Johann I (Limburg)

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Gravestone of Johann I of Limburg in the Limburg Franciscan Church of St. Sebastian
Plaque at the Nassauer House in Limburg with a modern depiction. In the background the Franciscan monastery and Limburg Cathedral

Johann I of Limburg , "The Blind Lord" (* unknown; † September 29, 1312 in Limburg an der Lahn ), was head of the House of Limburg from 1289 . The core of the Limburg rule was the city of Limburg and some surrounding villages.

Johann was referred to in the Limburg city chronicle by Tilemann Elhen von Wolfhagen , written before 1402, as a "blind man". It is unclear what this name is based on, because nothing is known about Johann's real blindness . Johann was probably suffering from an eye disease in old age and was visually impaired as a result .

Life

Johann's father Gerlach I founded the House of Limburg and sought dynastic connections with neighboring noble families to secure it. Johann's sister Imagina was married to the future German King Adolf von Nassau ; his second sister Agnes was married to Heinrich von Westerburg , the brother of Archbishop Siegfried von Westerburg of Cologne .

Johann took part in the Battle of Worringen in 1288 on the side of Siegfried von Westerburg . After the death of his father on a campaign by King Rudolf von Habsburg, Johann took over the rule of Limburg.

Johann maintained a particularly close relationship with his brother-in-law Adolf von Nassau. He took over the sponsorship for his children. After the king's election, Johann was regularly active for Adolf and became one of his advisors. In 1292 he sealed the pledge of the imperial share of the city of Limburg to Kurköln . In the following years he also repeatedly sealed the king's documents. He also commissioned him to arrange the marriage between his son Rupert von Nassau and Agnes, the daughter of the Bohemian King Wenceslaus II . Johann was also involved in the conclusion of the marriage contract between Mechthild von Nassau and Rudolf von der Pfalz. As a witness, Johann sealed documents for King Edward of England .

On July 2, 1298, Johann took part in the battle of Göllheim alongside Adolf von Nassau . Nevertheless, after the battle he was able to win the favor of the new King Albrecht von Habsburg . This commissioned him in 1303 to look for fiefs that had been wrongly stolen from the empire and to confiscate them.

The children of Otto I von Nassau commissioned him to act as chairman in the division of their rule.

Johann was also very active in Limburg itself. The entire city was destroyed in the great fire at the beginning of his rule on May 14, 1289. A lively reconstruction began. As early as 1300 the city had grown beyond its city walls. It is likely that Johann I initiated the construction of the Limburg bridge over the Lahn , the new construction of the church of the Franciscan monastery and the foundation of the Wilhelmite monastery. The construction of the St. Peter Chapel in Limburg Castle and the establishment of the Holy Spirit Hospital can also be traced back to him.

Johann died on September 29, 1312. He was buried in the Limburg Franciscan Church. His grave slab has been preserved to this day.

family

Johann married twice. The assignment of children to individual marriages is unclear.

His first marriage was to Elisabeth von Geroldseck . He probably had the following children with her:

His second marriage was to Uda von Ravensberg . The following children are likely from the marriage:

literature

  • Tilemann Elhen von Wolfhagen: A well-described chronicle of the city and the gentlemen of Limpurg on the Lahn . Ed .: Peter Jentzmik. 2nd Edition. Glaukos Verlag, Limburg 2003, ISBN 3-930428-19-9 (Unchanged reprint of the baroque edition from 1720 by Verlag Winckler, Wetzlar).
  • G. Ulrich Großmann: Limburg an der Lahn, guide through the city and its history . 5th edition. Trautvetter & Fischer, Marburg 2000, ISBN 3-87822-114-2 .
  • Franz-Karl Nieder: The Limburg dynasts and the German kings 1292 to 1356 . In: Nassau Annals . tape 117 . Publishing house of the Association for Nassau Antiquities and Historical Research , 2006, ISSN  0077-2887 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Franz-Karl Nieder: The Limburger Hospital and the Anna Church; Limburg 2005; P. 11
personal data
SURNAME Johann I.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Johann I of Isenburg-Limburg; John I of Limburg; The blind lord
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Lord of Limburg an der Lahn
DATE OF BIRTH 13th Century
DATE OF DEATH September 29, 1312
Place of death Limburg on the Lahn