Weissenburg (Swiss noble family)

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Coat of arms of the barons of Weissenburg, today's coat of arms of Wimmis

The barons of Weissenburg were a noble family residing in the Bernese Oberland . At the beginning of the 14th century their power was at a peak.

origin

With Wilhelm, Ulrich, and Rudolf de Albocastro , the family is mentioned for the first time in 1175, in the entourage of the dukes of Zähringen . At this time, however, no real estate can be assigned to them. The Weissenburgers came to the Bernese Oberland with the dukes of Zähringen towards the end of the 12th century. A descent from the Lords of Weissenburg from Klettgau, feudal bearers of the Counts of Lenzburg, is possible .

Due to the property that the family acquired in the Simmental from the middle of the 13th century, it can be assumed that the family inherited the Barons von Erlenbach . These clearing aristocrats were probably the first pioneers to reclaim the Lower Simmental and take possession of it. The Barons von Erlenbach are difficult to identify as a family and there is no clear lineage. The name of Erlenbach was therefore always carried by the respective owner of the Erlenbach estate. Branches of the von Raron , von Strättligen and probably also von Weissenburg families lived under the name of Erlenbach.

It is not clear whether the battle of Grindelwald in 1191 was decisive for the increase in power of the Weissenburgers, but also for many other families loyal to the Zähringer, such as the barons of Strättligen or the barons of Eschenbach .

Ascent

Around 1270 the Weissenburgs' possessions in Erlenbach im Simmental , Oberwil im Simmental , Därstetten , Diemtigen and Wimmis become tangible. In addition, Weissenburg Castle was first mentioned in 1278 as the ancestral seat of the Weissenburg family. It was built in place of an older wooden castle at this time. The massive round tower indicates Savoyard influence over the Counts of Gruyères .

It is not known how the Weissenburgers came to these large estates. Whether they bought it, whether they pursued a clever marriage policy, or whether they had seized the lands in the Interregnum by force, are a few possibilities.

In 1268 the barons acquired the entire Wimmis rule, expanded the castle into a bulwark and expanded the castle town at the foot of the castle hill. In 1260 the rule of Wimmis was still in the hands of the barons of Strättligen, who like the Weissenburgers came to the Oberland with the dukes of Zähringen. It is not known whether these two sexes got in each other's way in the struggle for supremacy in the Lower Simmental. In any case, with the acquisition of Wimmis, the barons of Weissenburg replace the barons of Strättligen as the most powerful men in the Lower Simmental.

The Weissenburgers turned to the Count of Habsburg , who also grew up in the Interregnum . Through the marriage of Rudolf III. von Weissenburg with the daughter of Konrad von Wädenswil came the rulership of Rothenfluh and the rulership of Balm with the castles Rothenfluh ( Balm ) and Weissenau in the possession of the Weissenburgers. For his services to King Heinrich VII. Peter von Weissenburg received the pledge over the realm of Hasli. Because the barons put themselves in disgrace with the Habsburgs in 1303 for breaking the peace, they lost their castles Weissenau and Rothenfluh. They now increasingly participated in the actions of the Habsburgs. In the Morgarten War in 1315 they supported the unsuccessful attack from the west via the Brünig on Unterwalden and were present at the siege of the city of Solothurn in 1318. This enabled them to restore their reputation with the Habsburgs and received the Unspunnen and Oberhofen castles in 1316 and Weissenau Castle and the small town of Unterseen as pledges. In 1325 the Weissenburgers founded Blankenburg Castle, in which the Lords of Blankenburg, illegitimate descendants of the von Weissenburg family, settled.

descent

Because of their affection for the Habsburgs, the Weissenburgers became enemies with the city of Bern. They took part in military actions against Bern ( Battle of Dornbühl , Gümmenenkrieg ) and their allies in Waldstätten in 1315 and Solothurn in 1318. Bern besieged the city of Wimmis nine times in this feud. As a result, the Weissenburgers got into greater debt distress. The last Weissenburger Rudolf IV. And his brother Johann II. Entered the Bern civic law in 1334. In 1337 her uncle Johann I was forced into the Bernese civil law and the lands of the barons were placed under Bern's sovereignty. Johann II., The last surviving Weissenburger, fought in 1339 with 300 soldiers in the battle of Laupen on the side of Bern. He was able to pay off his debts and came back into the possession of the former tribal rule through a fiefdom from Bern. He died childless in 1368 and with him the family of the Barons of Weissenburg.

people

  1. Wilhelm, Ulrich and Rudolf I. de Albocastro, followers of the Zähringer, lived around 1175
    1. Rudolf II of Weissenburg, approx. 1224 to 1253
      1. Rudolf III. von Weissenburg, Baron von Weissenburg, approx. 1259 to 1307
        1. Peter von Weissenburg, son of Rudolf III, Baron von Weissenburg; † 1314
          1. Rudolf IV von Weissenburg, son of Peter, Baron von Weissenburg, citizen of the city of Bern; † 1347
            1. Hansli, illegitimate son of Rudolf IV, provost of the Interlaken monastery
          2. Johann II. Von Weissenburg, son of Peter, Baron von Weissenburg, citizen of the city of Bern; † 1368
          3. Katharina II. Von Weissenburg, daughter of Peter ∞ Thuringia von Brandis
        2. Johann I von Weissenburg, son of Rudolf III, Baron von Weissenburg; † 1341
        3. Katharina von Weissenburg, daughter of Rudolf III. ∞ Count Peter III. of Gruyères

literature

  • Franziska Hälg-Steffen: Weissenburg, from. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  • Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern: Castles on the Bödeli , brochure 2005
  • Franziska Hälg-Steffen: Erlenbach, from. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
  • Erich Liechti: Castles, palaces and ruins in the Simmental , Wimmis 2006
  • Beat Frei: Contributions to the history of the nobility in the Bernese Oberland (12th / 13th centuries) , Zurich 1988
  • Ludmilla and Ernst Friedrich Räuber-von Steiger: Dynasties and castles in the Bernese Oberland , Bern 1936

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ https://www.daerstetten.ch/de/portrait/geschichte/