The Counts of Vianden, ancestors of the

House of Orange-Nassau The House of Orange-Nassau ( Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the politics and government of the Netherland ...

, were associated with the castle of

Vianden Vianden ( lb, Veianen or (locally) ) is a commune with town status in the Oesling, north-eastern Luxembourg, with over 1,800 inhabitants. It is the capital of the canton of Vianden, which is part of the district of Diekirch. Vianden lies on ...

( Vianden Castle) in

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small land ...

. In the 12th to 15th centuries the counts of Vianden were the mightiest lords of the area between the rivers

Rhine The Rhine ; french: Rhin ; nl, Rijn ; wa, Rén ; li, Rien; rm, label=Sursilvan, Rein, rm, label=Sutsilvan and Surmiran, Ragn, rm, label=Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader and Puter, Rain; it, Reno ; gsw, Rhi(n), including in Alsatian dialect, Al ...

, Mosel and Maas. Their territory was in modern Vianden canton,

Luxemburg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small land ...

and

Bitburg-Prüm The Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm ( lb, Äifelkrees Béibreg-Prüm) is a district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by (from the west and clockwise) Luxembourg, Belgium and the districts of Euskirchen, Vulkaneifel, Bernkastel-Wittlich an ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

. One recognition of their importance was that Henry I of Vianden (c. 1200-1252) in 1216 married

Margaret, Marchioness of Namur Margaret, Marchioness of Namur (c. 1194 – Marienthal, 17 July 1270) was ruling Marchioness of Namur, from 1229 to 1237. She was the daughter of Peter of Courtenay (d. 1219), Latin Emperor of Constantinople (1216-1219) and Yolanda of Flan ...

(c. 1194 - 1270) of the Capetian

House of Courtenay The House of Courtenay is a medieval noble house, with branches in France, England and the Holy Land. One branch of the Courtenays became a Royal House of the Capetian Dynasty, cousins of the Bourbons and the Valois, and achieved the title ...

, and daughter of

Peter II of Courtenay Peter, also Peter II of Courtenay (french: Pierre de Courtenay; died 1219), was emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople from 1216 to 1217. Biography Peter II was a son of Peter I of Courtenay (died 1183), a younger son of Louis VI of Fra ...

(1167-1217), emperor of Constantinople. It was the peak of its power, but in 1264 Vianden became a

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. ...

to the

counts of Luxembourg Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

. Godefroid I participated in the

Battle of Worringen The Battle of Worringen was fought on 5 June 1288 near the town of Worringen (also spelled Woeringen), which is now the northernmost borough of Cologne. It was the decisive battle of the War of the Limburg Succession, fought for the possession ...

in 1288 as a vassal to the

Duchy of Brabant The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg ...

. The male line of the ruling house of Vianden became extinct in 1337.

Early counts of Vianden

* Bertolph count of Vianden (first reference from 1090, "Bertolf Comes de Vianne"), probably from the counts of

Hamm, Bitburg-Prüm Hamm is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany. Hamm consists of only a few houses along the ''Hauptstrasse'' (main street). It is overlooked by Hamm Castle which dates back to the 11th centu ...

Vogt During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...

s of

Prüm Prüm () is a town in the Westeifel (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany. Formerly a district capital, today it is the administrative seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") Prüm. Geography Prüm lies on the river Prüm (a tri ...

House of Vianden (with time of reign)

Numberings and names can vary and the year details have several uncertainties and should be taken as approximative due to some conjecture in lack of complete documentation. In this list mostly the English name versions are used. * Gerhard (about 1100), probably from the

house of Sponheim The House of Sponheim or Spanheim was a medieval German noble family, which originated in Rhenish Franconia. They were immediate Counts of Sponheim until 1437 and Dukes of Carinthia from 1122 until 1269. Its cadet branches ruled in the Imperia ...

. Married Adelheid. He is told to have founded in

Altleiningen Altleiningen is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a '' Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Geography Location The municipality lies at ...

in 1096. * Gerhard I, Count of

Clervaux Clervaux (; lb, Clierf or (locally) ; german: Clerf) is a commune and town in northern Luxembourg, administrative capital of the canton of Clervaux. The town's arms, granted in 1896, show three blackbirds on a gold ground in the chief of a red ...

(1129-1156), son of Gerhard. * (1124-c. 1150), son of Gerhard. According to some accounts Frederic I was appointed as the "first count of Vianden", as a

and Undervogt of Electorate of Trier. Probably married to a daughter of Bertolph. * (1152-1171), son of Frederic I. * (1163-1187), son of Frederic I. Married countess Elisabeth of Salm, and became count of Niedersalm (1163-1175) ''

jure uxoris ''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title '' suo jure'' ("in her own right"). Similarly, the husband of an heiress could beco ...

'', while Elizabeth's brother Henry II got Obersalm. Their son William I inherited the county of Niedersalm. * (1184-1220), son of Frederic II. He married Mechthild (Mathilde), assumingly of

Neuerburg Neuerburg ( lb, Neierbuerg) is a city in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Eifel, near the border with Luxembourg, approx. 20 km north-west of Bitburg and 20 km north-east of Diek ...

, with a disputed and confusing ancestry. At least their son Frederic I inherited Neuerburg, and married Cecilie of Isenburg Kovern, but that dynasty became extinct with the death of Frederick III in 1332. * Henry I of Vianden (1220-1252), son of Frederic III. He married

. One of their sons was Frederic (d. 1247), married to Mathilde of Salm, with issue Henry, Lord of Schönecken (de) (1248-1299), starting a short-lived cadet line. * (1252-1273), son of Henry I. He married Marie of Brabant-

Perwez Perwez (; wa, Perwé; nl, Perwijs, ) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 7,487 inhabitants. The total area is 50.81 km², giving a population density of 14 ...

, daughter of Godfrey of

Louvain Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic c ...

, Lord of

, apparently a descendant of

Godfrey III, Count of Louvain Godfrey III ( nl, Godfried; c. 1142 – 21 August 1190) was count of Louvain (or Leuven), landgrave of Brabant, margrave of Antwerp, and duke of Lower Lorraine (as Godfrey VIII) from 1142 to his death. Origins He was the son of Godfrey II a ...

and

Landgrave of Brabant The Landgraviate of Brabant (1085–1183) was a small medieval fiefdom west of Brussels, consisting of the area between the Dender and Zenne rivers in the Low Countries, then part of the Holy Roman Empire. Before 1085 the land had belonged ...

(1142-1190). * (1273-1307/1310), son of Philip I. He married Aleidis van Oudenaarde. * (1307/1310-1315/1316), son of Godefroid I. He married Lucia of

and Adelheid of Arnsberg, daughter of Count Louis of Arnsberg and Petronella of Jülich * (1317–1337), son of Philip II. He married Maria of Dampierre (

Namur Namur (; ; nl, Namen ; wa, Nameur) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Na ...

), daughter of Jean of Namur. Henry had a

Herrschaft (territory) The German term ''Herrschaft'' (plural: ''Herrschaften'') covers a broad semantic field and only the context will tell whether it means, "rule", "power", "dominion", "authority", "territory" or "lordship". In its most abstract sense, it refers ...

under his uncle

Gerhard V of Jülich Gerhard V of Jülich (before 1250 – 29 July 1328), Count of Jülich (1297–1328), was the youngest son of William IV, Count of Jülich and Richardis of Guelders, daughter of Gerard III, Count of Guelders.Walther Möller, ''Stammtafeln westdeuts ...

. * Louis (1337-1343), son of Philip II * Maria (1343-1348), daughter of Henry II. She married Simon III, Count of Sponheim-Kreuznach (d. 1414). * Maria and Simon (1348-1400) ''

'', from 1380 also Count of Sponheim-Kreuznach, joining Vianden and Sponheim-Kreuznach. * (c. 1315-1376), daughter of Philip II with Adelheid of Arnsberg. Born about 1309 and hade older relatives as co-rulers. She married count Otto II of Nassau-Dillenburg (c. 1305-c. 1350), son of Count Henry I of Nassau-Siegen and Adelheid of Sponheim.

House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau w ...
-Dillenburg

* John I, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg (d. 1414), son of Adelheid and Otto. Married Margaretha of the Marck, daughter of Adolph II of the Marck,

count of Cleves The Duchy of Cleves (german: Herzogtum Kleve; nl, Hertogdom Kleef) was a State of the Holy Roman Empire which emerged from the medieval . It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and ...

. He reigned Nassau-Dillenburg from 1350 and apparently Vianden 1376-1414 on behalf of or jointly with Elisabeth von Sponheim-Kreuznach.

House of Sponheim The House of Sponheim or Spanheim was a medieval German noble family, which originated in Rhenish Franconia. They were immediate Counts of Sponheim until 1437 and Dukes of Carinthia from 1122 until 1269. Its cadet branches ruled in the Imperia ...
with Vianden

* Elisabeth von Sponheim-Kreuznach(-Sayn) (1376/1414–1417), daughter of Maria and Simon. She was married to (1) Count

Engelbert III of the Mark Engelbert III of the Mark (1333–1391) was the Count of Mark from 1347 until 1391. Adolph was the eldest son of Count Adolph II of the Marck Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name used in ...

(d. 1391), and (2)

Prince elector The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. From the 13th century onwards, the prince ...

Ruprecht Pipan von der Pfalz (de) (d. 1397), eldest son of

Rupert, King of Germany Rupert of the Palatinate (german: Ruprecht von der Pfalz; 5 May 1352 – 18 May 1410), sometimes known as Robert of the Palatinate, a member of the House of Wittelsbach, was Elector Palatine from 1398 (as Rupert III) and King of Germany fr ...

. She bore no children and the Sporheim and Vianden dynasty became extinct. 1/5 of Sporheim-Kreuznach was testamented to the

Electorate of the Palatinate The Electoral Palatinate (german: Kurpfalz) or the Palatinate (), officially the Electorate of the Palatinate (), was a state that was part of the Holy Roman Empire. The electorate had its origins under the rulership of the Counts Palatine of ...

with Louis III, the rest to John V Count of Sponheim-Starkenburg (de). She gave Vianden to

Engelbert I of Nassau Engelbert I of Nassau (, in Dillenburg3 May 1442, in Breda) was a son of Count John I of Nassau-Siegen and Countess Margaret of the Mark, daughter of Count Adolph II of the Marck. Early years Engelbert of Nassau was a student in Cologne, Ge ...

, son of John and Margaretha.

House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau w ...
-Dillenburg

(c. 1417-1442), son of John and Margaretha. At his death his whole territory was administered jointly by his four sons. *

John IV, Count of Nassau-Siegen Count John IV of Nassau-SiegenIn many sources he is called John IV of Nassau(-Dillenburg). His official titles were Count of Nassau, Vianden and Diez, Lord of Breda. It is incorrect to refer to him as the only reigning Count of Nassau, ...

442–1475 son of Engelbert. He married

Mary of Looz-Heinsberg Lady Mary of Looz-HeinsbergIn English and French the county her name originated from is called Looz, while in Dutch and German it is called Loon. (1424 – 20 April 1502), nl, Maria van Loon-Heinsberg, was a noble lady from the House of L ...

. * Engelbert II of Nassau (1475–1504), son of Jan. He married Cimburga of Baden (de) but had no legitimate issue. * ''continue under

House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau w ...

that owned

until the

French revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

Coats of arms of Vianden

Image:Armoiries de Brandenbourg.svg, Arms used before Philip I. Image:Armoiries de Vianden 2.svg, Arms used by Philip I (1252-1273). Based on the arms of

. Image:Armoiries de Vianden 3.svg, Arms used after Philip I, until Nassau. Based on the arms of

Literature

* Dominique du Fays (1987) La Maison de Vianden. University thesis, Liège * John Zimmer (1996) Die Burgen des Luxemburger Landes. Band I, Luxemburg

External links

Family tree of the Counts of Vianden from Gerhard of Sponheim at fmg.ac
* {{cite web , last=Marek , first=Miroslav , url=http://genealogy.euweb.cz/sponheim/sponh14.html , title= Stammbaum der Grafen von Vianden ab Gerhard von Sponheim , publisher=genealogy.euweb.cz

House of Nassau

Vianden

Early counts of Vianden

House of Vianden (with time of reign)

House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau w ...-Dillenburg

House of Sponheim The House of Sponheim or Spanheim was a medieval German noble family, which originated in Rhenish Franconia. They were immediate Counts of Sponheim until 1437 and Dukes of Carinthia from 1122 until 1269. Its cadet branches ruled in the Imperia ... with Vianden

House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau w ...-Dillenburg

Coats of arms of Vianden

Literature

External links

House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau w ...
-Dillenburg

House of Sponheim The House of Sponheim or Spanheim was a medieval German noble family, which originated in Rhenish Franconia. They were immediate Counts of Sponheim until 1437 and Dukes of Carinthia from 1122 until 1269. Its cadet branches ruled in the Imperia ...
with Vianden

House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau w ...
-Dillenburg