George III (Erbach)

The tomb of George III. in the town church in Michelstadt

George III von Erbach (* July 15, 1548 in Erbach ; † February 26, 1605 ibid) was Count von Erbach and Lord of Breuberg .

Life

Georg was the eldest son of Eberhard XII. (January 19, 1511; † July 12, 1564) and Margarethe von Dhaun (* September 25, 1521; † April 5, 1576). He was heir to Reichenberg Castle , which he had rebuilt into a sovereign fortress in the Renaissance style.

Around 1560 he was given the office of Wildenstein as a Palatinate fief, together with his father Eberhard XII. and his uncle Valentin II (* July 16, 1517, † December 12, 1563). After the death of his uncle Georg II (* January 18, 1506, † August 27, 1569), the various possessions of the Erbacher were reunited under him in 1569.

Between 1588 and 1590 he had the moated castle Fürstenau expanded. He is buried in the church of Michelstadt , where the family crypt of the Counts of Erbach has been located since 1678. After his death the area was re-divided among his sons:

• Friedrich Magnus (1575–1618) inherited Fürstenau and Reichenberg,
• Johann Kasimir (1584–1627) Breuberg and Wildenstein,
• Ludwig I (1579–1643) inherited parts of Erbach and Freienstein and
• Georg Albrecht I (1597–1647) inherited Schönberg and Seeheim.

After the death of Friedrich Magnus, his brothers redistributed the land among themselves. In 1623 Fürstenau came to Johann Kasimir, Michelstadt and König to Ludwig and Reichenberg to Georg Albrecht. Johann Kasimir died in 1627, so Wildenstein came to Ludwig and Fürstenau to Georg Albrecht. With the death of Ludwig all possessions came back into one hand.

progeny

George III married Countess Anna Amalia von Sayn on July 27, 1567 (* approx. 1551; † July 13, 1571). The marriage remained childless.

He married Countess Anna von Solms-Laubach on July 15, 1572 (born April 11, 1557 in Laubach; † December 8, 1586) and had the following children with her:

• Agnes Maria (born May 24, 1573 in Erbach; † June 28, 1634 in Gera)

⚭ Upper stimulus May 5, 1593 Heinrich XVIII. Reuss , Lord of Obergreiz and Greiz (* February 28, 1563 - † January 16, 1616)

• Eberhard (April 13, 1574 - August 14, 1574)
• Friedrich Magnus (born April 18, 1575 in Erbach; † March 26, 1618 in Reichenberg), from 1606 Count of Erbach, zu Fürstenau and Reichenberg

⚭ Darmstadt May 5, 1595 Landgravine Christine von Hessen-Darmstadt (born November 25, 1578 - † March 26, 1596), daughter of Georg I of Hessen-Darmstadt

⚭ Heidenheim September 18, 1597 Countess Johanna Henriette von Oettingen-Oettingen (* August 28, 1578; † March 18, 1619)

• Margareta (* Erbach May 17, 1576; † June 5, 1635 (or May 26) in Ulm)

⚭ Oettingen May 17, 1598 Count Ludwig Eberhard zu Oettingen-Oettingen (* July 9, 1577; † July 4, 1634)

• Anna Amalia (* Erbach June 10, 1577; † approx. 1630)

⚭ Erbach October 21, 1604 Count Friedrich I. zu Salm-Neufville, Wild and Rhine Count in Dhaun (* February 3, 1547; † November 5, 1608)

⚭ Heidenheim December 23, 1626 Emich IV. Von Daun, Count of Falkenstein (* December 23, 1563 - † November 14, 1628)

• Elisabeth (* July 30, 1578; † March 15, 1645 in Obersontheim)

⚭ Erbach March 3, 1606 Heinrich II, Schenk von Limpurg-Sontheim (born January 22, 1573 - † May 13, 1637)

• Ludwig I (born September 3, 1579; † April 12, 1643), from 1606 Count of Erbach zu Erbach and Freienstein, from 1623 to Michelstedt and König, from 1627 also to Wildenstein

⚭ Erbach March 2, 1606 Count Juliane von Waldeck-Wildungen (* April 11, 1587; † February 15/28, 1622)

⚭ May 29, 1624 Countess Johannette zu Sayn and Wittgenstein (* July 24, 1604; † June 13, 1666)

• Agathe (* Erbach May 16, 1581; † April 30/20, 1621 in Carlsburg)

⚭ Carlsburg October 23, 1614 Margrave Georg Friedrich von Baden zu Durlach (* Carlsburg January 30, 1573; † September 24, 1638)

• Anna (* April 27, 1582; ​​† July 30, 1650 in Idstein)

⚭ in Fürstenau July 4, 1614 Count Philipp Georg von Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg (* July 26, 1582; ​​† February 6, 1627)

• Maria (May 11, 1583 - September 3, 1584)
• Johann Kasimir (born August 10, 1584; † January 14, 1627 in Schweidnitz) from 1606 Count of Erbach, zu Breuberg and Wildenstein
• Barbara (1585- before 1591)

In his third marriage he married Dorothea Reuss zu Obergreiz in Greiz on November 11, 1587 (* October 28, 1566; † October 26, 1591) and has the following children:

• Dorothea Sabina (October 19, 1588 - January 20, 1589)
• Georg Heinrich (January 20, 1590 - February 10, 1591)
• Maria Salome (* / † May 15, 1591)

His fourth wife was Countess Marie von Barby-Mühlingen (* April 8, 1563; † December 29, 1619), daughter of Albrecht X. von Barby-Mühlingen (* February 15, 1534; † 1588) and Maria von Anhalt-Zerbst ( * December 1, 1538; † April 25, 1563), widow of Count Josias von Waldeck-Eisenberg . The couple married on August 2, 1592 in Korbach and had the following children:

• Dorothea (born July 13, 1593, † October 8, 1643 in Pfedelbach)

⚭ Waldenburg November 28, 1610 Count Ludwig Eberhard von Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Pfedelbach and Gleichen (* January 19, 1590; † November 1, 1650)

• Friedrich Christian (* July 25, 1594; † September 15, 1594)
• Christina (born June 5, 1596 - † July 6, 1646 in Culemborg)

⚭ Siegen January 16, 1619 Count Wilhelm von Nassau-Siegen in Hilchenbach (* August 12, 1592; † July 18, 1642, died in Orsoy )

• Georg Albrecht I (* December 16, 1597 - † November 25, 1647), from 1606 Count zu Erbach, zu Schönberg and Seeheim, zu Reichenberg 1623, zu Fürstenau 1627, all possessions 1643,

⚭ Erbach May 29, 1624 Countess Magdalena von Nassau-Dillenburg (born November 13, 1595 - † July 31, 1633), daughter of Johann VI. from Nassau-Dillenburg

⚭ February 23, 1634 Anna Dorothea Schenkin von Limpurg-Gaildorf (* 1612; † June 23, 1634);

⚭ Frankfurt am Main July 26, 1635 Countess Elisabeth Dorothea zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (* August 27, 1617; † November 12, 1655)

• Elisabeth Juliana (born January 22, 1600; † May 29, 1640 Saalfeld);

⚭ Arolsen March 2, 1620 Count Georg Ludwig zu Löwenstein-Scharfeneck (born January 29, 1587 - January 3, 1633), son of Ludwig III. from Löwenstein

⚭ Werbeskans July 25, 1636 Johan Banér , Field Marshal General (1596–1641)

• Luise Juliane (* Fürstenau June 18, 1603; † September 28, 1670)

⚭ January 19, 1624 Count Ernst zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (* August 26, 1594; † May 22, 1632)

Web links

• Erbach Castle
• family tree