Hessen-Rheinfels

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Territories of Hessen-Rheinfels (Map by Reilly, 1794)

The (first) Landgraviate of Hesse-Rheinfels emerged from the division of the Landgraviate of Hesse in 1567 and only existed until 1583. It was ruled by Philip II (Hesse-Rheinfels) in a branch line of the House of Hesse , which became extinct with his death. The territory consisted of the Niedergrafschaft Katzenelnbogen , the area around St. Goar (on the left bank of the Rhine) and Reichenberg , Hohenstein and Braubach (on the right bank of the Rhine).

For the (second) younger Landgraviate of Hessen-Rheinfels (from 1649) and (from 1658) Landgraviate of Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg see Ernst I. (Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg) and Hessen-Rotenburg .

history

The Landgraviate was created when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided after the death of Landgrave Philip I the Magnanimous († 1567). Philip's eldest son, Wilhelm IV. , Received Hessen-Kassel with about half of the entire territory, Hessen-Marburg came with about a quarter of the total territory to Ludwig IV. , Georg I received Hessen-Darmstadt (essentially the former Upper County of Katzenelnbogen) , and Philip II got Hessen-Rheinfels, which comprised about one eighth of the previous Hessian area.

Hessen-Rheinfels essentially comprised the old Niedergrafschaft Katzenelnbogen with its four offices Rheinfels with the main town Sankt Goar (on the left bank of the Rhine), Braubach, Reichenberg and Hohenstein (on the right bank of the Rhine). The residence was referring Philip II. The castle Rheinfels , a widow seat for his wife, he built the Philippsburg Castle . Officers with guards sat on Burg Reichenberg , the Hohenstein Castle , the castle Neukatzenelnbogen (Burg Katz) and the Burgschwalbach in the Upper Taunus. In 1570 the country brought in around 18,700 florins , after which the income rose to around 24,000 florins.

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  Rheinfels Castle (St. Goar)

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  Philippsburg Palace (Braubach)

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  Reichenberg Castle

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  Hohenstein

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  Katz Castle

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  Schwalbach Castle

This first branch line Hessen-Rheinfels died out in 1583 with the childless Philip II. The Niedergrafschaft Katzenelnbogen or the extinct Landgraviate Hessen-Rheinfels was divided between Hessen-Kassel, which received the main part, and Hessen-Darmstadt and Hessen-Marburg.

For the (second) younger Landgraviate of Hessen-Rheinfels and the Landgraviate of Hessen-Rheinfels-Rotenburg, see Hessen-Rotenburg .

family members

• Philip II. (Hesse-Rheinfels) (Philip the Younger; 1541–1583), first and only Landgrave of Hesse-Rheinfels
• Victor Amadeus (Hessen-Rotenburg) (1779–1834), the last Landgrave of Hessen-Rotenburg and Rheinfels from 1812, from 1815 Prince of Corvey and from 1821 Duke of Ratibor

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Jens Friedhoff : On the history of Philippsburg Palace with special consideration of the division of Hesse in 1567 , Burgen und Schlösser 4/2017, pp. 222–234