.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Nassau, Adolf von |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Count of Nassau |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 11, 1540 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dillenburg |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 23, 1568 |
| Place of death | Heiligerlee |