Counts of Lenzburg: Difference between revisions
expand history |
added biographic sketchs |
||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
==History== |
==History== |
||
[[File:Herrschaftsbereich Lenzburger eng.png|thumb|Lenzburg lands during the 11th and 12th centuries]] |
|||
[[File:Schloss lenzburg 1624.jpg|thumb|Lenzburg Castle in 1624]] |
|||
[[File:20110621 Heliflug 33.JPG|thumb|Modern Lenzburg Castle]] |
|||
The Lenzburg family was first mentioned in 1077 in connection with [[Lenzburg Castle]], though they were probably descended from the [[Carolingian Empire|Carolingian]] Count Hunfrid of Rhaetia through a female line to the Lords of Schänis, the religious [[vogt]] over [[Schänis Abbey]]. Through this line, Ulrich (died 972) is usually considered the first member of the Lenzburg family.<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|19522|von Lenzburg}}</ref> |
The Lenzburg family was first mentioned in 1077 in connection with [[Lenzburg Castle]], though they were probably descended from the [[Carolingian Empire|Carolingian]] Count Hunfrid of Rhaetia through a female line to the Lords of Schänis, the religious [[vogt]] over [[Schänis Abbey]]. Through this line, Ulrich (died 972) is usually considered the first member of the Lenzburg family.<ref name=HDS>{{HDS|19522|von Lenzburg}}</ref> |
||
The Lenzburgs were related to several other noble houses including the Counts of [[Habsburg]], Steffling in [[Regensburg]] and the [[House of Kyburg|Kyburgs]]. The spotty records and intermarriage between the families makes it difficult to determine exactly which family held lands, but Ulrich clearly had land in the [[Hinterrhein (river)|Hinterrhein valley]] and a position as vogt at Schänis Abbey. His son, Arnold, was appointed a vogt in 976 over the two largest monasteries in [[Zurich]], the [[Grossmünster]] and [[Fraumünster]], and their lands in [[Canton of Uri|Uri]]. The next time a member of the family is mentioned is in 1036 when Ulrich I had the authority over the [[collegiate church]] of [[Beromünster]] and a county in Aargau that crossed the [[Aare]] River and included lands in central Switzerland.<ref name=HDS/> |
The Lenzburgs were related to several other noble houses including the Counts of [[Habsburg]], Steffling in [[Regensburg]] and the [[House of Kyburg|Kyburgs]]. The spotty records and intermarriage between the families makes it difficult to determine exactly which family held lands, but Ulrich clearly had land in the [[Hinterrhein (river)|Hinterrhein valley]] and a position as vogt at Schänis Abbey. His son, Arnold, was appointed a vogt in 976 over the two largest monasteries in [[Zurich]], the [[Grossmünster]] and [[Fraumünster]], and their lands in [[Canton of Uri|Uri]]. |
||
===Ulrich I (the rich)=== |
|||
The next time a member of the family is mentioned is in 1036 when the son of Arnold, Ulrich I (also known as ''the rich'') had the authority over the [[collegiate church]] of [[Beromünster]] and a county in Aargau that crossed the [[Aare]] River and included lands in central Switzerland.<ref name=HDS/> In 1045, he became the religious vogt over Schänis Abbey and restored it to prosperity and a sound economic footing by numerous gifts of property. He established a number of dependent farms and churches that surrounded and supported the Abbey. In the same year he convinced [[Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Henry III]] to grant Schänis Abbey, Beromünster and his County [[imperial immediacy]].<ref name=Merz>{{cite book|last=Merz|first=Walther|title=Die Lenzburg|year=1904|publisher=H. R. Sauerländer & co|pages=8-10|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=38o_AAAAYAAJ}}</ref> Under [[Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor|Conrad II]] and Henry III he helped support the plans of the Emperors in what would become Switzerland. His sons Henry, the [[Bishop of Lausanne]] 1039-51/56, and Conrad, probably [[Bishop of Geneva]] 1020/30, both belonged to the Imperial [[Historical episcopate|Episcopate]].<ref>{{HDS|29236|Ulrich I of Lenzberg (the Rich)}}</ref> |
|||
===Henry=== |
|||
Henry the son of Ulrich I was first mentioned in 1036 as the [[Dean (Christianity)|dean]] of Beromünster. He became the Bishop of Lausanne and was sent as the chief ambassador of the Kingdom of Burgundy to the funeral of Emperor Conrad II in 1039. He received the [[pallium]] from [[Pope Leo IX]] when the Pope traveled through the Diocese of Lausanne in September and October 1050. He died on 16 January 1051 or 1056.<ref>{{HDS|18457|Henry of Lenzberg}}</ref> |
|||
===Ulrich II=== |
|||
Ulrich II was the grandson of Ulrich I (the rich) and nephew of Bishop Henry of Lausanne. He was the Count of Aargau and Frickgau and vogt of Beromünster, Zurich and Säckingen. He married Richenza of Habsburg (died on 27 May in some year around 1100). During the [[Investiture Controversy]], he was a supporter of Emperor [[Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry IV]]. In 1077 he arrested the [[Papal legate]] Abbot Bernard of Marseilles, who had supported the election of the anti-king [[Rudolf of Rheinfelden]], and fought Rudolf's forces. As a reward, the victorious Emperor, granted him the Zürichgau (lands around Zürich). His death date is unknown, but was after 1077. His sons Ulrich III, Rudolf I and Arnold II followed him as counts and also acquired the vogtei over [[Rheinau, Switzerland|Rheinau]].<ref>{{HDS|29237|Ulrich II of Lenzberg}}</ref> |
|||
===Ulrich IV=== |
|||
Ulrich IV was first mentioned in 1125. He was the son of Rudolf I of Lenzburg and Count of Aargau. Ulrich remained a supporter of the Emperor and in 1136/37 he took part in Emperor [[Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor|Lothar III]]'s Italian campaign. About ten years later in 1147-49, he joined the [[Second Crusade]] as a close confidant of King [[Conrad III of Germany|Conrad III]]. He joined the court of [[Frederick Barbarossa]] in 1152 and was permanently at court for ten years. When he died without an heir on 5 January 1173, he bequeathed his lands to Frederick Barbarossa. The Emperor gave some of the lands to [[Albert III, Count of Habsburg|Albert III of Habsburg]] in 1173 and the rest to his son Otto in 1188. Otto added the title Count of Lenzburg to his titles.<ref>{{HDS|29238|Ulrich IV of Lenzberg}}</ref> |
|||
==Coat of arms== |
|||
There were several versions of the Lenzburg coat of arms. |
|||
The [[Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie]] states that it was <blockquote>''eine mit zwei zinnengekrönten Eckthürmen besetzte Mauer; im Eckthurme rechts drei Bogenfenster (1 über 2); im Thurm links ein Bogenfenster; unter demselben in der Mauer eine nach links auswärts geöffnet stehende Bogenthüre. Tinkturen: Blau in Silber. Helmzierde: ein von Silber und Roth (Blau?) gewecktes Kissen.''</blockquote><ref>{{Cite ADB|18|280|282|Ulrich II. (Graf von Lenzburg)|Georg von Wyß|ADB:Ulrich II. (Graf von Lenzburg)}}</ref> or |
|||
<blockquote> two crenelated towers flanking a wall. The right-hand corner tower had three arched windows (1 over 2); the left one arched window. Below the left corner tower there is a round topped door that opens to the left. Color: silver on a blue field. The [[Helmet (heraldry)|helmet]] is silver with red or blue [[mantling]].</blockquote> |
|||
Another version was discovered on a gravestone in Muri in 1674, which had a castle flanked by two crenelated towers, but each tower had only one round topped window and in the center was a round topped door.<ref>Merz pg. 164-65</ref> |
|||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
| Line 29: | Line 52: | ||
[[Category:German families]] |
[[Category:German families]] |
||
[[de:Lenzburg (Adelsgeschlecht)]] |
|||
Revision as of 21:37, 14 March 2012
| Counts of Lenzburg | |
|---|---|
| Country | Aargau, Switzerland |
| Founded | before 1077 |
| Founder | Ulrich I |
| Final ruler | Ulrich IV |
| Titles | Count |
| Deposition | 1173 |
The Counts of Lenzburg were a medieval eastern Swiss noble family.
History
The Lenzburg family was first mentioned in 1077 in connection with Lenzburg Castle, though they were probably descended from the Carolingian Count Hunfrid of Rhaetia through a female line to the Lords of Schänis, the religious vogt over Schänis Abbey. Through this line, Ulrich (died 972) is usually considered the first member of the Lenzburg family.[1]
The Lenzburgs were related to several other noble houses including the Counts of Habsburg, Steffling in Regensburg and the Kyburgs. The spotty records and intermarriage between the families makes it difficult to determine exactly which family held lands, but Ulrich clearly had land in the Hinterrhein valley and a position as vogt at Schänis Abbey. His son, Arnold, was appointed a vogt in 976 over the two largest monasteries in Zurich, the Grossmünster and Fraumünster, and their lands in Uri.
Ulrich I (the rich)
The next time a member of the family is mentioned is in 1036 when the son of Arnold, Ulrich I (also known as the rich) had the authority over the collegiate church of Beromünster and a county in Aargau that crossed the Aare River and included lands in central Switzerland.[1] In 1045, he became the religious vogt over Schänis Abbey and restored it to prosperity and a sound economic footing by numerous gifts of property. He established a number of dependent farms and churches that surrounded and supported the Abbey. In the same year he convinced Emperor Henry III to grant Schänis Abbey, Beromünster and his County imperial immediacy.[2] Under Conrad II and Henry III he helped support the plans of the Emperors in what would become Switzerland. His sons Henry, the Bishop of Lausanne 1039-51/56, and Conrad, probably Bishop of Geneva 1020/30, both belonged to the Imperial Episcopate.[3]
Henry
Henry the son of Ulrich I was first mentioned in 1036 as the dean of Beromünster. He became the Bishop of Lausanne and was sent as the chief ambassador of the Kingdom of Burgundy to the funeral of Emperor Conrad II in 1039. He received the pallium from Pope Leo IX when the Pope traveled through the Diocese of Lausanne in September and October 1050. He died on 16 January 1051 or 1056.[4]
Ulrich II
Ulrich II was the grandson of Ulrich I (the rich) and nephew of Bishop Henry of Lausanne. He was the Count of Aargau and Frickgau and vogt of Beromünster, Zurich and Säckingen. He married Richenza of Habsburg (died on 27 May in some year around 1100). During the Investiture Controversy, he was a supporter of Emperor Henry IV. In 1077 he arrested the Papal legate Abbot Bernard of Marseilles, who had supported the election of the anti-king Rudolf of Rheinfelden, and fought Rudolf's forces. As a reward, the victorious Emperor, granted him the Zürichgau (lands around Zürich). His death date is unknown, but was after 1077. His sons Ulrich III, Rudolf I and Arnold II followed him as counts and also acquired the vogtei over Rheinau.[5]
Ulrich IV
Ulrich IV was first mentioned in 1125. He was the son of Rudolf I of Lenzburg and Count of Aargau. Ulrich remained a supporter of the Emperor and in 1136/37 he took part in Emperor Lothar III's Italian campaign. About ten years later in 1147-49, he joined the Second Crusade as a close confidant of King Conrad III. He joined the court of Frederick Barbarossa in 1152 and was permanently at court for ten years. When he died without an heir on 5 January 1173, he bequeathed his lands to Frederick Barbarossa. The Emperor gave some of the lands to Albert III of Habsburg in 1173 and the rest to his son Otto in 1188. Otto added the title Count of Lenzburg to his titles.[6]
Coat of arms
There were several versions of the Lenzburg coat of arms.
The Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie states that it was
eine mit zwei zinnengekrönten Eckthürmen besetzte Mauer; im Eckthurme rechts drei Bogenfenster (1 über 2); im Thurm links ein Bogenfenster; unter demselben in der Mauer eine nach links auswärts geöffnet stehende Bogenthüre. Tinkturen: Blau in Silber. Helmzierde: ein von Silber und Roth (Blau?) gewecktes Kissen.
[7] or
two crenelated towers flanking a wall. The right-hand corner tower had three arched windows (1 over 2); the left one arched window. Below the left corner tower there is a round topped door that opens to the left. Color: silver on a blue field. The helmet is silver with red or blue mantling.
Another version was discovered on a gravestone in Muri in 1674, which had a castle flanked by two crenelated towers, but each tower had only one round topped window and in the center was a round topped door.[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b von Lenzburg in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^ Merz, Walther (1904). Die Lenzburg. H. R. Sauerländer & co. pp. 8–10.
- ^ Ulrich I of Lenzberg (the Rich) in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^ Henry of Lenzberg in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^ Ulrich II of Lenzberg in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^ Ulrich IV of Lenzberg in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- ^ Georg von Wyß (1883), "Ulrich II. (Graf von Lenzburg)", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 18, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 280–282
- ^ Merz pg. 164-65