Friedrich III. (Wied)

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Friedrich III. to Wied

Friedrich III. von Wied (born November 16, 1618 in Neuenhof; † May 3, 1698 in Neuwied ) was the ruling count of the County of Wied and founder of the city of Neuwied. As one of the first rulers in the empire, he relied on religious tolerance as a means of population policy.

Origin and territory

Friedrich III. came from the family of the Counts of Wied, proven since the 12th century, who had belonged to the Reformed Church since 1564 . As Imperial Counts , they had a seat in the Lower Rhine-Westphalian Imperial Counts College and belonged to the Wetterau Counts Association . The family inheritance contract from the years 1595 and 1613 provided for a "parent association" that divided the Wiedische dominion into an upper and a lower county. The residences of the Upper County were Dierdorf and Runkel , those of the Lower County initially the castles Wied and Braunsberg and from the middle of the 17th century the newly founded Neuwied.

Life

Friedrich was the eldest son of Hermann II von Wied (1581-1631), who ruled the Upper County of Wied from 1613 to 1631. His mother was Juliana Dorothea Elisabeth zu Solms-Hohensolms (1592–1649). His birth took place during his parents' return journey from Westphalia to Dierdorf. This later led to uncertainties about the place of birth of the future count. For the contemporary statement “On the mountain at Syeburgh on the new farm”, “Neuenhof” near the Westerwalddorf Kircheib is assumed in recent literature . The older literature, on the other hand, is based on “Seeburg” near Dreifelden .

Entry into government and change of dominion

Friedrich first grew up at the Reformed Dillenburg court . However, on October 13, 1631, his father died when Friedrich was not yet 13 years old. First, his mother took over the guardianship government. In 1634 Friedrich III. even the Upper County government.

The Lower County had been ruled by Friedrich's uncle Johann Wilhelm since 1613. Because of the turmoil of the Thirty Years' War , he fled to Mainz, where he died in 1633. When his son, Philipp Ludwig II. Passed away in 1638 without a male heir, the Niedergrafschaft went to Friedrich III according to the regulations of the Wiedische Stammverein. over. In turn, he ceded the Upper County to his younger brother Moritz Christian (1620–1653).

Wedding and dispute over the Braunsberg house

On March 20, 1639 Friedrich married Maria Juliana von Leiningen-Westerburg (1616–1657), widow of Count Philipp Ludwig zu Leiningen-Westerburg, who was two years his senior . Her dowry was just as tabled by Friedrich abutment 10,000 florins . According to the marriage contract, a pension of 1,000 guilders and a pension in kind were agreed for the Wittum and the Braunsberg Castle was designated as the Wittum seat.

Friedrich lived with his young family in "Haus Braunsberg" next to the castle of the same name . This was also known as the “castle” according to old custom, but at that time it was no longer habitable. The widow Count Johann Wilhelms, Friedrich's aunt Magdalena (1577-1657) and their daughter Johanna Walpurgis, a sister of the two previous counts of the Lower Counties ( Johann Wilhelm and Philipp Ludwig ), raised ownership claims to the ancestral seat of the Counts of Wied, Burg Wied . The dispute lasted until the death of Johanna Walpurgis in 1672.

Founding of Neuwied and religious tolerance

In the 1640s, still during the Thirty Years' War , Friedrich had the idea of ​​building a new residence on the Rhine. There were several reasons for this: The headquarters, the castle Wied - now Altwied -, which had existed for around 500 years, was still withheld from him by his aunt Magdalena, and the Rhine as an important waterway promised an economic improvement in his own situation and that of himself as a result of the war heavily indebted county. The securing of the narrow Rhine access from Wied, to which the Electorate of Trier regions ( Engers , since 1371; Irlich , since 1652; Leutesdorf , since 1263) bordered, probably played a role in Friedrich's considerations. On the right bank of the Rhine, only the two villages Fahr and Langendorf belonged to the county.

Friedrich therefore ordered the construction of the Friedrichstein Castle near Fahr, named after him, in 1645 and a fortified house near the mouth of the Wied at the site of the hamlet of Langendorf, which had been deserted during the war. This house "Newen Wiedt", which was later replaced by today's castle, was the core of the new residential town. Friedrich applied to Emperor Ferdinand III. , to transfer the town charter granted by Emperor Karl IV. in 1357 for the place Nordhofen , but never used, to "Neuenwied". This transfer of city rights took place on August 26, 1653. This day is therefore considered the date of foundation of Neuwied.

Initially, mainly officials and servants of the count family lived in Neuwied. In order to accelerate the growth of the young town, Friedrich issued a town charter privilege in 1662, which provided for a highly modern peuplication program for its time. As a main point, it guaranteed the citizens free exercise of religion in their homes, as well as freedom from bondage and serfdom . Newcomers also received a free building site and did not have to pay any taxes for the first ten years. The citizens were given the right to elect a magistrate as soon as a sufficiently high population was reached. This was the case in 1679, so that the Count's mayor was replaced by an elected mayor on January 1, 1680. The Huguenot Jean de Sevres was one of the first city leaders in Neuwied . When Friedrich died in 1698, Neuwied had grown to around 180 houses.

The privilege was posted on September 4, 1663 from the Imperial Imperial Courts confirmed. However, its regulations only applied to the urban population. The remaining wiedische subjects were still serfs who were compulsory for ten years and were compulsorily members of the Reformed Church .

Braunsberg feud

At the same time as the city was founded, Friedrich also had to pay off war debts. Excessive special taxes and labor services were imposed on his subjects living in the countryside, and entire villages refused to do so. In 1660 the peasants turned to the Wiedischen feudal lord , the Elector Palatine Karl Ludwig . He sent 450 soldiers and occupied Braunsberg Castle. Friedrich had fled to Andernach in the Electorate of Cologne and managed to have 1,500 soldiers in the Electorate of Cologne dispatched to expel the people of the Electoral Palatinate . On December 19, 1660, the soldiers of the Electorate of Cologne captured Braunsberg Castle. Two men from Selters were executed near Anhausen for an attempted assassination attempt on Friedrich on the gallows. In 1663 Frederick's conditions were recognized by the synod aldermen , including 52 days of forced labor per year, and the farmers' use of the forest was restricted.

succession

Around 1675 Friedrich had high debts, at the same time there were various disputes in the family. Friedrich tried to sell his county to the emperor for 250,000 guilders in order to buy new land in South America with this money.

These sales intentions were probably the first reason for a lengthy dispute with his eldest son Georg Hermann Reinhard (1640–1690), which led to a lawsuit at the Imperial Councilor and his son's disinheritance.

In 1685, Count Friedrich signed an inheritance contract with the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel , which initially led to a protection relationship between Hesse-Kassel and Neuwied and the surrounding area after Friedrich's death was to come under the sovereignty of Hesse-Kassel. Georg Hermann Reinhard sued the Reichshofrat because of his inheritance claims, which led to the cancellation of the contract with Hessen-Kassel.

According to his will of June 29, 1688, Friedrich wanted to bequeath his county to his sons Georg Hermann Reinhard (he was 48 years old) and Friedrich Wilhelm (four years old). After a recent dispute, Friedrich disinherited his eldest son on March 24, 1690. Georg Hermann Reinhard died on June 7th that same year.

By comparison with his nephew Ludwig Friedrich zu Wied , Count von Wied-Runkel (1656–1709), Friedrich also acquired the Upper County in 1691, which he, however, gave to his grandson Maximilian Heinrich (1681–1706) on August 27, 1692 ; second eldest son of Georg Hermann Reinhard, initially under guardianship, transferred.

In October 1693, Count Friedrich zu Wied and his wife Conradine Luise also resigned from the government of the Lower County because of old age. They reserved a monetary account, Braunsberg castle and farm and the Schönerlen farm (near Steinen in the Westerwald).

Friedrich Wilhelm (1684–1737)

On December 13, 1694, Friedrich handed his almost ten-year-old son Friedrich Wilhelm (1684–1737) into the guardianship of Count August zur Lippe and transferred Friedrich Wilhelm or, for the time being, his guardian, the government of the Lower County of Wied.

Friedrich died on May 3, 1698 in Neuwied (according to other sources on Hof Braunsberg), his body was buried on June 21, 1698 in the Reformed Church in Neuwied and in 1876 reburied in a crypt in the successor building, today's market church.

family

Extract from the family table:

siblings
  • Walburgis Magdalena (1614-1674), became a Catholic, Dekanissin in Herford
  • Johannette Maria (1615-1715); ⚭ around 1650 Ludwig Albert von Sayn-Wittgenstein-Neumagen
  • Anna Sophia (1616–1694), ⚭ around 1640 Gustav Gustavson , Count of Wasaburg (son of the Swedish king)
  • Amöna Amalia (1618–1680), ⚭ 1641 Ludwig Christoph, Count of Solms-Lich
  • Moriz Christian zu Wied-Runkel (1620–1668), ruling count of the Upper County from 1640 to 1653, ⚭ 1642 Katharina Juliana von Hanau-Münzenberg
  • Hermann (1621–1651)
  • Johann Ernst zu Wied-Runkel (1623–1664; also called Hans Ernst), ruling count of the Upper County from 1653 to 1664, ⚭ 1652 Hedwig Eleonore von Eberstein-Naugard
  • Louise Juliane (1624–?), General Tilly, was her godfather
  • Ferdinand Wilhelm Ludwig (1626–1633)
  • Dorothea Sabina (1627-1633)
  • Elisabeth Catharina (1628–1649), ⚭ 1649 Wilhelm Freiherr von Pallandt
  • Wilhelm Ludwig (1630–1664)
  • Sybilla Christiana (1631–1707), ⚭ 1651 Johann Ludwig, Count of Leiningen-Westerburg
Philippina Sabina von Hohenlohe ( Wolfgang Heimbach )
Marriages
  • First marriage on March 20, 1639 to Maria Juliana von Leiningen-Westerburg (1616–1657), widow of Count Philipp Ludwig zu Leiningen-Westerburg, the marriage had 15 children
  • Second marriage on October 20, 1663 to Philippina Sabina zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst (1620–1681), the marriage remained childless
  • Third marriage on September 12, 1683 with Maria Sabina zu Solms-Hohensolms (1638–1685), the marriage resulted in a son
  • Fourth marriage on June 6, 1686 with Conradine Luise von Bentheim-Tecklenburg (1647–1705), the marriage remained childless
Children from the first marriage
  • Georg Hermann Reinhard (1640–1690), was disinherited, but died before his father, ⚭ 1670 Anna Trajectina von Brederode , ⚭ 1676 Johanna Elisabeth von Leiningen-Westerburg ; his son, Count Maximilian Heinrich zu Wied-Runkel (1681–1706), founded the (younger) Wied-Runkel line
  • Ferdinand Franz (1641-1670), converted to the Catholic faith, was canon of Cologne and Strasbourg and died near Schlettstadt in an unexplained hunting accident
  • Friedrich Melchior (1642–1672), lieutenant colonel from the Electorate of Cologne , died in Bonn as a result of a duel
  • Johann Ernst (1643–1664), died on St. Gotthard in the Fourth Austrian Turkish War
  • Franz Wilhelm (1644–1664), died near Vienna , also in the Turkish War
  • Carl Christoph (1646–1650)
  • Juliane Ernestine (1647–1672), ⚭ 1670 Ferdinand zu Innhausen and Knyphausen († 1699)
  • Marie Eleonore (1649-1650)
  • Sibylla Christina (1650–1710), was court lady to the German Empress in 1676, ⚭ 1694 with Hannibal von Heister
  • Sophia Elisabeth (1651–1673), ⚭ 1669 with Georg Wilhelm zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
  • Charlotte (1653-1653)
  • Carl Ludwig (1654–1673)
  • Ernestine (1654–1723), ⚭ after 1672 with Albrecht Jobst von Eberswein
  • Franzisska Erdmanna (1655–1655)
  • Sibylla Elisabeth (1657–1680), 1677 was lady-in-waiting to the German Empress
Third marriage son

literature

  • Wilhelm Tullius: The checkered history of the House of Wied . 2nd edition, Neuwied 2003, ISBN 3-934125-02-6
  • Stefan Volk: Peuplication and religious tolerance. Neuwied from the middle of the 17th to the middle of the 18th century . In: Rheinische Vierteljahrsblätter , vol. 55 (1991), pp. 205-231.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c d e f g Wilhelm Tullius: The checkered history of the house of Wied , 1st edition, Neuwied, Kehrein, 2003, page 45 ff; ISBN 3-934125-02-6
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Philipp Wirtgen: Neuwied and its surroundings in a descriptive, historical and natural historical representation , Neuwied: Heuser, 1891, pages 81 ff and 192 ff
  3. ↑ a b Family tree of the mediatized house Wied 1884
  4. ↑ a b c d e Hellmuth Gensicke: Landesgeschichte des Westerwaldes . 3. Edition. Historical Commission for Nassau, Wiesbaden 1999, page 334 ff; ISBN 3-922244-80-7
  5. ^ A b c Anton Joseph Weidenbach: Memorable and Useful Rhenish Antiquarius , Volume 3, Part 3, RF Hergt, 1856; Pages 153 and 409 ff
  6. ↑ a b c d e Jakob Hubert Schütz: Rengsdorf and its surroundings in historical lighting Cöln-Nippes: Patt, 1918, page 43 ff
  7. ↑ Stefan Volk: Peuplication and religious tolerance. Neuwied from the middle of the 17th to the middle of the 18th century . In: Rheinische Vierteljahrsblätter , vol. 55 (1991), pp. 205-231, pp. 208 ff.
predecessor Office successor
Hermann II. Count von Wied
(Upper County)
1631–1640 		Moritz Christian
("Grafschaft Wied-Runkel")
Ludwig Friedrich Count of Wied-Runkel
(= Upper County of Wied)
1691–1692 		Maximilian Heinrich
Philipp Ludwig Count of Wied
(Lower County)
1638–1698 		Friedrich Wilhelm
("County of Wied-Neuwied")
personal data
SURNAME Friedrich III.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Friedrich von Wied-Runkel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Count of the County of Wied and founder of the city of Neuwied
DATE OF BIRTH November 16, 1618
PLACE OF BIRTH Neuenhof
DATE OF DEATH May 3, 1698
Place of death Neuwied