Johann I (Nassau-Beilstein)

Johann I von Nassau-Beilstein († 1473) was Count of Nassau-Beilstein from around 1412 until the end of his life .

Life

Johann was born as the eldest son of Heinrich II von Nassau-Beilstein and his wife Katharina von Randerode . After the death of his father, he ruled the county from 1413, initially together with his uncle Reinhard von Nassau-Beilstein . After his uncle's death around 1414/18, Johann temporarily unified the county in his hands. His two brothers had entered the clergy.

Due to the poor financial situation of the small county, Johann had to pledge the Kalenberger Zent and Mengerskirchen to Nassau-Saarbrücken (Weilburg) in 1413 . In the same year Johann also succeeded in reaching an agreement with the Nassau-Dillenburg line on claims from the division of the estate of 1341, which brought him a settlement of 2000 marks.

In 1425 the county of Nassau-Beilstein was divided again. Johann received all of Beilstein as well as Beilstein and Mengerskirchen Castle , two thirds of his house's share in Nassau, as well as from the rulership on the Westerwalde, the monetary interest and half of the serfs there, along with half from customs at Emmerichenhain and Neukirch. His brother Heinrich received Liebenscheid Castle and a third of the county. The third brother Wilhelm, provost of the cathedral in Mainz, waived his share.

Diplomatically, Johann tried to continue the consolidation of the county that his father had begun, but suffered repeated setbacks. In a dispute with Kurtrier in 1418, Johann had to recognize the Electoral Trier suzerainty over the entire county. Shortly after redeeming the Kalenbacher Zehnt and Mengerskirchen, Johann pledged these parts of his county again, this time to Kurtrier. With the House of Westerburg in 1435/36 and 1441–1444 / 45 there were again disputes over sovereignty in the rule of the Westerwald , which Johann could end in his favor.

In 1415 he married Metze (Mechthild) von Isenburg. As a dowry she brought the tithe to Oberbruch in the county. With her he had his son Philipp, who is first mentioned in 1426. Metze von Isenburg died after 1436.

Johann's son Philipp was entitled to inheritance for the lordship of Isenburg-Grenzau in the county of Isenburg , since it became apparent that Philipp von Isenburg-Grenzau, a brother of his mother, would die childless. In order to enforce these claims, Johann von Nassau-Beilstein concluded an alliance with Philip's other brothers-in-law Salentin VI. von Isenburg and Frank von Kronberg . Together they opened a feud against Dieter von Isenburg-Büdingen, who had taken possession of Grenzau on the basis of an inheritance contract with Philipp von Isenburg Grenzau. After the death of Philip von Isenburg-Grenzau in 1439/40, Johann was able to take possession of Grenzau for his son. He took on the title of Herr zu Grenzau. However, further feuds over the division of the estate broke out between the heirs.

In 1444 Johann pledged the tithe to Oberbruch. The Nassau-Beilstein House was no longer able to redeem this pledge.

A few years later, Johann and his son Philipp took part in the Soest feud on the Electoral Cologne side . Philip fell at the Soest meeting in 1446. As a result, the claims of the House of Nassau-Beilstein to the Grenzau lordship expired again. Philipp left his wife Johanna von Gemen behind . In order to preserve her inheritance claims for the Nassau-Beilstein house, Johann then married his daughter-in-law. With Johanna he had his second son Heinrich . From 1458 he was co-regent of Nassau-Beilstein, while Johann increasingly withdrew.

From 1465, Johann and Heinrich von Nassau-Beilstein participated together with Johann von Nassau-Dillenburg on the side of Heinrich von Hessen-Marburg in the Hessian fratricidal war .

Johann died in July or August 1473. His son Heinrich took over the government of the county.

family

Johann was married to Metze (Mechthild) von Isenburg († after 1436) for the first time. He had two children with her:

• Margarethe († after 1498) wed her first marriage (1424) to Johann von Schöneck , her second marriage to Count Moritz von Pyrmont
• Philipp (* before 1426; † 1446)

In his second marriage he was married to Johanna von Gemen († 1450/51) from 1447. With her he had a son:

• Henry IV (* 1449; † 1499)

In addition, Johann had the three well-known illegitimate sons: Henne von Münchhausen, Christian von Nassau and Heintze von Nassau. Henne and Christian were given fiefdoms in the Westerwald. Heintze received the mayor's office in Beilstein.

literature

• Hellmuth Gensicke : State history of the Westerwald . 3. Edition. Historical Commission for Nassau, Wiesbaden 1999, ISBN 3-922244-80-7 , p. 283-285 .
• Johann Arnoldi: History of the Orange-Nassau countries and their rulers . Neue Schehrtenbuchhandlung, Wiesbaden 1799, p. 157-168 .
• Michael Hollmann, Michael Wettengel: Nassau's contribution to today's Hesse . Hessian State Center for Political Education, Wiesbaden 1992, p. 98 .

predecessor	Office	successor
Heinrich II of Nassau-Beilstein	Count of Nassau-Beilstein zu Beilstein 1412–1473	Henry IV of Nassau-Beilstein
Reinhard von Nassau-Beilstein	Count of Nassau-Beilstein zu Liebenscheid 1414 / 18–1425	Henry III. from Nassau-Beilstein