Lindow-Ruppin

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Coat of arms of the Counts of Lindow-Ruppin

The von Lindow-Ruppin family was a noble German noble family in the late Middle Ages . From the beginning of the 13th century it was a branch line of the Counts of Arnstein , who were wealthy on the northeastern edge of the Harz Mountains, and also carried the title of Count . As bedeutendster and most extensive possessions of the counts of Lindow-Ruppin that formed during the 13th century reign Ruppin out over which they probably initially reichsunmittelbar the country's domination exercised before later becoming stronger the claim to power of the Margrave of Brandenburg succumbed. The noble family died out in the male line in 1524.

Origin and name

From the Swabian those sex of Steußlingen originating noble free men of Arnstedt built around 1130 in Aschersleben on Ostharz the castle Arnstein . From 1156 they called themselves von Arnstein. Count Gebhard von Arnstein (* 1180/1209; † around 1256), son of Walther III. von Arnstein and a great-grandson of Albrecht the Bear , came into the possession of the Ruppin rule around 1214. He is considered the progenitor of the Counts of Lindow-Ruppin, who from then on formed a branch line of the Counts of Arnstein.

However, the name Lindow-Ruppin only emerged after Gebhard. In addition to the rule of Ruppin, it refers to the rule of Lindau (also Lindow ) in Anhalt , which was also owned by the noble family. Because of the title of Grafschaft von Lindow-Ruppin, the term Grafschaft was not uncommon for both Lindau and Ruppin. But these territories were dominions , not counties .

coat of arms

The coat of arms shows a silver eagle in red . On the helmet with red and silver blankets a sitting silver dog (also: only the head and neck of a silver hound ) between two black (or brown) heron or pheasant feathers put together below.

history

The following section is not adequately provided with supporting documents ( e.g. individual evidence ). Information without sufficient evidence could be removed soon. Please help Wikipedia by researching the information and including good evidence.
The sources in the Literature section have mainly been added recently. It would be useful to compare the older text in the following section with the relevant literature and to provide evidence. - Keijdo ( discussion ) 23:05, Jan. 21, 2015 (CET)
Gunther I. von Lindow in figure group 6 on Berlin's Siegesallee (secondary figure on the left)
Wichmann von Arnstein , first prior of the Dominican monastery Neuruppin
The Ruppin reign around 1400

Ruppin was originally a Slavic castle , probably a center of the Zamzizi tribe . From around 1150 onwards, lively activities by German nobles who tried to establish rule on the soil of the crumbling Slavic tribal areas can be expected. Around 1214, Gebhard von Arnstein took over the German Ruppin Castle . The ownership structure in the previous years is unclear. Gebhard still called himself Vogt von Leitzkau , Count of Lindau. Around 1200, both areas were owned by the Arnsteiners on the right side of the Elbe, southeast of Magdeburg . Ruppin Castle was expanded under Gebhard and a little later the Neuruppin settlement was founded about five kilometers away , the rapidly increasing importance of which brought Ruppin the name Alt Ruppin as early as 1238 .

Between 1230 and 1240, under the hand of Gebhard von Arnstein, the Lindow Monastery was founded in the woods northeast of Ruppin . In 1246 Gebhard's brother Wichmann von Arnstein (born around 1185), formerly prior of the monastery Our Dear Women in Magdeburg, founded the Dominican monastery Neuruppin and became its first prior. Alt Ruppin was still the central place. From there, Gebhard's son, Gunther I, granted the monastery town of Neuruppin city ​​rights on March 9, 1256 ( Stendal law).

The von Lindow-Ruppin family can be described as extremely enterprising, industrious and politically adept. One of their first decisions to make the more favorably located Neuruppin the central place of rule turned out to be far-sighted. Through marriages was ensured that relations with the neighboring north Mecklenburg peacefully remained, as well as the connections to the old "home", the Altmark and Anhalt ruling houses, not demolishing. Some of the Counts of Lindow-Ruppin entered the service of the Catholic Church , such as B. Burkhard II, Count of Lindow-Ruppin, who was Bishop of Havelberg from 1348-1370 .

The troubled 14th century brought significant gains to their territory. In order to be protected against the incursions of the Pomeranians , they built or took over the border forts Rheinsberg and Fürstenberg / Havel . They received them from Margrave Waldemar Wusterhausen in 1317 . As early as 1319, the year the Ascanians died out , they took over the Gransee region east of the Lindow monastery . In the meantime they must have owned lands around Rathenow and Friesack , which they had to give up again in 1334. Since Margrave Ludwig the Elder of Brandenburg owed them large sums of money, their right to own Gransee and Wusterhausen (each with the associated villages) was reassigned and confirmed again in 1347. In 1349 they sold Fürstenberg and acquired properties in the Havelland ( Glien , Rhinow and around Bötzow, later Oranienburg ).

Not all counts had such a lucky hand: In 1370 Count Albrecht von Lindow-Ruppin pledged the rule of Lindau for 1300 Mark Brandenburg silver to Prince Johann zu Anhalt. Other villages had to be sold. After a treaty of 1377 with Emperor Karl IV. Albrecht even had to surrender the Ländchen Glien and Rhinow. In 1381 Albrecht VI wanted to from Lindow-Ruppin bought Möckern Castle and associated villages, but could not raise the purchase price.

The 15th century brought land gains again. From 1407 they owned Neustadt and from 1440 some Niederbarnimsche villages around Birkenwerder . In the middle of the 15th century the rule again included the old core area around Neuruppin and Alt Ruppin, Wusterhausen, Gransee, Rheinsberg and many royal and knightly estates in the area. Nevertheless, lack of money must have been the order of the day: in 1461 Count Albrecht the Elder sold J. the lordship of Lindau to Adolph zu Anhalt and his brother Albrecht, subject to repurchase and retention of his title Count von Lindow-Ruppin, although he only owned Ruppin.

In 1500 Johann III. von Lindow-Ruppin enfeoffed with Möckern by Archbishop Ernst of the Magdeburg monastery. His successor was called Jakob Graf von Lindow, Herr zu Ruppin and Möckern. In 1520 Wichmann took over from Lindow-Ruppin, but died four years later. With this, the count's house of Lindow-Ruppin went out in 1524. The possessions were confiscated by the Elector of Brandenburg .

Male line of counts

Several brothers ruled together several times. This fact is only attested from a few contracts, therefore only the respective heir of the title of count is mentioned here. Despite the problematic double name, it was retained in the listing if it matched the sources.

  • Gebhard I. von Arnstein (* 1180–1209; † around 1256), Count von Lindau, Vogt von Leitzkau (father Walther III von Arnstein , mother Gertrud von Aschersleben (von Ballenstedt), a granddaughter of Albrecht the Bear )
  • Günther I. von Lindow (* around 1230, † around 1284)
  • Ulrich I, Count von Lindow (* around 1253; † 1316) ruled with Brother Burchard
  • Ulrich II., Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* around 1300; † 1356)
  • Günther II., Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* 1312)
  • Albrecht VI. from Lindow-Ruppin (* 1330)
  • Ulrich III., Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* around 1347)
  • Günther III., Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* 1356)
  • Woldemar I, Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* 1358)
  • Ulrich IV., Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* 1371)
  • Günther V., Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* 1375)
  • Johann I, Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* 1381)
  • Ulrich V., Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* around 1395)
  • Albrecht VIII, Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* 1405; † 1460)
  • Johann III., Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* around 1455; † 1500)
  • Jakob I, Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* 1460)
  • Joachim I., Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* 1474; † 1507)
  • Wichmann I., Count of Lindow-Ruppin (* around 1500 (1503?); † 1524)

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ George Adalbert von Mülverstedt , Adolf Matthias Hildebrandt : J. Siebmacher's large and general book of arms . VI. Volume, 6th Division; Extinct Prussian nobility: Province of Saxony. Bauer & Raspe, Nuremberg 1884, p. 37, plate 21