Henry II of Nassau
Encyclopedia
Henry II the Rich was Count of Nassau
between 1198 and 1247. Among his descendants are the present-day rulers of both Luxembourg
and the Netherlands
.
. He was born around 1190, according to most sources (A.W.E. Dek gives his birth date as ca. 1180, which is plausible since his father was away at the Third Crusade
in 1189-1190). His mother was Kunigunde of Ziegenhain (a town now part of Schwalmstadt
, Hesse
), daughter of Count Poppo II of Nidda. Upon his father’s death in 1198, Henry succeeded him at the age of eight as Count (German: Graf
) of Nassau. He shared the reign with his younger brother, Robert IV
, until 1239.
In the politics of the Holy Roman Empire
, Henry was generally a loyal supporter of the Hohenstaufen emperors. However, between 1209 and 1211, he backed the rival Otto IV
of Brunswick
as emperor, before reverting sides to support Frederick II
. Between 1212 and 1214, he held prisoner Frederick's (and his own) opponent, the Archbishop of Trier
Theodoric II (also known as Dietrich of Wied).
Towards the end of the 12th century, Walram I had been able to strengthen his power on the lower Lahn
. As part of the inheritance of the Counts of Arnstein, he succeeded them as the Archbishopric of Trier's Vogt
in Koblenz
, Pfaffendorf (now a borough of Koblenz), Niederlahnstein
, and Humbach (Montabaur
). However, by the 1230s, Trier's influence near the Rhine and Lahn had strengthened enough to oust Nassau from the majority of the Archbishopric's vogtships. The Archbishop had reinforced Montabaur around 1217 in order to protect his possessions on the right bank of the Rhine from Nassau.
Henry's father had received the Königshof Wiesbaden
from Emperor Frederick I
in reward for his support of the emperor in the conflicts of 1170-1180. Nassau’s possessions in this area were expanded around 1214 when Henry received the Imperial Vogtship (Reichsvogtei) over Wiesbaden and the surrounding Königssondergau
, which he held as fiefdoms.
About the year 1200, Henry, together with his brother Robert IV, began building Sonnenberg
Castle
on a spur of Spitzkippel peak in the Taunus
above Wiesbaden. This was intended for protection against the Archbishopric of Mainz
and its vassals, the Lords of Eppstein
, who held the lands bordering Wiesbaden. However, the cathedral chapter
of St. Martin in Mainz claimed Sonnenberg as their own. To settle the dispute, Nassau paid 30 Marks to the cathedral chapter in 1221 to acquire the land of Sonnenberg Castle. Henry was also forced to recognize the sovereignty of the Archbishops of Mainz over Sonnenberg, taking the castle as a fief of Mainz.
In 1224, Henry found support from the Archbishop of Cologne
, Engelbert II
, who made Henry his Marschall (chief military officer) and Schenk (an honorary title that originally meant "cup-bearer
"). However, in exchange for his protection from the Archbishops of Mainz and Trier, Henry had to cede half of Siegen
to Cologne. Unaffected by this division of rule, however, Nassau retained its sovereign rights in the region surrounding Siegen, where the important High Jurisdiction (hohe Gerichtsbarkeit) and Game Ban (Wildbann) explicitly survived to 1259.
In 1231, Henry attended the Reichstag
at Worms
and in 1232 was at Emperor Frederick II's imperial assembly in Ravenna
.
Henry’s brother, Robert IV, had joined the Teutonic Order in 1230. On his death in 1239, Robert bequeathed his legacy to the Order. Henry continuously disputed any division of his realm with the Teutonic Order.
Henry also held the Upper Vogtship over the Diocese of St. George in Limburg an der Lahn
during the construction of the Limburg Cathedral. In 1239 he transferred, at the request of his vassal Friedrich of Hain, the income of the Netphen
parishes to the Premonstratensian
Keppel Abbey near Hilchenbach
. His descendants took over the patronage of the monastery.
In 1247, he supported the election of Anti-King William II of Holland, who confirmed all of Henry’s imperial possessions and gave him the right to mint money.
Henry's policies in the Herborn
er Mark angered the local aristocratic families. Around 1240, Henry built Dillenburg
Castle to better subjugate the dissidents. By 1248, the century-long Dernbacher Feud
had already begun, involving Hesse
as well in the context of the War of the Thuringian Succession
.
Henry died on January 25, 1251, after having abdicated in 1247.
(German: Mathilde von Geldern; died after 1247), daughter of Otto I, Count of Guelders
and Zutphen and Richardis of Bavaria
(herself daughter of Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria
). Eleven children were born of this union, including:
Two of Henry II's sons, Walram and Otto, divided the Nassau lands between themselves on December 17, 1255. This first division of the Nassau countries was later known as the “Great division.” This began the separate Walramian and Ottonian lines of the House of Nassau.
Nassau (state)
Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later in the German Confederation. Its ruling dynasty, now extinct in male line, was the House of Nassau.-Origins:...
between 1198 and 1247. Among his descendants are the present-day rulers of both Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Biography
Henry II was the eldest son of Count Walram I of NassauWalram I of Nassau
Walram I of Nassau was the first Count of Nassau, reigning from 1154 to 1198. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day rulers of both the Netherlands and Luxembourg.- Early life :Walram was the younger son of Count...
. He was born around 1190, according to most sources (A.W.E. Dek gives his birth date as ca. 1180, which is plausible since his father was away at the Third Crusade
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade , also known as the Kings' Crusade, was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin...
in 1189-1190). His mother was Kunigunde of Ziegenhain (a town now part of Schwalmstadt
Schwalmstadt
Schwalmstadt is the largest town in the Schwalm-Eder district, in northern Hesse, Germany. It was established only in 1970 with the amalgamation of the towns of Treysa and Ziegenhain together with some outlying villages to form the town of Schwalmstadt.-Location:Schwalmstadt lies in the Schwalm...
, Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
), daughter of Count Poppo II of Nidda. Upon his father’s death in 1198, Henry succeeded him at the age of eight as Count (German: Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
) of Nassau. He shared the reign with his younger brother, Robert IV
Robert IV of Nassau
Robert IV of Nassau was an early member of the House of Nassau. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day rulers of the Netherlands and Luxembourg.-Biography:Robert IV was the second son of Count Walram I of Nassau and...
, until 1239.
In the politics of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, Henry was generally a loyal supporter of the Hohenstaufen emperors. However, between 1209 and 1211, he backed the rival Otto IV
Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1215.-Early life:Otto was the third son of Henry the...
of Brunswick
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....
as emperor, before reverting sides to support Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
. Between 1212 and 1214, he held prisoner Frederick's (and his own) opponent, the Archbishop of Trier
Archbishopric of Trier
The Archbishopric of Trier was a Roman Catholic diocese in Germany, that existed from Carolingian times until the end of the Holy Roman Empire. Its suffragans were the dioceses of Metz, Toul and Verdun. Since the 9th century the Archbishops of Trier were simultaneously princes and since the 11th...
Theodoric II (also known as Dietrich of Wied).
Towards the end of the 12th century, Walram I had been able to strengthen his power on the lower Lahn
Lahn
The Lahn River is a -long, right tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , and Rhineland-Palatinate ....
. As part of the inheritance of the Counts of Arnstein, he succeeded them as the Archbishopric of Trier's Vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
in Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
, Pfaffendorf (now a borough of Koblenz), Niederlahnstein
Lahnstein
Lahnstein is a verband-free town of Rhein-Lahn-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated at the confluence of the Lahn River with the Rhine, approximately south of Koblenz...
, and Humbach (Montabaur
Montabaur
Montabaur is a town and the district seat of the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. At the same time, it is also the administrative centre of the Verbandsgemeinde of Montabaur – a kind of collective municipality – to which 24 other communities belong...
). However, by the 1230s, Trier's influence near the Rhine and Lahn had strengthened enough to oust Nassau from the majority of the Archbishopric's vogtships. The Archbishop had reinforced Montabaur around 1217 in order to protect his possessions on the right bank of the Rhine from Nassau.
Henry's father had received the Königshof Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
from Emperor Frederick I
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
in reward for his support of the emperor in the conflicts of 1170-1180. Nassau’s possessions in this area were expanded around 1214 when Henry received the Imperial Vogtship (Reichsvogtei) over Wiesbaden and the surrounding Königssondergau
Königssondergau
The Königssondergau was a Frankish gau which existed in the area north of the confluence of the Rhine and Main rivers in Germany, from Frankish times until the end of the 12th century. Often mistakenly equated with the Rheingau, the Gau was based around the former Roman administrative district...
, which he held as fiefdoms.
About the year 1200, Henry, together with his brother Robert IV, began building Sonnenberg
Wiesbaden-Sonnenberg
Sonnenberg is a borough of Wiesbaden, the capital of the state of Hesse, Germany. Formerly an independent municipality, Sonnenberg was incorporated into Wiesbaden on October 28, 1926. The borough has approximately 8,000 residents....
Castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
on a spur of Spitzkippel peak in the Taunus
Taunus
The Taunus is a low mountain range in Hesse, Germany that composes part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. It is bounded by the river valleys of Rhine, Main and Lahn. On the opposite side of the Rhine, the mountains are continued by the Hunsrück...
above Wiesbaden. This was intended for protection against the Archbishopric of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
and its vassals, the Lords of Eppstein
Lords of Eppstein
The Lords of Eppstein were a family of German nobility in the Middle Ages. From the 12th century they ruled extensive territories in the Rhine Main area from their castle in Eppstein, northwest of Frankfurt, Germany.-History:...
, who held the lands bordering Wiesbaden. However, the cathedral chapter
Cathedral chapter
In accordance with canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese in his stead. These councils are made up of canons and dignitaries; in the Roman Catholic church their...
of St. Martin in Mainz claimed Sonnenberg as their own. To settle the dispute, Nassau paid 30 Marks to the cathedral chapter in 1221 to acquire the land of Sonnenberg Castle. Henry was also forced to recognize the sovereignty of the Archbishops of Mainz over Sonnenberg, taking the castle as a fief of Mainz.
In 1224, Henry found support from the Archbishop of Cologne
Archbishopric of Cologne
The Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of...
, Engelbert II
Engelbert II of Berg
Count Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne was Archbishop of Cologne and a saint; he was the victim of a notorious murder by a member of his own family.-Early life:Engelbert was...
, who made Henry his Marschall (chief military officer) and Schenk (an honorary title that originally meant "cup-bearer
Cup-bearer
A cup-bearer was an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty it was to serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues, a person must be regarded as thoroughly trustworthy to hold this position. He must guard against poison in the king's cup, and...
"). However, in exchange for his protection from the Archbishops of Mainz and Trier, Henry had to cede half of Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
to Cologne. Unaffected by this division of rule, however, Nassau retained its sovereign rights in the region surrounding Siegen, where the important High Jurisdiction (hohe Gerichtsbarkeit) and Game Ban (Wildbann) explicitly survived to 1259.
In 1231, Henry attended the Reichstag
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
at Worms
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
and in 1232 was at Emperor Frederick II's imperial assembly in Ravenna
Ravenna
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest comune in Italy by land area, although, at , it is little more than half the size of the largest comune, Rome...
.
Henry’s brother, Robert IV, had joined the Teutonic Order in 1230. On his death in 1239, Robert bequeathed his legacy to the Order. Henry continuously disputed any division of his realm with the Teutonic Order.
Henry also held the Upper Vogtship over the Diocese of St. George in Limburg an der Lahn
Limburg an der Lahn
Limburg an der Lahn is the district seat of Limburg-Weilburg in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Limburg lies in western Hesse between the Taunus and the Westerwald on the river Lahn....
during the construction of the Limburg Cathedral. In 1239 he transferred, at the request of his vassal Friedrich of Hain, the income of the Netphen
Netphen
Netphen is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It lies on the river Sieg, roughly 7 km northeast of Siegen.-Location:...
parishes to the Premonstratensian
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
Keppel Abbey near Hilchenbach
Hilchenbach
Hilchenbach is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein Kreis of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Location: The map shows Hilchenbach's location in Siegen-Wittgenstein district. It is about 15 km northeast of Siegen...
. His descendants took over the patronage of the monastery.
In 1247, he supported the election of Anti-King William II of Holland, who confirmed all of Henry’s imperial possessions and gave him the right to mint money.
Henry's policies in the Herborn
Herborn
Herborn is a historic town on the Dill in the Lahn-Dill district of Hesse in Germany. Before World War I, it was granted its own title as Nassauisches Rothenburg. The symbol or mascot of this town is a bear. Scenic attractions include its half-timbered houses; Herborn is located on the German...
er Mark angered the local aristocratic families. Around 1240, Henry built Dillenburg
Dillenburg
Dillenburg is a town in Hesse's Gießen region in Germany. The town was formerly the seat of the old Dillkreis district, which is now part of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis....
Castle to better subjugate the dissidents. By 1248, the century-long Dernbacher Feud
Dernbacher Feud
The Dernbacher Feud was an over one hundred year long ongoing dispute in present-day Germany between the House of Nassau, several knightly families, and the Landgrave of Hesse...
had already begun, involving Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
as well in the context of the War of the Thuringian Succession
War of the Thuringian Succession
The War of the Thuringen Succession was a military battle over a successor to the last Landgrave of Thuringia in present-day Germany.- Source of the conflict :...
.
Henry died on January 25, 1251, after having abdicated in 1247.
Family and children
Before 1221, Henry married Matilda of GueldersGuelders
Guelders or Gueldres is the name of a historical county, later duchy of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries.-Geography:...
(German: Mathilde von Geldern; died after 1247), daughter of Otto I, Count of Guelders
Otto I, Count of Guelders
Otto I of Guelders was a Count of Guelders from 1182 until his death in 1207. He was a son of Duke Hendrik of Guelders and Agnes of Arnstein. He married Richardis of Bavaria in 1184...
and Zutphen and Richardis of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
(herself daughter of Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria
Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria
Otto I , called the Redhead , was Duke of Bavaria from 1180 until his death. He was the first Bavarian ruler from the House of Wittelsbach, a dynasty which reigned until the abdication of King Ludwig III of Bavaria in the German Revolution of 1918.-Biography:Duke Otto I was probably born at...
). Eleven children were born of this union, including:
- Walram II of NassauWalram II of Nassau-Biography:Walram was the elder son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Guelders. He was chief cavalry officer in the service of Emperor Rudolf I.In about 1247, Henry II abdicated, passing the reign to Walram's younger brother, Otto...
(ca. 1220 - January 24, 1276). - Robert (Ruprecht) V, died January 19, before 1247 - fought Diez and Ober-LahnsteinLahnsteinLahnstein is a verband-free town of Rhein-Lahn-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated at the confluence of the Lahn River with the Rhine, approximately south of Koblenz...
on behalf of the Archbishop of Trier; was a Knight of the Teutonic Order - Henry (Heinrich), became a monk in Arnstein AbbeyArnstein AbbeyArnstein Abbey is a former Premonstratensian abbey on the Lahn River, south of present-day Obernhof near Nassau, Germany...
in 1247 (died May 28, year unknown) - Otto I of NassauOtto I of NassauOtto I of Nassau , Count of Nassau was the younger son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Geldern. Otto I became the count of Dillenburg, Hadamar, Siegen, Herborn and Beilstein after many years of quarrel with his brother Count Walram II. In the division of 17 December 1255 he received...
(reigned ca. 1247 - 1290). - Elizabeth (born ca. 1225), married Gerhard III, Lord of EppsteinLords of EppsteinThe Lords of Eppstein were a family of German nobility in the Middle Ages. From the 12th century they ruled extensive territories in the Rhine Main area from their castle in Eppstein, northwest of Frankfurt, Germany.-History:...
(died ca. 1250). Her death date is reported variously as "after March 6, 1295 or in 1306?" or after January 6, 1295. - Gerhard, mentioned in a charter from November 21, 1259; archdeacon of KempenKempenKempen may refer to:*Kempen, Germany, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany;*the German name of the Polish town of Kępno, or the former Prussian district Kreis Kempen;*the Dutch and Belgian region of Kempen, usually called Campine in English...
, canonCanon (priest)A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of St. Lambert in Liege, dean of the cathedral chapter of Our Lady in MaastrichtMaastrichtMaastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, Aachen CathedralAachen CathedralAachen Cathedral, frequently referred to as the "Imperial Cathedral" , is a Roman Catholic church in Aachen, Germany. The church is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe and was known as the "Royal Church of St. Mary at Aachen" during the Middle Ages...
, and St. Walburg in TielTiel' is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands.The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river on the south and the north side, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal on the east side. The city was founded in the 5th century AD....
; buried in AachenAachenAachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
. His death date is reported variously as May 2, 1311 or May 4, 1311. - JohnJohn I, Bishop-Elect of UtrechtJohn I of Nassau was Bishop-elect of Utrecht from 1267 to 1290.-Biography:...
(ca. 1230 - 1309), Bishop-Elect of Utrecht (1267–1290) (Dutch: Jan I van Nassau); died July 13, 1309 in DeventerDeventerDeventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
) and was buried at St. Lebuinuskerk there. - Catherine (Katharina) (born 1227), became Abbess of Altenburg Abbey in WetzlarWetzlarWetzlar is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. Located at 8° 30′ E, 50° 34′ N, Wetzlar straddles the river Lahn and is on the German Timber-Framework Road which passes mile upon mile of half-timbered houses. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis on the north edge of...
in 1249. Her death date is reported variously as April 27, 1324 or April 29, 1324. - Jutta (died 1313), married ca. 1260 to Johann I of CuijkCuijkCuijk is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands of pre-historic origin. Its existence is recorded on the Roman roadmap Tabula Peutingeriana under the name of Ceuclum. Cuijk is twinned with Maldon in Essex, UK. It is a big commuter town with very good public transport services to...
(Dutch: Jan I van Cuijk), Lord of Merum (now part of RoermondRoermondRoermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...
) (died 1308)
Two of Henry II's sons, Walram and Otto, divided the Nassau lands between themselves on December 17, 1255. This first division of the Nassau countries was later known as the “Great division.” This began the separate Walramian and Ottonian lines of the House of Nassau.