Anna of Oldenburg
Encyclopedia
Anna of Oldenburg was a Countess consort of East Frisia
as the spouse of Count Enno II of East Frisia. She was the Regent of East Frisia in 1540/42-1561 as the guardian for her minor sons. Her reign lasted until 1561 and was generally supported by the Estates
. Her chief advisor was her brother, count Christopher of Oldenburg
.
was an effort to balance the various confessions and allow them to coexist. She adhered to the faith herself, but saw that among the East Frisian nobility Lutheranism as Zwinglianism were about equally distributed. It was cleat that a selection of one of these as the state religion of East Frisia, would not be enforceable. Catholics
and Spiritualists
were also allowed to practise their faith in East Frisia. Only under pressure from the emperor, was Baptism
forbidden in 1549.
She founded the police force in East Frisia (1545), reformed the legal system. Next to its administrative tasks, the Chancellery was given judiciary tasks. Councillors and legal scholars were added to the Chancellery to carry out these tasks. The Chancellery was mostly a court of appeals, but would also act a court of first instance in cases involving the nobility.
During Anna's rule, the armed conflict with the Harlingerland
flared up one more time, when Count John II "the Mad"
of Harlingerland seized a strip of land at the Accumer Deep. Anna took her case to the Reichskammergericht
and to the Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle
. The Circle arrested John, who had made many enemies, and he died in captivity in 1562.
In 1558, she abolished the law of the first born would succeed as sole ruler of the county, instead power was to be shared between her three sons, Edzard, Christopher and Johan. This was meant to prevent Swedish dominance in view of the wedding between her son Edzard to princess Katharina Vasa of Sweden (1559). It also implied a continuation of the religious balance, with John being a Calvinist and Edzard being Lutheran and neither of them able to establish their faith as the only religion allowed in the county.
The relationship between Edzard and Johan was not too good to begin with and it worsened after Christopher died in 1566. The power struggle between the brothers often blocked the exercise of their shared power; this greatly strengthened the nobility and the citizens of Emden
.
Menso Alting
had only been preacher at Emden for a short time, when Countess Anna died on 24 September 1575. He held his first major funeral sermon when she was buried in he family vault in the Great Church in Emden, the Reformed church, locally known as the ("Mother Church").
After Johan's death in 1591 Edzard II became the sole ruler of the County of East Frisia, but his authority had been severely hit by the ongoing conflict. The weakening of the Count's house was a one of the factors leading to the so-called "Emden Revolution".
East Frisia
East Frisia or Eastern Friesland is a coastal region in the northwest of the German federal state of Lower Saxony....
as the spouse of Count Enno II of East Frisia. She was the Regent of East Frisia in 1540/42-1561 as the guardian for her minor sons. Her reign lasted until 1561 and was generally supported by the Estates
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
. Her chief advisor was her brother, count Christopher of Oldenburg
Christopher of Oldenburg
Christopher of Oldenburg . German Count, regent in Eastern Denmark during the Count's War 1534–36 which was named after him....
.
Biography
The main characteristic of her policy towards the ReformationReformation
- Movements :* Protestant Reformation, an attempt by Martin Luther to reform the Roman Catholic Church that resulted in a schism, and grew into a wider movement...
was an effort to balance the various confessions and allow them to coexist. She adhered to the faith herself, but saw that among the East Frisian nobility Lutheranism as Zwinglianism were about equally distributed. It was cleat that a selection of one of these as the state religion of East Frisia, would not be enforceable. Catholics
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and Spiritualists
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
were also allowed to practise their faith in East Frisia. Only under pressure from the emperor, was Baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
forbidden in 1549.
She founded the police force in East Frisia (1545), reformed the legal system. Next to its administrative tasks, the Chancellery was given judiciary tasks. Councillors and legal scholars were added to the Chancellery to carry out these tasks. The Chancellery was mostly a court of appeals, but would also act a court of first instance in cases involving the nobility.
During Anna's rule, the armed conflict with the Harlingerland
Harlingerland
The Harlingerland is a strip of land on the North Sea coast of East Frisia. Whilst, today, the whole of the district of district of Wittmund is usually described as Harlingerland, historically it is specifically used to refer to the northern part of the present district, which formed the old...
flared up one more time, when Count John II "the Mad"
John II, Count of Rietberg
Count John II "the Mad" of Rietberg , called "the Great," was the son of Count Otto III of Rietberg and his second wife, Onna Esens....
of Harlingerland seized a strip of land at the Accumer Deep. Anna took her case to the Reichskammergericht
Reichskammergericht
The Reichskammergericht or Imperial Chamber Court was one of two highest judicial institutions in the Holy Roman Empire, the other one being the Aulic Council in Vienna. It was founded in 1495 by the Imperial Diet in Worms...
and to the Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle
Lower Rhenish-Westphalian Circle
The Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised territories of the former Duchy of Lower Lorraine, Frisia and the Westphalian part of the former Duchy of Saxony....
. The Circle arrested John, who had made many enemies, and he died in captivity in 1562.
In 1558, she abolished the law of the first born would succeed as sole ruler of the county, instead power was to be shared between her three sons, Edzard, Christopher and Johan. This was meant to prevent Swedish dominance in view of the wedding between her son Edzard to princess Katharina Vasa of Sweden (1559). It also implied a continuation of the religious balance, with John being a Calvinist and Edzard being Lutheran and neither of them able to establish their faith as the only religion allowed in the county.
The relationship between Edzard and Johan was not too good to begin with and it worsened after Christopher died in 1566. The power struggle between the brothers often blocked the exercise of their shared power; this greatly strengthened the nobility and the citizens of Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
.
Menso Alting
Menso Alting
Menso Alting was a Dutch preacher and reformer.Menso Alting was born in Eelde and was raised in a catholic family. After visiting several schools in the Netherlands and Germany, he studied theology at Cologne. In 1564 he was named vicar to Haren. A few months later he was named pastor of Sleen...
had only been preacher at Emden for a short time, when Countess Anna died on 24 September 1575. He held his first major funeral sermon when she was buried in he family vault in the Great Church in Emden, the Reformed church, locally known as the ("Mother Church").
After Johan's death in 1591 Edzard II became the sole ruler of the County of East Frisia, but his authority had been severely hit by the ongoing conflict. The weakening of the Count's house was a one of the factors leading to the so-called "Emden Revolution".
Issue
From her marriage to Count Enno II, Anna had six children:- Elizabeth (born: 10 January 1531; died: 6 September 1555), married in 1553 Count John V of Holstein-Pinneberg (1531–60)
- Edzard IIEdzard II, Count of East FrisiaEdzard II, Count of East Frisia was count of East Frisia, and the son of Enno II of East Frisia and Anna of Oldenburg....
(born: 24 June 1532; died: 1 September 1599) - Hedwig (born: 29 June 1535; died: 4 November 1616), married on 8 October 1562 Duke Otto II of Brunswick-HarburgOtto II, Duke of Brunswick-HarburgOtto II of Brunswick-Harburg, nicknamed the Younger, or the Famous was from 1549 until his death of Duke of Brunswick-Harburg.- Life :...
(1528–1603) - Anna (born: 3 January 1534; died: 20 May 1552)
- Christopher (born: 8 October 1536; died: 29 September 1566 in KomáromKomáromKomárom is a city in Hungary on the right bank of the Danube in Komárom-Esztergom county.The city of Komárom was formerly a separate suburban village called...
, Hungary) - JohanJohan II of East FrisiaCount Johan II of East Frisia was a member of the House of Cirksena and from 1561 until his death in 1591 co-regent of the county of East Frisia...
(born: 29 September 1538; died: 29 September 1591)