Otto von Ahaus-Ottenstein

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Otto von Ahaus-Ottenstein (* 1274 at the latest; † February 4, 1324?), Also known as Otto von Ahaus , was a ministerial in the service of the Münster prince-bishop , Burgmann at Nienborg Castle , Droste in Tecklenburg and bailiff in Landegge . With his older brother Johann he inherited the rule of Lohn in 1316 in equal parts. This made it possible for him to build the Ottenstein Castle named after him in the village of the same name today .

Parentage and offspring

Otto von Ahaus-Ottenstein was first mentioned in a document on April 3, 1274 as the son of Bernhard II von Ahaus and his wife Sophia von Lohn. Bernhard II was at the head of the noble lords of Ahaus , whose residence castle stood on the site of today 's Ahaus Castle . Bernhard's wife Sophia was a sister of Count Hermann I von Lohn , whose rule extended from the area around Stadtlohn to Bredevoort , which is today in Gelderland . In addition to Otto and the aforementioned Johann (III) with Kunigunde von Ahaus (Abbess in St. Aegidii Münster ), Jutta I von Ahaus and another daughter who died early and whose name was unknown, this marriage resulted in a total of five children.

In 1295 at the latest Otto married a woman named Margaretha, whose origin is unknown and who was possibly of non-aristocratic class. The daughters Sophia (mother of Lisa von Solms and Heinrich von Solms and Simon von Solms ), Gostia and Margaretha emerged from the marriage. A fourth daughter Jutta either died early or was identical to Margaretha due to a name confusion. Wikbold von Lohn was a cousin of Otto.

Life

In the service of neighboring gentlemen

As the second-born son, Otto von Ahaus-Ottenstein could not have high hopes of becoming the head of the Ahaus family. In fact, his brother Johann inherited the rule after his father's death. So Otto entered the service of Otto III. von Rietberg , who was Bishop of Munster until 1306 . During this time at the beginning of the 14th century Otto appeared several times as a witness for the prince-bishop. In 1308 he served as Droste for the Count of Tecklenburg. In 1310 Otto was recorded as a Burgmann at the episcopal castle Nienborg, three years later he was an episcopal bailiff in Landegge in Emsland .

Inheritance of lordship reward

After the death of the last Lohner dynast, Hermann II , half of the lordship fell to him in 1316. Due to the entanglements around the castle Bredevoort with the Count of Geldern, he sold his share of the inheritance in the same year to Ludwig II, Landgrave of Hesse , who was sovereign in Münster at that time. Since the chronically clumsy prince-bishop could not pay the purchase price, he pledged the Landegge and Fresenburg offices to Otto von Ahaus-Ottenstein, which Otto later exchanged for the closer offices of Horstmar, Rheine and Emsbüren. In addition, Otto received the Gogericht over Wessum and Wüllen as a fief.

In the Ottenstein coat of arms , the five stones stand for Ottenstein Castle

Ottenstein Castle

When Otto sold his share in the Lohn rule, Otto had the right to build a castle in Garbrock, around six kilometers from Ahaus , which he and his descendants were to give the bishop to an eternal fiefdom. Ottenstein Castle , named after Otto, was an open house that the bishop could use against all but the close relatives of Otto von Ahaus-Ottenstein and which, conversely, could not be used against the bishop. The castle was probably completed by 1320 at the latest, because from then on Otto called himself Herr von Ottenstein . In an addition to the sales deed of 1316, Otto took the Gogericht for the Gerkinglo near Vreden from the bishop as a fief .

Last years of life and death

For a long time Otto stayed in close contact with the bishop. His new castle, the court seats assigned to him and the support of the powerful prince-bishop gave Otto von Ahaus-Ottenstein the chance to establish his own small rule , only a few kilometers west of the residence of his brother Johann. It was only after 1320 that Otto approached the Bishop of Utrecht, to whom he entrusted a court in Enschede in 1321, and for whose diocese he was a financier.

Otto von Ahaus was last mentioned as alive on April 23, 1323. He may have died on February 4, 1324, as an earlier inscription in St. Paulus Cathedral in Münster suggests, where he was laid to rest near the Stephen altar at the side of his cousin Wikbold von Lohn . His castle passed to Heinrich V von Solms-Braunfels , who married Otto's daughter Sophia around 1324/25.

literature

Volker Tschuschke : The noble lords of Ahaus. A contribution to the history of the Westphalian nobility in the Middle Ages. Ed .: Landeskundliches Institut Westmünsterland. 1st edition. Vreden 2007, ISBN 3-937432-12-4 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c On the genealogy of Otto von Ahaus Ottenstein cf. Volker Tschuschke : The noble lords of Ahaus. A contribution to the history of the Westphalian nobility in the Middle Ages. Ed .: Landeskundliches Institut Westmünsterland. 1st edition. Vreden 2007, ISBN 3-937432-12-4 , pp. 94-100 .
  2. ^ A b Robert Krumbholtz : The documents of the diocese of Münster from 1301-1325 (=  Westphalian document book . Volume 8 ). Regensberg, Münster 1913, p. 389 ff . Deeds 1074 and 1075 of August 3, 1316
  3. ↑ Volker Tschuschke : The noble lords of Ahaus. A contribution to the history of the Westphalian nobility in the Middle Ages. Ed .: Landeskundliches Institut Westmünsterland. 1st edition. Vreden 2007, ISBN 3-937432-12-4 , pp. 401 .
personal data
SURNAME Otto von Ahaus-Ottenstein
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Otto von Ahaus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Ministeriale, Droste, Burgmann, Burgherr and Gograf
DATE OF BIRTH before April 3, 1274
DATE OF DEATH after April 23, 1323 or February 4, 1324