Ludwig zu Stolberg

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Count Ludwig zu Stolberg (born January 12, 1505 in Stolberg (Harz) , † September 1, 1574 in Wertheim ) was a German regent.

Life

Ludwig zu Stolberg was the third son of Count Botho zu Stolberg and his wife Anna geb. Countess of Eppstein-Koenigstein. He was born at Stolberg Castle. His siblings were u. a. Wolfgang zu Stolberg , the Quedlinburg abbess Anna II zu Stolberg , Heinrich zu Stolberg , Katharina von Henneberg, Albrecht Georg zu Stolberg and Provost Christoph zu Stolberg .

As the fourth child among 12 siblings, he was brought up from the age of nine by his uncle Eberhard IV of Eppstein-Königstein in Königstein im Taunus . Ludwig then studied at the University of Wittenberg , where he accepted Martin Luther's teaching as early as 1521 . From then on, spreading and consolidating the Reformation became one of his life's tasks. He became the councilor of Emperor Charles V and remained in this office with his successors Ferdinand I and Maximilian II . He was often sent abroad, so u. a. to England to Queen Elizabeth I and to the Spanish court. He was appointed his universal heir by his uncle, Count Eberhard IV of Eppstein-Königstein, and from 1527 served as his co-regent; Emperor Charles V recognized the will in 1528. The succession occurred on May 25, 1535. In his domain he introduced the Reformation in 1540 and installed Lutheran pastors, but did not take part in the Schmalkaldic War .

family

He was married to Walburga zu Wied († 1578), daughter of Johann III. von Wied-Runkel († 1533) and Elisabeth von Nassau-Dillenburg (1488–1559).

His eldest daughter Katharina married the last Count of Wertheim , Michael III. When in 1556 the noble family with Michael III. von Wertheim died without male descendants, Ludwig zu Stolberg came into the possession of the Grafschaft Wertheim including Wertheim Castle and half of the castle and lordship of Breuberg . Katharina married Count Philip II of Eberstein (1523–1589) in 1566 .

Ludwig's second eldest daughter Elisabeth was married to Count Dietrich zu Manderscheid and Virneburg. After he died in 1593, she married Baron Wilhelm von Criechingen a year later. Ludwig's only son Botho grew up at the court of the Duke of Bavaria, lived in Quedlinburg in 1568 and died before his father.

The youngest daughter Anna zu Stolberg (* April 13, 1548 - November 2, 1599) married Count Ludwig III on September 2, 1566 . von Löwenstein-Wertheim (February 17, 1530 - March 13, 1611).

The Heritage

Since Ludwig had no male descendants apart from Botho, the county of Königstein fell to his youngest brother Christoph zu Stolberg, cathedral provost in Halberstadt , when he died . His wife Walburga received town, office and winery Butzbach as Wittum . After Christoph's death in 1581, Kurmainz annexed the office of Königstein; The Stolbergers were left with the dominions around Ortenberg and Gedern as well as shares in Butzbach and Münzenberg .

Ludwig's son-in-law Ludwig III. von Löwenstein took over the Grafschaft Wertheim in 1598 after more than 20 years of continuous and very violent disputes.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ State archive Wertheim G-Rep. 10a Ark III-IV, A 76 Transsumpt : "Catharina, née von Stolberg, Countess zu Wertheim, widow, hands her father Ludwig, Graf zu Stolberg, Koenigstein, Rochefort and Wertheim, and his heirs the right to inherit the goods of local value with all accessories "
  2. ^ State archive Wertheim G-Rep. 10a drawer III-IV, A 85
personal data
SURNAME Stolberg, Ludwig to
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German regent
DATE OF BIRTH January 12, 1505
PLACE OF BIRTH Stolberg (Harz)
DATE OF DEATH September 1, 1574
Place of death Wertheim