Johann II (Rietberg)

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Count Johann II of Rietberg

Count Johann II. Von Rietberg (* after 1523; † December 9, 1562 in Cologne ), known as "the Tolle", was Count von Rietberg and lord of the Harlingerland .

Life

Johann was the son of Count Otto III. von Rietberg and his second wife Onna von Esens . After the death of Onna's brother, the Frisian chief Balthasar von Esens , Johann and his mother came into the possession of the Frisian lordship of Harlingerland and carried the title of lord of Esens , Stedesdorf and Wittmund . Johann initially had to share the county of Rietberg with his brother Otto IV , but after his childless death in 1553 the whole of Rietberg was under his rule.

Johann mostly took up residence in the Frisian town of Esens. Here, in the tradition of his uncle Balthasar, he repeatedly broke up disputes with the neighboring county of East Friesland . In 1556 he seized a stretch of land west of the Accummer Depression. Countess Anna von Ostfriesland sued Johann before the Reich Chamber of Commerce and the Lower Rhine-Westphalian Empire . But despite the judges' verdicts, Johann continued to cause trouble.

Also in 1556 Johann had one of his high-ranking servants, the rent master , executed in Rietberg for alleged irregularities without a trial and he also hunted his family. This fled to Lippe and from there attacked Rietberg lands with some loyal followers. Johann then moved with mercenaries from Esens to Rietberg and in return attacked Count Bernhard VIII zur Lippe.

That was the drop that brought the proverbial barrel to overflow. In autumn of the year troops from Lippe began to besiege the city of Rietberg . The bishop of Paderborn finally joined the besiegers. After the Lippe, Episcopal and East Frisian complaints, the Lower Rhine-Westphalian Imperial Circle made its verdict against Johann and officially made him a "peace breaker".

But Johann didn't think of bowing down. Only after the troops of the Reichskreis Rietberg had starved, Johann surrendered in June 1557. He was initially imprisoned by the Reichskreis in Büderich Castle and from 1560 on he was transferred to Cologne . He managed to escape, but was captured in Deutz in 1562 after a long robinsonade. There the Duke of Jülich handed it over to the Archbishop of Cologne. Although the ruler of the Netherlands, Margaret of Parma , stood up for him, he was not released again. In the monastic solitude he showed stoic equanimity and carried his fate with an indomitable spirit. He entertained himself with scientific exercises and translated several German works into Latin. He died there in captivity in 1562 and also found his grave in Cologne. His lust for conflict and power struggles had earned him the nickname "the great Johann".

Tombs

The cenotaph in Esens

His widow Agnes von Bentheim and Steinfurt donated a tombstone to him in Groß St. Martin and built a cenotaph in his estate in Esens . Both memorial stones are still preserved today. The inscription in Cologne on the west wall at the top right of the basilica reads in German:

"Consecrated to God Almighty, the excellent and noble Mr. Johannes from the family of the Counts of Rietberg, Mr. zu Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund, the last of his tribe, who, after many hardships of this time, tired of his here in Cologne on December 9th, 1562 Giving soul back to the Creator, his excellent and noble wife Agnes, Countess von Bentheim, in deepest pain set this monument as an eternal memory. Peace."

The Latin inscription in Esens in the German translation:

"Tomb of Count Johannes zu Rietberg, the illustrious and noble Mr. Johannes from the tribe of the Counts of Rietberg, Mr. zu Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund, the last of his tribe, who made tired of various and many tribulations and fates of this world, on 9 December, in the year of salvation in Cologne, 1562, gave his soul back to his creator, the illustrious and noble mistress, Mrs. Agnes, sprouted from the Count's House of Bentheim, established his deeply grieving wife, as her beloved husband, in eternal memory. "

On a stone plaque below it is noted in German:

“THE GRAPHIC LICHNAM TO COLLN LICHT BURIED THE MANLICH TRIBE HELMET UNDE SHIELD TO BECLAGEN SO GIVEN FROM THIS YES (M) ERTHAL BY FOUNDING THE MISGU (N) SGEN WITHOUT ZAL IN GOTTIS HANT THE SOUL IS WAITING AND LISTS NITES BEHIND THE BÖLE. "

progeny

Ermengard and Walburga von Rietberg, detail of a family portrait by Hermann tom Ring

Johann II was the last male Rietberg ruler from the Werl-Arnsberg-Cuyk family. He was married to Agnes von Bentheim and Steinfurt . The couple had two daughters. After 1557, Countess Agnes took over the government for her daughters. The land was later divided, Walburga inherited the Harlingerland and Armgard the county of Rietberg.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ New General German Adels Lexicon , Volume 6, Page 517
  2. ↑ New Prussian Adelslexicon Volume 4, Pages 116-118
  3. ^ Max von Spiessen , Book of Arms of the Westphalian Nobility , Volume I, Görlitz 1901 - 1903, p. 104
  4. ^ Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels , Adelslexikon Volume XI, Volume 122 of the complete series, Limburg an der Lahn 2000, pp. 438–439

Web links

Commons : Familienbild von Rietberg  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
predecessor Office successor
Otto IV. Count of Rietberg
1552 - 1562 		Armgard
personal data
SURNAME Johann II.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Johann the Great
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Count of Rietberg
DATE OF BIRTH after 1523
DATE OF DEATH December 9, 1562
Place of death Cologne