Philip IV (Nassau-Weilburg)

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Count Philip III. von Nassau-Saarbrücken, statue from the tomb in the collegiate church St. Arnual
Philip's coat of arms shows the lions of Nassau and Saarbrücken

Philip IV of Nassau-Weilburg / Philip III. von Nassau-Saarbrücken (born October 14, 1542 in Weilburg ; † March 12, 1602 in Saarbrücken ) from the Walram line of the House of Nassau was from 1559 until his death Count of Nassau-Weilburg and from 1574 at the same time Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken .

The different counting results from the fact that his father Philip III. von Nassau-Weilburg (1523–1559), in contrast to Philip I (1371–1429) and Philip II (1429–1492) of Nassau-Weilburg, was not count of Nassau-Saarbrücken at the same time.

Life

Philip IV was the son of Philip III. von Nassau-Weilburg and his third wife Amalie von Isenburg-Büdingen . In his childhood he and his half-brother Albrecht von Nassau-Weilburg were raised by Kasper Goltwurm at Neuweilnau Castle in the Protestant faith. He then studied at the University of Jena , where he was temporarily rector .

His father died on October 4, 1559. Philipp inherited the sub-county Nassau-Weilburg together with his older half-brother Albrecht. Since Philipp was only sixteen years old, Johann IV of Nassau-Saarbrücken , as the senior of the Nassau-Walram house , took over the guardianship.

Initially the brothers Albrecht and Philipp ruled together. Her father's high debts restricted her ability to act. They only managed to improve the budget situation slowly.

The gatehouse of Neuweilnau Castle built under Philipp

On May 15, 1561, the brothers divided their rule for the first time. Albrecht received Weilburg Castle and Office, Philipp Neuweilnau Castle and Office . Most of the rule and the father's debts, however, remained common property. Philipp moved into Neuweilnau Castle, which had already served as his father's residence. Between 1564 and 1566 he had considerable expansion work carried out here.

Philip was a member of the Wetterau Empire Counts College , in which his older brother played a leading role. In 1567/68 Philip met several times with William I of Orange . He took part in the preparation of the Dutch War of Independence against Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba . However, the attack on the Netherlands failed in 1568.

Philipp's first marriage was Erika von Manderscheid-Blankenheim on April 9, 1563; their only child was Anna Amalia von Nassau-Saarbrücken (1565–1605), who later became the wife of Georg von Nassau-Dillenburg .

In 1570, Johann IV of Nassau-Saarbrücken made the brothers Albrecht and Philipp his heirs by will . Johann had no legitimate descendants and wanted to ensure that, in accordance with the inheritance contract of 1491, the counties of Saarbrücken, Saar Werden and Ottweiler would remain in the Walram branch of the House of Nassau. As early as 1571 Philip took over the reign of parts of Johann's property. He moved his residence from Neuweilnau to Saarbrücken. In the same year Albrecht and Philipp shared the rulership rights in the county of Weilburg completely. They concluded several contracts with the Landgraviate of Hessen in which they gradually divided the joint property of Nassau and Hessen.

Just one year later (1572), Philipp succeeded in secularizing the Rosenthal monastery . The monastery had a close relationship with the family and at times served as a burial place for Philip's ancestors, King Adolf von Nassau , the only German king in his family.

Philippsborn hunting lodge (engraving from the 16th century)

In 1572 Philipp had the "Wanborn" castle , a 12th-century complex near Saarbrücken, demolished and a four-wing complex, the Philippsborn hunting lodge, built in the Renaissance style. The vaulted cellar is still preserved from this period. During the Thirty Years' War the complex was destroyed and later rebuilt in a modified form as an estate. Remnants of this now form the Neuhaus forester's house .

With the death of Johann IV of Nassau-Saarbrücken in 1574, the Catholic counties Saarbrücken, Saar Werden and Ottweiler finally fell to Albrecht and Philipp von Nassau-Weilburg. The rulership rights were distributed between the brothers. Philipp received Saarbrücken and Saar Werden and the rule of Stauf . Albrecht received Ottweiler , the offices of Homburg and Kirchheim and the lordship of Lahr and Mahlberg in the Black Forest .

The Saarbrücken inheritance was challenged from various sides. Duke Charles III. of Lorraine , the county of Saar Werden returned as a settled fiefdom . Albrecht, as senior of the Walram House of Nassau, was able to enforce Nassau law before the Imperial Court of Justice . The dispute lasted for years and threatened to escalate militarily at times. This was the main reason that Philipp moved his main residence to Saarbrücken. The newly built summer house in Saarbrücken , which formed the basis of today 's Saarbrücken Castle, served as residence there .

Tomb of Philip and his wives in the collegiate church of St. Arnual

Elector Friedrich III. von der Pfalz also made claims to parts of the inheritance. Here, too, the House of Nassau succeeded in asserting itself on the essential points. Several extensive treaties, in which the exact rights and limits were specified, were concluded.

As early as January 1, 1575, Philip introduced the Reformation in his domain , based on the Hessian model. The Saarbrücken court preacher Gebhard Beilstein from Wetzlar was commissioned with the implementation . Catholic priests were removed from office or committed to the new teaching, church property confiscated, schools set up and church patronage acquired, and the celebration of traditional “pagan customs” such as the St. John's fire and dancing on Sundays was forbidden as a punishment. Philip issued an extensive church ordinance for this . The commitment to the Reformation intensified the dispute with the Duchy of Lorraine, which was still Catholic.

After the death of his first wife in 1581, Philipp married Elisabeth von Nassau-Dillenburg, eldest daughter of Johann VI, on October 3, 1583 . the elder from Dillenburg . After Philip's death, Elisabeth married Wolfgang Ernst von Isenburg-Büdingen.

Philip III died on March 12, 1602 in Saarbrücken. He was buried in the traditional burial place of the Nassau-Saarbrücken house - the collegiate church of St. Arnual  . Philip had no sons, his heir was his nephew Ludwig II of Nassau-Weilburg , who united the entire Walram property of the House of Nassau in his hand.

literature

predecessor Office successor
Philip III Count of Nassau-Weilburg
1559–1602 		Ludwig II.
Johann IV. Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken
1574–1602 		Ludwig II.
personal data
SURNAME Philip IV
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Philip IV of Nassau-Weilburg; Philip III from Nassau-Saarbrücken
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Count of Nassau-Weilburg, Saarbrücken and Saar Werden; reformer
DATE OF BIRTH October 14, 1542
PLACE OF BIRTH Weilburg
DATE OF DEATH March 12, 1602
Place of death Saarbrücken