House of Henneberg

Henneberg was a medieval German comital family (Grafen) which from the 11th century onwards held large territories in the Duchy of Franconia. Their county was raised to a princely county (Gefürstete Grafschaft) in 1310.

Henneberg
Parent house	Babenberg in turn from the Robertians
Titles	Princely Counts of Henneberg
Estate(s)	County of Henneberg

(Princely) County of Henneberg (Gefürstete) Grafschaft Henneberg (de)
c. 1037–1660
Coat of arms
County of Henneberg around 1350
Status	Principality
Capital	Henneberg Schleusingen Römhild
Common languages	East Franconian
Government	Principality
Historical era	Middle Ages, Renaissance
• Poppo I, first count	c. 1037
• Internally divided	1274
• Raised to principality	1310
• Joined    Franconian Circle	1500
• Schleusingen branch    extinct	1583
• Divided	1660
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Franconia Saxe-Weimar Saxe-Gotha Saxe-Zeitz

Upon the extinction of the line in the late 16th century, most of the territory was inherited by the Saxon House of Wettin and subsequently incorporated into the Thuringian estates of its Ernestine branch.

Origins

The distant origins of this family are speculative yet seem to originate in the Middle Rhine Valley, east of modern-day France. Charibert, a nobleman in Neustria is the earliest recorded ancestor of the family, dating before 636. Five generations pass between Charibert and the next descendant of note, Robert III of Worms. Both the Capetian dynasty and the Elder House of Babenberg (Popponids) are direct male lineal descendants of Count Robert I and therefore referred to as Robertians.

The designation Babenberger, from the castle of Bamberg (Babenberch), was established in the 12th century by the chronicler Otto of Freising, himself a member of the Babenberg family. The later House of Babenberg, which ruled what became the Duchy of Austria, claimed to come of the Popponid dynasty. However, the descent of the first margrave Leopold I of Austria († 994) remains uncertain.

County of Henneberg

Henneberg map dated 1594 but probably reflecting an earlier time

In the 11th century, the dynasty's estates around the ancestral seat Henneberg Castle near Meiningen belonged to the German stem duchy of Franconia. They were located southwest of the Rennsteig ridge in the Thuringian Forest, then forming the border with the possessions held by the Landgraves of Thuringia in the north. In 1096 one Count Godebold II of Henneberg served as a burgrave of the Würzburg bishops, his father Poppo had been killed in battle in 1078. In 1137 he established Vessra Abbey near Hildburghausen as the family's house monastery.

The counts lost their position as the bishops were raised to "Dukes of Franconia" in the 12th century. Nevertheless, in the course of the War of the Thuringian Succession upon the death of Landgrave Henry Raspe, Count Herman I of Henneberg (1224–1290) in 1247 received the Thuringian lordship of Schmalkalden from the Wettin margrave Henry III of Meissen. After the extinction of the Bavarian House of Andechs upon the death of Duke Otto II of Merania in 1248, the Counts of Henneberg also inherited their Franconian lordship of Coburg (then called the "new lordship", later Saxe-Coburg).

In 1274 the Henneberg estates were divided into the Schleusingen, Aschach-Römhild and Hartenberg branches. Count Berthold VII of Henneberg-Schleusingen (1272–1340) was elevated to princely status in 1310, his estates comprised the towns of Schmalkalden, Suhl and Coburg. In 1343 the Counts of Hennberg also purchased the Thuringian town of Ilmenau. The Coburg lands passed to the Saxon House of Wettin upon the marriage of Countess Catherine of Henneberg to Margrave Frederick III of Meissen in 1347.

After the Imperial Reform of 1500, the County of Henneberg formed the northernmost part of the Franconian Circle, bordering on the Upper Saxon Ernestine duchies and the lands of the Upper Rhenish prince-abbacy of Fulda in the northwest. A thorn in the side remained the enclave of Meiningen, a fief held by the Bishops of Würzburg, which was not acquired by the counts until 1542.

Disestablishment

Whereas the male line of the House of Babenberg became extinct in 1246, the Counts of Henneberg lived on until 1583. In 1554 William IV of Henneberg-Schleusingen had signed a treaty of inheritance with Duke John Frederick II of Saxony. However, when the last Count George Ernest of Henneberg died, both the Ernestine and the Albertine branch of the Wettin dynasty claimed his estates, that were finally divided in 1660 among the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Gotha and the Albertine duke Maurice of Saxe-Zeitz. The Lordship of Schmalkalden fell to Landgrave William IV of Hesse-Kassel, according to an inheritance treaty of 1360.

After the Congress of Vienna (1815), the former Albertine parts around Schleusingen and Suhl fell to the Prussian province of Saxony. King Frederick William III of Prussia assumed the title of a Princely Count of Henneberg, which his successors in the House of Hohenzollern have borne ever since.

Counts of Henneberg

Partitions of Henneberg under Henneberg rule

County of Henneberg (1052-1091)
						County of Frankenstein (Popponian line) (1091-1354)
County of Henneberg-Botenlauben (1190-1234)					County of Henneberg-Wurzburg (1190-1218)
Sold to the Diocese of Würzburg	County of Henneberg (Gotboldian line) (1190-1262)						County of Frankenstein-Irmelshausen (1144-1255)
					County of Henneberg-Coburg (1245-1291)
	County of Henneberg-Schleusingen (1262-1583)	County of Henneberg-Hartenberg (1262-1371)	County of Henneberg-Aschach (1262-1535)
					Annexed to the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Salzwedel
						Inherited by the Stein zu Nord- und Ostheim family
		County of Henneberg-Aschach-Römhild (1535-1549)		County of Henneberg-Aschach-Schwarza (1535-1549)
	Sold to the County of Mansfeld, and in 1555 was sold again to the Electorate of Saxony		Annexed to the County of Stolberg
Divided between the Electorate of Hesse and the Electorate of Saxony

Table of rulers

(Note: Here the numbering of the counts is the same for all counties, as all (or at least the majority of them) were titled Counts of Henneberg, despite of the different parts of land and its particular numbering of the rulers. The princes are numbered by the year of their succession.)

Ruler		Born	Reign	Death	Ruling part	Consort	Notes
Poppo I		1040	1052-1078	7 August 1078	County of Henneberg	Hildegard of Thuringia two children	Founder of the county. Died fighting in the Battle of Mellrichstadt.
Gotebold I		c.1040	1078-1091	c.1091	County of Henneberg	Unmarried	Brother of the predecessor, left no heirs. The county was divided between the sons of Poppo I.
Gotebold II		c.1070?	1091-1144	20 October 1144	County of Henneberg-Henneberg (Goteboldian line)	Lutgard of Hohenberg six children	Son of Poppo I, inherited Henneberg.
Poppo II		c.1040	1091-1118	21 August 1118	County of Frankenstein (Popponian line)	Beatrix of Gleichen four children	Son of Poppo I, inherited Frankenstein.
Poppo III		c.1100	1118-1156	1156	Frankenstein-Irmelshausen	Unknown three children	Son of Poppo II, inherited Irmelshausen.
Louis I		c.1100	1118-1164	1164	County of Frankenstein	A woman from Zimmern five children	Son of Poppo II, inherited Frankenstein.
Poppo IV		c.1128	1144-1156	1 September 1156	County of Henneberg-Henneberg	Irmgard of Stade no children	Sons of Gotebold II, probably ruled jointly.
Berthold I		c.1130	1156-1159	18 October 1159	County of Henneberg-Henneberg	Bertha of Putelendorf three children
Poppo V		c.1150?	1156-1199	29 May 1199	Frankenstein-Irmelshausen	Irmgard of Rothausen one child	Sons of Poppo III, probably ruled jointly.
Henry I		c.1150?	1156-1167	1167	Frankenstein-Irmelshausen	Unmarried
Poppo VI		c.1150?	1159-1190	14 June 1190	County of Henneberg-Henneberg	Sophia of Andechs c.1182 four children
Louis II		c.1150?	1164-1197	1197	County of Frankenstein	Unknown two children
Berthold II		c.1170?	1190-1212	24 August 1212	Henneberg-Würzburg	Kunigunde of Abensberg one child Matilda of Esvelt no children	Son of Poppo VI, inherited Würzburg.
Poppo VII		c.1170?	1190-1245	21 August 1245	County of Henneberg-Henneberg	Elisabeth of Wildburg 1217 four children Jutta of Thuringia 3 January 1223 Leipzig five children	Son of Poppo VI, inherited Henneberg, and in 1218, Würzburg.
Otto I		c.1177	1190-1234	3/4 October 1244	Henneberg-Botenlauben	Beatrix de Courtenay 1208 three children	Son of Poppo VI, inherited Botenlauben. In 1234 sold it to the Diocese of Würzburg.
Otto II		c.1200?	1220-1234	22 September 1249	Henneberg-Botenlauben	Adelaide of Hildenburg 1228 one child	Son of Otto I, probably co-ruled with his father.
In 1234 Botenlauben was sold to the Diocese of Würzburg
Albert I		c.1170?	1197-1233	26 October 1233	County of Frankenstein	Unknown two children
Henry II		c.1170?	1199-1228	6 December 1228	Frankenstein-Irmelshausen	A woman from Wildberg five children	Died fighting in Meiningen.
Berthold III		c.1190?	1212-1218	1218	Henneberg-Würzburg	Matilda of Hachberg no children	After his death with no heirs, Würzburg returned to Henneberg.
In 1218 Würzburg was annexed to Henneberg.
Albert II		c.1190?	1228-1253/55	Between October 1253 and 31 January 1255	Frankenstein-Irmelshausen	Matilda of Trimberg one child	Left a daughter, who married count Henry of Frankenstein and so returned Irmelshausen to Frankenstein.
In 1255 Irmelshausen was annexed to Frankenstein.
Louis III		c.1190?	1233-1263	11 January 1263	County of Frankenstein	Unknown two children
Herman I		c.1224	1245-1290	18 December 1290	Henneberg-Coburg	Margaret of Holland 1249 two children	Son of Poppo VII, inherited Coburg.
Henry III		c.1226	1245-1262	9 April 1262	County of Henneberg-Henneberg	Elisabeth of Teck four children Sophia of Meissen three children	Son of Poppo VII, inherited Henneberg.
Henry IV		c.1250	1262-1317	Between 9 September and 17 December 1317	Henneberg-Hartenberg	Margaret of Meissen no children Kunigunde of Wertheim 3 May 1287 seven children	Sons of Henry III, inherited Hartenberg, where they probably ruled jointly. Berthold became Bishop of Würzburg in 1267, and possibly abdicated from the co-regency.
Berthold IV		c.1250	1262-1267	29 September 1312	Henneberg-Hartenberg	Unmarried
Berthold V		c.1245	1262-1284	15 September 1284	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Sophia of Schwarzburg c. or before 7 March 1268 Elgersburg eight children	Son of Henry III, inherited Schleusingen.
Herman II		c.1250	1262-1292	9 February 1292	Henneberg-Aschach	Adelaide of Trimberg 25 March 1277 six children	Son of Henry III, inherited Aschach.
Henry V		c.1230?	1263-1295	22 December 1295	County of Frankenstein	Lutgard of Henneberg-Schleusingen eight children	Son of Poppo II, inherited Frankenstein.
Berthold VI the Younger		c.1280	1284-1330	21 January/August 1330	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Unmarried	Sons of Berthold V, ruled jointly.[1] Berthold VI was Knight Hospitaller, and Berthold VII was made regent for Louis V of Bavaria between 1323 and 1330.
Berthold VII the Wise[1]		1272	1284-1340	13 April 1340	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Adelaide of Hesse 1284 five children Anna of Hohenlohe no children
Poppo VIII		c.1254	1290-1291	4 December 1291	Henneberg-Coburg	Sophia of Bavaria 1277 Landshut no children	After his death, his sister Judith inherited the county and so it was annexed to Brandenburg.
In 1291 Coburg was annexed to the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Salzwedel
Henry VI		c.1280	1292-1355/6	Between 14 August 1355 and 26 January 1356	Henneberg-Aschach	Sophia of Käfernburg c.3 March 1315 five children	Sons of Herman II, ruled jointly.
Herman III		c.1277	1292-1307	12 July 1307	Henneberg-Aschach	Katharina of Głogów no children
Poppo IX		c.1280	1292-c.1350	After 1362	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried
Berthold VIII		c.1280	1292-1329	After 1329	Henneberg-Aschach
Herman IV		c.1280	1292-1329	10 December 1329	Henneberg-Aschach
Henry VII		c.1270?	1295-1326/7	Between 26 April 1326 and 25 March 1327	County of Frankenstein	Elisabeth of Thuringia 11 April 1291 seven children	Sons of Henry I, probably ruled jointly. In 1255 they inherited the county of Irmelshausen by the marriage of Henry VIII with the heiress Lutgard.
Henry VIII		c.1270?	1295-1297	c.1297	County of Frankenstein	Lutgard of Frankenstein-Irmelshausen 11 April 1291 no children Judith no children
Poppo X		1286	1317-1349	30 July 1349	Henneberg-Hartenberg	Elisabeth of Castell no children Richeza of Hohenlohe 6 November 1316 five children
Louis IV		c.1270?	1326/7-1334	September/October 1334	County of Frankenstein	Adelaide of Weilnau two children	Brother of the predecessors. Left a daughter, Elisabeth, who later transferred the county to the Von Stein zu Ostheim family.
Siboto		c.1290?	1334-1335	Between 26 April 1326 and 25 March 1327	County of Frankenstein	Unmarried	Son of Henry II.
Dietzel		c.1310?	1335-1354	29 September 1354	County of Frankenstein	Unmarried	Nephew of Siboto. After his death, his second cousin Elisabeth transferred the county to the Von Stein zu Ostheim family.
In 1354 Frankenstein was added to the patrimony of the Von Stein zu Ostheim family
John I		1289	1340-1359	2 May 1359	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg 1349 four children	Sons of Berthold VI, ruled jointly. Berthold IX was a Knight Hospitaller.
Henry IX the Younger		1288	1340-1347	10 September 1347	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Judith of Brandenburg-Salzwedel 1 January 1317 or 1 February 1319 five children
Berthold IX		1300	1340-1356	c.1356	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Unmarried
Berthold X[1]		c.1330/40	1349-1371	26 May 1378	Henneberg-Hartenberg	Unmarried	Left no heirs, and in 1371 sold Hartenberg to the Herman IV.
In 1371 Hartenberg was sold to Aschach
Herman V		c.1330	1355/6-1403	27 January or 28 March 1403	Henneberg-Aschach	Adelaide of Zollern no children Agnes of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg 1366 four children	Son of Henry VI, probably ruled jointly.
Berthold XI		c.1330	1355-1411	1 April 1411	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried
Henry X		c.1340/50	1359-1405	2/3 August 1405	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Matilda of Baden c.4 July 1376 six children	Sons of John I, ruled jointly. Berthold was canon at Bamberg and resigned his noble titles in 1375.[1]
Berthold XII[1]		1356	1359-1375	11 February 1416	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Unmarried
Frederick I		1367	1405-1422	24 September 1422	Henneberg-Aschach	Elisabeth of Henneberg-Schleusingen c.4 May 1393 four children	Sons of Herman V, probably rule jointly.
Herman VI		c.1370	1405-1416	11 September 1416	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried
William I		31 July 1384	1405-1426	7 July 1426	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Anna of Brunswick-Lüneburg c.30 May 1413 nine children
George I		1395	1422-1465	25 July 1465	Henneberg-Aschach	Katharina of Wertheim no children Joanna of Nassau-Saarbrücken 13 May 1423 twelve children
Herman VII		c.1430	1450/60-1464	13 February 1464	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried	Probably ruled with his father.
William II		14 March 1415	1426-1444	8 January 1444	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Katharina of Hanau 28 February 1433 seven children
William III		12 March 1434	1444-1480	25 May 1480	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Margaret of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 5 November 1469 Wolfenbüttel eight children	Sons of William II, probably ruled jointly. Bethold XIII died as a minor, Berthold XIV became canon at Bamberg in 1452, and John II became also canon in the ame year at Strasbourg, so they may have probably resigned co-regency.
John II		2 July 1439	1444-1452	20/26 May 1513	Henneberg-Schleusingen
Berthold XIII		8 January 1441	1444-1446	20 April 1446	Henneberg-Schleusingen
Berthold XIV		4 March 1443	1444-1452	20 April 1495	Henneberg-Schleusingen
Otto III		1437	1465-1502	9 June 1502	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried	Sons of George I, ruled jointly. In 1484 Berthold became Archbishop of Mainz, probably abdicating from co-regency.
Frederick II		1429	1465-1488	7 November 1488	Henneberg-Aschach	Elisabeth of Württemberg I 13 September 1469 Münnerstadt twelve children
Berthold XV		1442	1465-1484	21 December 1504	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried
Margaret of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (regent)		1451	1480-c.1492	13 February 1509	Henneberg-Schleusingen	William III 5 November 1469 Wolfenbüttel eight children	Regent for her minor sons, Poppo XI William IV.
Poppo XI		14/17 March 1479	1480-1483	14/24 May 1483	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Unmarried	Died as a minor.
William IV		29 January 1478	c.1492-1559	24 January 1559	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Anastasia of Brandenburg 7 or 16 February 1500 Neustadt an der Aisch eleven children
John III		30 April 1503	c.1520-1529	20 May 1541	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Unmarried	Probably co-ruled with his father. Became Prince-abbot in Fulda in 1529, probably abdicating from the co-regency.
Herman VIII		1470	1502-1535	5 April 1535	Henneberg-Aschach	Elisabeth of Brandenburg 23 October 1491 Aschaffenburg nine children	After his death, his sons divided Aschach.
Berthold XVI		1493	1535-1549	23 March 1549	Henneberg-Aschach-Römhild	Anna of Mansfeld-Vorderort 17 August 1529 no children	Son of Herman VIII, inherited Römhild. After his death, his county was sold to the County of Mansfeld.
In 1549 Römhild was sold to the County of Mansfeld, and in 1555 it was sold again to the Electorate of Saxony
Albert III		1495	1535-1549	5 May/June 1549	Henneberg-Aschach-Schwarza	Katherine of Stolberg 1537 no children	Son of Herman VIII, inherited Schwarza. After his death, his county was annexed to the County of Stolberg.
In 1549 Schwarza was annexed to the County of Stolberg
George Ernest		27 May 1511	1559-1583	27 December 1583	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Elisabeth of Brunswick-Calenberg 19 August 1543 Münden one child Elisabeth of Württemberg II 31 May 1568 Stuttgart no children	Sons of William IV, ruled jointy, and neither of them left descendants. After their death, the county was divided between the Electorate of Hesse and the Electorate of Saxony.
Poppo XII		20 September 1513	1559-1574	4 March 1574	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Elisabeth of Brandenburg 30 May 1546 Münden no children Sophia of Brunswick-Lüneburg 22 June 1562 Schleusingen no children
In 1583 Schleusingen was divided between the Electorate of Hesse and the Electorate of Saxony

Notable members of the Henneberg family

Family tree (click to enlarge)

• Bertold von Henneberg-Römhild (1442 – December 21, 1504), Prince-elector and archbishop of Mainz, son of George, count of Henneberg-Römhild.
• Count Otto von Henneberg, known commonly as Otto von Botenlauben from 1206, probably born in 1177 in Henneberg, died in Reiterswiesen near Bad Kissingen before 1245, was a German minnesinger, crusader and founder of Frauenroth Abbey.
• Herman I, Count of Henneberg
• Catherine of Henneberg
• William II, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen
• William III, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen
• William IV, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen

Castles

• 
  Henneberg, Thuringia
• 
  Bertholdsburg Castle, Schleusingen
• 
  Römhild Castle
• 
  Coburg Castle

Coats of arms incorporating Henneberg

• 
  Wartburgkreis
• 
  Landkreis Hildburghausen
• 
  Ilm-Kreis
• 
  Schmalkalden-Meiningen
• 
  Suhl
• 
  Schleusingen
• 
  Meiningen
• 
  Themar
• 
  Schmalkalden

See also

Monument of Count Otto IV of Henneberg-Münnerstadt +1502

• Bishopric of Würzburg
• Vessra Abbey
• Aura Abbey
• Römhild
• Sondheim vor der Rhön
• Münnerstadt
• Irmelshausen
• Bad Kissingen (district)
• Poppo
• William II, German Emperor/Scraps
• Schmalkalden-Meiningen
• Wartburgkreis
• Hildburghausen (district)
• List of states in the Holy Roman Empire (H)

References

1. Detlev Schwennicke: Europäische Stammtafeln, Neue Folge, Band XVI., Tafel 146, Verlag: Vittorio Klostermann, Frankfurt a. M. 1995, ISBN 3-465-02741-8

• Schwennicke, Detlev. Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge. [European Family Trees: Family Trees for the History of European States, New Series.] BAND II, Tafel 10:Die Robertiner I und die Anfänge des Hauses Capet, 922-923 König der Westfranken, Marburg, Verlag von J.A. Stargardt (1984)
• Historische Landkarte: Grafschaft Henneberg 1755 mit den Ämtern Schleusingen, Suhl, Kühndorf mit Bennshausen, Reprint 2003, Verlag Rockstuhl, ISBN 3-936030-15-4
• Johannes Mötsch: Regesten des Archivs der Grafen von Henneberg-Römhild. Volumes 1 und 2. Böhlau, Köln etc. 2006, ISBN 978-3-412-35905-8

External links

• Media related to House of Henneberg at Wikimedia Commons
• Henneberg Genealogy
• (in German) Direct male descent of Babenberger from Robertiner (Capet) family, in the German Wikipedia
• (in German) Early Babenberger genealogy, in the German Wikipedia