Hans Meinhard von Schönberg
Encyclopedia
Count Hans Meinhard von Schönberg auf Wesel (German
: Hans Meinhard Graf von Schönberg auf Wesel) (Bacharach
, August 28, 1582 — Heidelberg
, August 3, 1616) was a German nobleman and soldier, who served as the hofmeister
of Frederick V, Elector Palatine
.
on August 28, 1582. His father, Count Meinhard von Schönberg auf Wesel (26 April 1530 - 22 April 1596), was a Feldmarschall of Johann Casimir of the Palatinate-Simmern and Amtmann
of Bacharach. His mother was Dorothea Riedesel von Bellersheim (died 1610).
Our first sign of Hans Meinhard von Schönberg in public life comes in 1609, when Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
sent him as Ambassador
to Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
, at a time when the Protestant German nobles
were growing more and more alienated from the court of the Holy Roman Emperor
.
Schönberg seems to have done a good job, because soon after his embassy to present the German nobles' concerns to Rudolf, Frederick despatched Schönberg to the Dutch Republic
to persuade the States-General of the Netherlands
to intervene in the Jülich succession dispute
) (after the death of John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
on March 25, 1609, the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg were claimed by both Wolfgang William, Count Palatine of Neuburg and John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
). He thereafter participated in discussion with the French
ambassador Jacques Bongars
at Düsseldorf
.
In 1610, Schönberg was appointed commander of a regiment
of Dutch
troops. He was also named Governor of Düsseldorf. With the outbreak of hostilities in the War of the Jülich succession
, he participated in the siege of Jülich
to retake the fort at Jülich from the forces of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
. When the fort finally fell, Schönberg made out well in the plundering that followed.
On February 22, 1611, Schönberg entered the service of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
, who entrusted him with supreme command of his artillery
corps in the Rhineland
, with its headquarters at Wesel
. He again served as a diplomat to The Hague
on behalf of the Protestant Union
.
Later in 1611, he returned to Electoral Palatinate to construct fortresses at Mannheim
. On November 1, 1611, he was appointed hofmeister
of Frederick V, Elector Palatine
. He continued his diplomatic work for the Protestant Union
, traveling to the Hague and Brussels
. In 1612, he traveled to England
to arrange the marriage of Elizabeth Stuart
, daughter of James I of England
to Frederick.
During this trip, Schönberg met Anna Sutton-Dudley, daughter of Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley
. The two were later married in London
on March 22, 1615. Anna would give birth to a child, Frederick, subsequently the 1st Duke of Schomberg
, in Heidelberg
in December 1615. Anna died shortly after his birth. During the dispute between Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
and the city of Braunschweig
, Schönberg entered Frederick Ulrich's service.
Schönberg died in Heidelberg
on August 3, 1616.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Hans Meinhard Graf von Schönberg auf Wesel) (Bacharach
Bacharach
Bacharach is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Rhein-Nahe, whose seat is in Bingen am Rhein, although that town is not within its bounds....
, August 28, 1582 — Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, August 3, 1616) was a German nobleman and soldier, who served as the hofmeister
Hofmeister (office)
In medieval Europe, a Hofmeister was a house tutor, also responsible for the care of his students beyond their education....
of Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
.
Biography
Count Hans Meinhard von Schönberg was born in BacharachBacharach
Bacharach is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Rhein-Nahe, whose seat is in Bingen am Rhein, although that town is not within its bounds....
on August 28, 1582. His father, Count Meinhard von Schönberg auf Wesel (26 April 1530 - 22 April 1596), was a Feldmarschall of Johann Casimir of the Palatinate-Simmern and Amtmann
Amtmann
Amtmann can be :*a feudal, administrative and/or gubernatorial title, such as Bezirksamtmann . Amtmann, ammann and amman were a kind of bailiff in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and in Brussels....
of Bacharach. His mother was Dorothea Riedesel von Bellersheim (died 1610).
Our first sign of Hans Meinhard von Schönberg in public life comes in 1609, when Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
Frederick IV, Elector Palatine
Frederick IV, Elector Palatine of the Rhine , only surviving son of Louis VI, Elector Palatine and Elisabeth of Hesse, called "Frederick the Righteous" .-Life:Born in Amberg, his father died in October 1583 and...
sent him as Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
, at a time when the Protestant German nobles
German nobility
The German nobility was the elite hereditary ruling class or aristocratic class from ca. 500 B.C. to the Holy Roman Empire and what is now Germany.-Principles of German nobility:...
were growing more and more alienated from the court of the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
.
Schönberg seems to have done a good job, because soon after his embassy to present the German nobles' concerns to Rudolf, Frederick despatched Schönberg to the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
to persuade the States-General of the Netherlands
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
to intervene in the Jülich succession dispute
War of the Jülich Succession
The War of the Jülich Succession was a conflict that began in 1609 and ended in 1614 with the signing of the Treaty of Xanten.-Background:...
) (after the death of John William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg
John William, Duke of Julich-Cleves-Berg
John William of Jülich-Cleves-Berg was a Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg.His parents were William the Rich, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg and Maria of Austria , a daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. He grew up and was educated in Xanten. John William became...
on March 25, 1609, the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg were claimed by both Wolfgang William, Count Palatine of Neuburg and John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
John Sigismund was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duke of Prussia.-Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia:...
). He thereafter participated in discussion with the French
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
ambassador Jacques Bongars
Jacques Bongars
Jacques Bongars , French scholar and diplomatist, was born at Orléans, and was brought up in the reformed faith. He obtained his early education at Marburg and Jena, and returning to France continued his studies at Orléans and Bourges...
at Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
.
In 1610, Schönberg was appointed commander of a regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
of Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
troops. He was also named Governor of Düsseldorf. With the outbreak of hostilities in the War of the Jülich succession
War of the Jülich Succession
The War of the Jülich Succession was a conflict that began in 1609 and ended in 1614 with the signing of the Treaty of Xanten.-Background:...
, he participated in the siege of Jülich
Jülich
Jülich is a town in the district of Düren, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Jülich is well known as location of a world-famous research centre, the Forschungszentrum Jülich and as shortwave transmission site of Deutsche Welle...
to retake the fort at Jülich from the forces of Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Rudolf II was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Hungary and Croatia , King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria...
. When the fort finally fell, Schönberg made out well in the plundering that followed.
On February 22, 1611, Schönberg entered the service of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
John Sigismund was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duke of Prussia.-Elector of Brandenburg and Duke of Prussia:...
, who entrusted him with supreme command of his artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
corps in the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
, with its headquarters at Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
. He again served as a diplomat to The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
on behalf of the Protestant Union
Protestant Union
The Protestant Union or Evangelical Union was a coalition of Protestant German states that was formed in 1608 to defend the rights, lands and person of each member....
.
Later in 1611, he returned to Electoral Palatinate to construct fortresses at Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
. On November 1, 1611, he was appointed hofmeister
Hofmeister (office)
In medieval Europe, a Hofmeister was a house tutor, also responsible for the care of his students beyond their education....
of Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V, Elector Palatine
Frederick V was Elector Palatine , and, as Frederick I , King of Bohemia ....
. He continued his diplomatic work for the Protestant Union
Protestant Union
The Protestant Union or Evangelical Union was a coalition of Protestant German states that was formed in 1608 to defend the rights, lands and person of each member....
, traveling to the Hague and Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. In 1612, he traveled to England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
to arrange the marriage of Elizabeth Stuart
Elizabeth of Bohemia
Elizabeth of Bohemia was the eldest daughter of King James VI and I, King of Scotland, England, Ireland, and Anne of Denmark. As the wife of Frederick V, Elector Palatine, she was Electress Palatine and briefly Queen of Bohemia...
, daughter of James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
to Frederick.
During this trip, Schönberg met Anna Sutton-Dudley, daughter of Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley
Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley
Edward Sutton, 5th Baron Dudley inherited the lordship of Dudley from his father, also Edward Sutton, and was the last of his name to bear the title. He was married to Theodosia Harrington...
. The two were later married in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on March 22, 1615. Anna would give birth to a child, Frederick, subsequently the 1st Duke of Schomberg
Frederick Schomberg, 1st Duke of Schomberg
Friedrich Hermann , 1st Duke of Schomberg , KG , was a marshal of France and a General in the English and Portuguese Army....
, in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
in December 1615. Anna died shortly after his birth. During the dispute between Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Frederick Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Frederick Ulrich , Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg, was prince of Wolfenbüttel from 1613 until his death....
and the city of Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
, Schönberg entered Frederick Ulrich's service.
Schönberg died in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
on August 3, 1616.