Wilhelm I of Fahrensbach

Wilhelm I. von Fahrensbach (Varresbeck, Varensbeke) (* approx. 1365 ; † after 1443 ) was a knight and Vogt of Arensburg .

family

Wilhelm came from the Fahrensbach family, originally from the Rhineland . He was the son of Heinrich von Fahrensbach and Christine von Kniprode, a niece of Grand Master Winrich von Kniprode and sister of the bishop of the same name von Ösel Winrich von Kniprode . Wilhelm was married twice. His first wife was one of Asserien, his brother-in-law Jürgen von Asserien testifies for him on September 20, 1427. From this marriage two sons come who will reach adulthood. His second wife was one of Brakel's . Four sons and one daughter are known from this marriage. However, he had a total of at least nine children. Wilhelm was the progenitor of all later members of the family.

Life

In 1385 at the latest, Wilhelm went to his mother brother Winrich von Kniprode, the bishop of Ösel, in the Baltic States, while his parents were still alive, with less than 10 Rhenish guilders . In 1397 he became monastery bailiff of the Wiek and held this position until 1421. 1412 was named as a knight, including 1415 a. 1419. In 1415 he was assessor of the commander in Reval . In 1419 his uncle and patron, the bishop of Ösel, Winrich von Kniprode died. Under his successor Caspar Schuwenflug (1420–1423) there was a scandal over the management of the bailiwick and property ownership. In 1421 Wilhelm was summoned to Rome , followed by the excommunication . In 1422 he transferred from Reval the management of his Bergisch property in the old homeland to his brother-in-law Heinrich Flecke, until after 1507 these farms remained in the possession of the Nesselrode family . Wilhelm knew in the lengthy trials that followed with the new bishop of Ösel Christian Kuband (1423–1432) both the order and the knighthood behind him, and was also able to bring intercessions from the Danish and Swedish kings. He finally managed to keep a large part of his goods with the family. In 1419 he was owned by Laxenorm, in 1425 in Heimar , in 1427 in Walck (which he pledged to the order on June 13th), Heimar, Orenkas and Wrangel. That same year, pirates attacked and looted the monastery with the participation of two of his sons. Nevertheless, on August 16, 1441, Bishop Ludolph Grove called him his faithful and husband of the Church when he confirmed Wilhelm's land sales to the Lieven family .

Wilhelm von Fahrensbach was considered a very wealthy and influential man, his zest for action, courage and entrepreneurial spirit, the tenacity and skill with which he knew how to maintain and expand his position, can be counted among the character traits of the Fahrensbach family.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Kurt Niederau : Quadic pedigree. In: Communications of the West German Society for Family Studies 18, 1958, pp. 319–352.
2. ↑ Ernst von Oidtman : The family circle of the German order master Winrich von Kniprode († 1383). In: Rheinische Heimatpflege. 6th year, issue 3/4 (1934), p. 273 ff.
3. ^ Theodor Schiemann : Die Vitalienbrüder and their meaning for Lievland, In: Historical representations and archival studies: Contributions to Baltic history, Hamburg / Mitau 1886, p. 18

literature

• Kurt Niederau: The sex of those von Varresbeck. From the story of a local noble family. In: Our Bergische Heimat. June 10, 1961.