Wilhelm IV of the Bergh

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Wilhelm IV von dem Bergh , painting by Anthonis Mor

Wilhelm IV von dem Bergh (* December 24, 1537 at Huis Bergh in 's-Heerenberg , † November 6, 1586 at Ulft Castle in Ulft ) was the ruling Count of the Bergh . From 1581 to 1583 he was governor of Gelderland and Zutphen .

Life

Wilhelm was the eldest son of Oswald II von dem Bergh (1508–1546) and his wife Elisabeth von Dorth (around 1505–1545). He was a great-grandson of Oswald I von dem Bergh .

In his youth, Wilhelm stayed for training in Leuven and at the imperial court in Brussels, where he must have met the still youthful Prince William of Orange, who was also there. Count Wilhelm then married his sister Maria on November 11, 1556 at Moers Castle . Shortly after the wedding, a Protestant court preacher took up his work at Huis Bergh. With his brother-in-law and distant cousin Count Hermann von Neuenahr and Moers (1520–1578), Wilhelm had an extensive correspondence since the end of the 1550s.

He was a prominent member of the approximately 200 nobles who formed the oath in November 1565 and presented the compromise they had drawn up from Breda in Brussels to governor Margaret of Parma on April 5, 1566 .

In 1567 Philip II sent an army led by Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba , to the Netherlands to put down the rebellion. On January 24, 1568, the Duke of Alba appointed him before the Council of Unrest , whereupon he decided to flee to his brother-in-law Wilhelm of Orange in Dillenburg . His possessions in the Habsburg Netherlands were confiscated .

In 1572 Wilhelm commanded a small army of around 5,000 mercenaries, which was financed by his brother-in-law Wilhelm von Nassau-Dillenburg . In the summer he then marched into the Gelderland . At first it was also successful and in a short time conquered Doetinchem , Zutphen , Deventer , Zwolle , Kampen and Steenwijk . However, he was unable to cope with Fadrique Álvarez de Toledo's punitive expedition in the autumn and had to flee. The second time he arrived in Germany penniless. Only after the Ghent pacification in 1576, from whose amnesty he benefited, was he able to return to the Netherlands and secure his property.

In 1577 Count Wilhelm IV. Von Bergh 's-Heerenberg was recognized by the critic of the witch hunt Johann Weyer (1515 / 16–1588) as an opponent of torture and the use of the death penalty.

Wilhelm applied as governor of the province of Gelderland in 1578 , but lost in the election to Count Johann VI. from Nassau-Dillenburg . After Johann von Nassau-Dillenburg returned to Germany at Dillenburg Castle in 1581 , Wilhelm finally won the election against Count Adolf von Neuenahr . Despite doubts about Wilhelm's sentiments, his brother-in-law Prince Wilhelm of Orange appointed him governor of Gelderland in the spring of 1582. Before that, however, Wilhelm had contacted Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma , to let him know that he would like to become the royal governor of Gelderland.

Both Prince Wilhelm and the Gelderland Chancellor Elbertus Leoninus monitored Wilhelm and he himself, as governor, was still in contact with Alessandro Farnese. His correspondence with him was intercepted and prompted him to be arrested. The Gelderland councilors had Wilhelm arrested on November 5, 1583 in Arnhem with the help of the local government. Together with his wife Maria, his three eldest sons Hermann , Friedrich and Oswald , as well as several nobles close to them, they were first brought to Zaltbommel and then to Delfshaven . They were released from custody in the spring of 1584 on the condition that they go to a neutral place and stay out of the conflict. Wilhelm did not adhere to it, fled immediately to Brussels and switched to the king's side, as did his sons later on.

After Wilhelm's death in 1586, his widow Maria von Nassau inherited the estates under the strict condition of absolute neutrality.

Marriage and offspring

Wilhelm's coat of arms:
(1) Bergh, (2) Egmond , (3) Moers-Saar Werden , (4) Culemborg

Wilhelm married Maria (1539–1599), eldest daughter of Wilhelm von Nassau , on November 11, 1556 at Moers Castle . They had the following offspring:

  • Magdalena (born August 1, 1557 at Huis Bergh in 's-Heerenberg; † May 25, 1579)
  • Hermann (born August 2, 1558 in 's-Heerenberg; † August 12, 1611 in Spa )
⚭ February 1599 in Wouw with Maria Mencia von Wittem , Margravine von Bergen op Zoom (1581–1613), daughter of Johann von Witthem
  • Friedrich (born August 18, 1559 in 's-Heerenberg, † September 3, 1618 in Boxmeer)
⚭ February 8, 1601 with Françoise, Baroness von Renty (1583–1629), daughter of Eustache de Ravanel
  • Maria (* 1560 in 's-Heerenberg)
  • Oswald (born June 16, 1561 in 's-Heerenberg; ⚔ January 27, 1586 at the Battle of Boksum )
  • Wilhelmina (* July 7, 1562 in 's-Heerenberg; † November 15, 1591 in Ulft)
  • Elisabeth (born December 31, 1563 in 's-Heerenberg; † around 1572 in Cologne)
  • Joost (born January 25, 1565 in 's-Heerenberg; † August 8, 1600)
  • Ludwig (born November 1, 1572 in Cologne; ⚔ June 19, 1592 at the siege of Steenwijk )
  • Heinrich (* 1573 in Bremen; † May 22, 1638 in Zutphen)
⚭ March 4, 1612 in Wouw with Margaretha (1580–1627), daughter of Johann von Witthem
⚭ 1629 with Hiëronyma Catharina von Spaur-Flavon (1600–1683), daughter of George Frederik von Spaur-Flavon
  • Adam (* 1575 in Cologne; ⚔ November 7, 1590 in Groningen)
  • Adolf (* 1576 in Kampen; ⚔ May 25, 1609 in 's-Hertogenbosch)
  • Catharina (* 1578 in 's-Heerenberg; † October 19, 1640 in Culemborg)
⚭ March 4, 1601 with Floris II. (1577–1639), son of Floris I von Pallandt
  • Anna (* 1579 in 's-Heerenberg; † August 17, 1630 in Echt)
  • Juliana (* 1580 in 's-Heerenberg; † November 15, 1591 in Ulft)
  • Elisabeth (* 1581 in 's-Heerenberg; † January 12, 1614 in Essen )
  • Charlotte (* 1582 in 's-Heerenberg; † November 2, 1631)

Trivia

His two daughters Wilhelmina and Juliana drowned together on November 15, 1591 in the Oude IJssel near Ulft after a bridge had collapsed.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ See Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers Doetinchem (0214 Briefregestenlijst Huis Bergh, various numbers); Online research using the keywords "Neuenahr", "Newenar", "Nuenar" and the like. Ä. in the regesta.
  2. ↑ "Comes Monte [n] sis Guilelmus"; see. Johann Weyer: De praestigiis daemonum et incantationibus ac veneficiis , Basel: Johann Oporinus successor 2nd ed. 1577, pp. 717f; Christoph Meiners : Historical comparison of the customs and constitutions, the laws and trades of trade and religion, the sciences and educational institutions of the Middle Ages with those of our century , Vol. III, Hannover: Helwing 1794, p. 368f.
predecessor Office successor
Oswald II of the Bergh Count von dem Bergh
1546–1586 		Heinrich von dem Bergh
Johann VI. from Nassau-Dietz Governor of Gelderland
1582–1583 		Adolf von Neuenahr
personal data
SURNAME Bergh, Wilhelm IV of that
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bergh 's-Heerenberg, Wilhelm IV. Von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Imperial Count von dem Bergh, governor of Gelderland and Zutphen
DATE OF BIRTH December 24, 1537
PLACE OF BIRTH Huis Bergh , 's-Heerenberg
DATE OF DEATH November 6, 1586
Place of death Ulft Castle , Ulft