Henry IV, Burgrave of Plauen
Encyclopedia
Henry IV of Plauen was Colonel Chancellor of the Kingdom of Bohemia, Burgrave of Meissen
, Lord of Plauen
, Gera
, Greiz
, Schleiz
and Bad Lobenstein
, Lord of Toužim
, Hartenštejn Castle, Andělská Hora Castle
and Žlutice
. He also used the tradional title of Lord of Lázně Kynžvart
and, apart from an intermezzo in 1547, he was Lord of Bečov nad Teplou
as well.
(1487-1532/33).
in Mašťov
and went first to Toužim and later, in August 1529, back to her Wittum
Štědrá
Castle. Henry asked to join him in Hartenštejn, but she refused.
reaffirmed the Burgraviate of Meissen as Henry's fief. He wasn't concerned about the Meissen lands: immediately after the death of the last member of the House of Meinhering, the Meissen lands had been seized by troops of Elector Frederick the Warlike
of Saxony of the House of Wettin. Henry was concerned about the title and the position associated with it and the seat in the Imperial Diet
he was entitle to as sovereign prince. In 1530, Henry accompanied King Ferdinand as one of the four Schenks to the Diet of Augsburg. On 19 September 1530 Emperor Charles V
confirmed his fief. In the summer of 1532 Henry married Margaret, Countess of Salm and Neuburg. The young couple moved in August 1532 to the Andělská Hora Castle. Before Henry had convinced his mother to leave her Wittum and join them. However, she died about half a year later.
In 1532 Henry's territory consisted of four baronies: Toužim, Hartenštejn, Andělská Hora and Prohor. In 1537 Prohor again belonged to Toužim and Hartenštejn and Andělská Hora had been united: an interest an income tax register from this period calls it Andělská-Hartenštejn. In July 1537 Henry succeeded in purchasing the barony of Luditz rule. Though it was small, it nicely rounded out his territory.
Also in July 1537, negotiations in Torgau
, chaired by the Ernestine Elector John Frederick the Magnanimous, led to a contract of inheritance was agreed with the Lords Reuss of Plauen at Greiz about who would inherit Gera
in case the Lord of Gera would die childless. On 7 August 1550, Henry of Gera died childless at Castle Burgk, and Henry IV inherited his fief. From that point, Henry IV, in fact owned all of the Vogtland
, the fief that King Ferdinand had assigned to him. His whole life, Henry IV had to defend himself in quarrels with his half brother Henry the Bastard and after the end of the Schmalkaldic War
, he had to deal with litigation by the Reuss family, who tried to regain the Lordship of Gera.
On 22 January 1542, King Ferdinand appointed Henry IV to High Chancellor of the Crown of Bohemia, King's Counsel and Treasurer.
on 24 April 1547 and in the Capitulation of Wittenberg
on 19 May 1547 that ended the Schmalkaldic War
. In the same position he was in Prague in late June 1547, where Ferdinand held the Bohemian Diet, which became known as "the bloody" in history, in which Ferdinand judged over the Bohemian estates and rebellious nobles. From confiscated lands, Henry received the castle and town Bečov nad Teplou
, which his great-grandfather had bought in 1410 and which his father had sold in 1495 to Lord Pflugk. However, Ferdinand demanded it back shortly thereafter. In September 1547 Henry's troops occupied the castle of Greiz and drove out the princes of the Reuss. On 24 May 1548, by deed of Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Augsburg
, Henry IV was made Imperial Princely Burgrave of Meissen. On 21 January 1549, King Ferdinand issued a solemn Patent to Henry of Reuss and Gera. This made Henry officially Lord of Greiz and Gera. The deeds for the purchase of the Lordship of Plauen
, Oelsnitz
and the district of Pausa
followed soon after, on 10 April 1549.
In the summer of 1551 Henry had a time off from his job as Chancellor for the first time in many years and could dedicate himself to his traditional Bohemian dominions and the new dominions in the Vogtland. He called representatives of all Vogtland estates to a common diet in Schleiz he opened on 28 July 1551. In Plauen he established a governor
as the supreme authority for all Vogtland estates. For Greiz he issued on 8 September 1551 his first regulation of the judiciary and of the police. On 11 September, these were followed by a drink tax and the Imperial penny regulation. In Mid-October, he left the Vogtland, first went to Prague and then to Vienna. He never returned to his Vogtland possessions. Although a Catholic is while life, he fought all attempts at Contra-Reformation of his Vogtland barons, promoted the Protestant Church and in 1552 he adopted a burgraviate Church Constitution, designed by the Protestant superintendent of Plauen.
in Leipzig and prepared him for a meeting between Maurice and Ferdinand, which took place on 18 April 1552 in Linz. They agreed on principles that formed the foundation for an agreement reached in Passau on 22 Juli 1552. King Ferdinand then asked Henry IV to convince Emperor Charles V and the latter signed the Peace of Passau
on the 15th August in Munich.
During the subsequent Turkish military campaign, Heinrich stayed until the end of November in Györ
. As High Chancellor of Bohemia, Henry IV was actively involved in establishing peace throughout the empire.
On 29 June 1553 Henry and Maurice met in Nordhausen
and discussed final details of their action against Margrave Albrecht II Alcibiades of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
. Shortly thereafter, on 9 July 1553, Maurice was mortally wounded in the Battle of Sievershausen
. Henry now took over the role of the leader of the allies against Albert Alcibiades. On 7 August, Henry began the siege of Hof. On 28 September the city was captured, but on 11 October it was recaptured by Albert's troops. On 27 November the allies captured Hof again. Henry IV appointed Georg Wolf
of Kotzau
as governor
of Hof. Then the siege of the Plassenburg
near Kulmbach
began, during which, on the morning of the 19th May 1554, Henry IV died in Stadtsteinach
. On 24 May he was buried, accoding to his last wishes in the St John's Church in Plauen
.
of Salm
and Neuburg, with whom he had two sons:
Meissen
Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
, Lord of Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
, Gera
Gera
Gera, the third-largest city in the German state of Thuringia , lies in east Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster, approximately 60 kilometres to the south of the city of Leipzig and 80 kilometres to the east of Erfurt...
, Greiz
Greiz
Greiz is a town in Thuringia, and it is the capital of the district of Greiz. Greiz is situated in eastern Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster....
, Schleiz
Schleiz
Schleiz is a town in the district of Saale-Orla-Kreis in Thuringia, Germany.- Location :Schleiz is in the Thuringian Vogtland area, an area of wooded hills on the borders of Thuringia, Saxony, Bavaria and the Czech Republic...
and Bad Lobenstein
Bad Lobenstein
Bad Lobenstein is a town in the Saale-Orla-Kreis district, in Thuringia, Germany with a population of circa 7,000 inhabitants. The town, grouped round a rock, upon which stand the ruins of an old castle, is exceedingly picturesque. It contains a spacious parish church, a palace , and a hydropathic...
, Lord of Toužim
Toužim
Toužim is a town in the Czech Republic.-External links:*...
, Hartenštejn Castle, Andělská Hora Castle
Andělská Hora Castle
Andělská Hora, originally called Engelsburg, is a castle located above the village of Andělská Hora, about 7 km southeast of Karlovy Vary, in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic....
and Žlutice
Žlutice
Žlutice is a town and municipality in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. The municipality covers an area of 53.03 km² and as of 2007 it had a population of 2,653....
. He also used the tradional title of Lord of Lázně Kynžvart
Lázne Kynžvart
Kynžvart is a town and castle in the northwestern Bohemia, Czech Republic.It is original place of Jewish Königswarter family.Kynžvart is famous for its sanatorium which is designed for children ages 2 to 15 with nonspecific respiratory disorders....
and, apart from an intermezzo in 1547, he was Lord of Bečov nad Teplou
Becov nad Teplou
Bečov nad Teplou is a town in the Czech Republic....
as well.
Life
Henry IV was a member of the elder line of the House of Plauen. He was the son of Burgrave Henry III of Plauen († 1519) from his second marriage to Barbara of Anhalt-KöthenAnhalt-Köthen
Anhalt-Köthen has existed on two separate occasions. The first state was created in 1396 when the Anhalt-Zerbst was partitioned between Anhalt-Dessau and Anhalt-Köthen. The first creation lasted until 1552 when it was inherited by Anhalt-Dessau....
(1487-1532/33).
Youth
After the death of his father, Henry grew up first under the care of his mother, and, after her remarriage in 1521, under the supervision of a guardian specially appointed by his mother: Zdenko Leo Rosenthal, the High Burgrave to the crown of Bohemia, on Hartenštejn Castle. According to his father's testament of 27 February 1515 Hartenštejn wasonly for him and could not be regarded as part of the dowry of a possible remarriage of his mother. In June 1528 his mother, Barbara divorced from John the Younger of Kolovrat to Mašťov and called herself Burgravine of Meissen again. She left her estate Krásný DvůrKrásný Dvur
Krásný Dvůr is a Baroque chateau in North Bohemia, Czech Republic. It has a English-style landscape park and a garden inspired by that of Versailles.- History :...
in Mašťov
Maštov
Mašťov is a town in the Czech Republic.The town of Mastov was found on the beginning of the twelfth century when it was awarded to the local aristocrat Milhost by the Count Sobeslav the 1st...
and went first to Toužim and later, in August 1529, back to her Wittum
Wittum
Wittum , Widum or Witthum is a medieval Latin legal term, known in marital and ecclesiastical law.- Provide for a widow at the wedding :...
Štědrá
Štědrá
Štědrá is a village and municipality in Karlovy Vary District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic.-Notes:...
Castle. Henry asked to join him in Hartenštejn, but she refused.
At the court in Prague
His guardian brought him in time to the court in Prague. On 5 April 1530 King FerdinandFerdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest...
reaffirmed the Burgraviate of Meissen as Henry's fief. He wasn't concerned about the Meissen lands: immediately after the death of the last member of the House of Meinhering, the Meissen lands had been seized by troops of Elector Frederick the Warlike
Frederick I, Elector of Saxony
Frederick IV of Meissen and Elector of Saxony was Margrave of Meissen and Elector of Saxony from 1381 until his death. He is not to be confused with his cousin Frederick IV, Landgrave of Thuringia, the son of Balthasar, Landgrave of Thuringia...
of Saxony of the House of Wettin. Henry was concerned about the title and the position associated with it and the seat in the Imperial Diet
Imperial Diet
Imperial Diet means the highest representative assembly in an empire, notably:* the historic institution of the Imperial Diet , either the estates in the Holy Roman Empire...
he was entitle to as sovereign prince. In 1530, Henry accompanied King Ferdinand as one of the four Schenks to the Diet of Augsburg. On 19 September 1530 Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
confirmed his fief. In the summer of 1532 Henry married Margaret, Countess of Salm and Neuburg. The young couple moved in August 1532 to the Andělská Hora Castle. Before Henry had convinced his mother to leave her Wittum and join them. However, she died about half a year later.
In 1532 Henry's territory consisted of four baronies: Toužim, Hartenštejn, Andělská Hora and Prohor. In 1537 Prohor again belonged to Toužim and Hartenštejn and Andělská Hora had been united: an interest an income tax register from this period calls it Andělská-Hartenštejn. In July 1537 Henry succeeded in purchasing the barony of Luditz rule. Though it was small, it nicely rounded out his territory.
Also in July 1537, negotiations in Torgau
Torgau
Torgau is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen.Outside Germany, the town is most well known as the place where during the Second World War, United States Army forces coming from the west met with forces of the Soviet Union...
, chaired by the Ernestine Elector John Frederick the Magnanimous, led to a contract of inheritance was agreed with the Lords Reuss of Plauen at Greiz about who would inherit Gera
Gera
Gera, the third-largest city in the German state of Thuringia , lies in east Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster, approximately 60 kilometres to the south of the city of Leipzig and 80 kilometres to the east of Erfurt...
in case the Lord of Gera would die childless. On 7 August 1550, Henry of Gera died childless at Castle Burgk, and Henry IV inherited his fief. From that point, Henry IV, in fact owned all of the Vogtland
Vogtland
The term Vogtland refers to a region reaching across the German free states of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia and into the Czech Republic . The name of the region contains a reference to the former leadership by the Vögte of Weida, Gera and Plauen, which translates approximately to advocates or lord...
, the fief that King Ferdinand had assigned to him. His whole life, Henry IV had to defend himself in quarrels with his half brother Henry the Bastard and after the end of the Schmalkaldic War
Schmalkaldic War
The Schmalkaldic War refers to the short period of violence from 1546 until 1547 between the forces of Emperor Charles I of Spain and V of the Holy Roman Empire, commanded by Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba, and the Lutheran Schmalkaldic League within the domains of the Holy Roman...
, he had to deal with litigation by the Reuss family, who tried to regain the Lordship of Gera.
On 22 January 1542, King Ferdinand appointed Henry IV to High Chancellor of the Crown of Bohemia, King's Counsel and Treasurer.
Schmalkaldic war
Henry was instrumental in the Treaty of Prague that was sealed on 14 November 1546 between King Ferdinand of Bohemia and the Albertine Duke Maurice of Saxony, implementing the imperial ban against the Ernestine electors of Saxony. As High Chancellor of Bohemia, Henry participated on the side of Ferdinand and his brother, Emperor Charles V in the Battle of MühlbergBattle of Mühlberg
The Battle of Mühlberg was a large battle at Mühlberg in the Electorate of Saxony during the Protestant Reformation at which the Catholic princes of the Holy Roman Empire led by the Emperor Charles I of Spain and V of the Holy Roman Empire decisively defeated the Lutheran Schmalkaldic League of...
on 24 April 1547 and in the Capitulation of Wittenberg
Capitulation of Wittenberg
The Capitulation of Wittenberg was a treaty in 1547 by which John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony, was compelled to resign the electoral dignity. The Electorate of Saxony and most of his territory, including Wittenberg, passed from the elder, Ernestine line to the cadet branch, the Albertine line...
on 19 May 1547 that ended the Schmalkaldic War
Schmalkaldic War
The Schmalkaldic War refers to the short period of violence from 1546 until 1547 between the forces of Emperor Charles I of Spain and V of the Holy Roman Empire, commanded by Don Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba, and the Lutheran Schmalkaldic League within the domains of the Holy Roman...
. In the same position he was in Prague in late June 1547, where Ferdinand held the Bohemian Diet, which became known as "the bloody" in history, in which Ferdinand judged over the Bohemian estates and rebellious nobles. From confiscated lands, Henry received the castle and town Bečov nad Teplou
Becov nad Teplou
Bečov nad Teplou is a town in the Czech Republic....
, which his great-grandfather had bought in 1410 and which his father had sold in 1495 to Lord Pflugk. However, Ferdinand demanded it back shortly thereafter. In September 1547 Henry's troops occupied the castle of Greiz and drove out the princes of the Reuss. On 24 May 1548, by deed of Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Augsburg
Diet of Augsburg
The Diet of Augsburg were the meetings of the Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire in the German city of Augsburg. There were many such sessions, but the three meetings during the Reformation and the ensuing religious wars between the Roman Catholic emperor Charles V and the Protestant...
, Henry IV was made Imperial Princely Burgrave of Meissen. On 21 January 1549, King Ferdinand issued a solemn Patent to Henry of Reuss and Gera. This made Henry officially Lord of Greiz and Gera. The deeds for the purchase of the Lordship of Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
, Oelsnitz
Oelsnitz, Vogtland
Oelsnitz is a town in the Vogtlandkreis district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster, south of Plauen and southwest of Zwickau.- References :...
and the district of Pausa
Pausa
In linguistics, pausa is the end of a prosodic unit, such as an utterance. Some sound laws specifically operate in pausa only; for example, certain phonemes may be pronounced differently at the end of a word, when no other word follows within the same prosodic unit, such as in citation form...
followed soon after, on 10 April 1549.
In the summer of 1551 Henry had a time off from his job as Chancellor for the first time in many years and could dedicate himself to his traditional Bohemian dominions and the new dominions in the Vogtland. He called representatives of all Vogtland estates to a common diet in Schleiz he opened on 28 July 1551. In Plauen he established a governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
as the supreme authority for all Vogtland estates. For Greiz he issued on 8 September 1551 his first regulation of the judiciary and of the police. On 11 September, these were followed by a drink tax and the Imperial penny regulation. In Mid-October, he left the Vogtland, first went to Prague and then to Vienna. He never returned to his Vogtland possessions. Although a Catholic is while life, he fought all attempts at Contra-Reformation of his Vogtland barons, promoted the Protestant Church and in 1552 he adopted a burgraviate Church Constitution, designed by the Protestant superintendent of Plauen.
Peace of Passau and combat against Albert Alcibiades
On 15 and 16 March 1552, Henry IV met Elector Maurice of SaxonyMaurice, Elector of Saxony
Maurice was Duke and later Elector of Saxony. His clever manipulation of alliances and disputes gained the Albertine branch of the Wettin dynasty extensive lands and the electoral dignity....
in Leipzig and prepared him for a meeting between Maurice and Ferdinand, which took place on 18 April 1552 in Linz. They agreed on principles that formed the foundation for an agreement reached in Passau on 22 Juli 1552. King Ferdinand then asked Henry IV to convince Emperor Charles V and the latter signed the Peace of Passau
Peace of Passau
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had won a victory against Protestantism in the Schmalkaldic War of 1547. Many Protestant princes were unhappy with the religious terms of the Augsburg Interim imposed after this victory. In January 1552, led by Maurice of Saxony, many formed an alliance with Henry II of...
on the 15th August in Munich.
During the subsequent Turkish military campaign, Heinrich stayed until the end of November in Györ
Gyor
-Climate:-Main sights:The ancient core of the city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Rába and Rábca. Püspökvár, the residence of Győr’s bishops can be easily recognised by its incomplete tower. Győr’s oldest buildings are the 13th-century dwelling tower and the...
. As High Chancellor of Bohemia, Henry IV was actively involved in establishing peace throughout the empire.
On 29 June 1553 Henry and Maurice met in Nordhausen
Nordhausen
Nordhausen is a town at the southern edge of the Harz Mountains, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Nordhausen...
and discussed final details of their action against Margrave Albrecht II Alcibiades of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Albert Alcibiades, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
Albert Alcibiades was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, also known as Brandenburg-Bayreuth.Because of his bellicose nature Albert received the cognomen Alcibiades after his death; during his lifetime Albert was known as Bellator .He was a member of the Franconian branch of the House of...
. Shortly thereafter, on 9 July 1553, Maurice was mortally wounded in the Battle of Sievershausen
Battle of Sievershausen
The Battle of Sievershausen occurred on 9 July 1553 in Sievershausen , between the Catholic Imperial troops and those of the Protestant Schmalkaldic League. 4,000 soldiers were killed, including Maurice, Elector of Saxony, the Protestant commander of the Catholic side...
. Henry now took over the role of the leader of the allies against Albert Alcibiades. On 7 August, Henry began the siege of Hof. On 28 September the city was captured, but on 11 October it was recaptured by Albert's troops. On 27 November the allies captured Hof again. Henry IV appointed Georg Wolf
Georg Wolf of Kotzau
Georg Wolf of Kotzau, nicknamed the rich was an Imperial Knight and Amtmann and Governor.Georg Wolf of Kotzau was a member of the ancient knightly family of Kotzau...
of Kotzau
Kotzau
The House of Kotzau was a local noble family in Franconia.The House of Kotzau took its name from the village of Kotzau, today called Oberkotzau and it is located in the district Hof in Upper Franconia. Famous members of the family were abbess in the abbeys of Himmelkron and Hof. Hans von Kotzau...
as governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Hof. Then the siege of the Plassenburg
Plassenburg
Plassenburg is a castle in the city of Kulmbach in Bavaria. It is one of the most impressive castles in Germany and a symbol of the city. It was first mentioned in 1135. The Plassenberg family were ministerial of the counts of Andechs and used as their seat the Plassenburg...
near Kulmbach
Kulmbach
Kulmbach is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town is famous for Plassenburg Castle, which houses the largest tin soldier museum in the world, and for its famous sausages, or Bratwürste.-Location:...
began, during which, on the morning of the 19th May 1554, Henry IV died in Stadtsteinach
Stadtsteinach
Stadtsteinach is a town in the district of Kulmbach, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Frankenwald, 8 km northeast of Kulmbach.It is known for its proximity to mountains, fields and nature reserves.-City arrangement:...
. On 24 May he was buried, accoding to his last wishes in the St John's Church in Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
.
Marriage and Issue
Henry married before 29 August 1532 Margaret, daughter of Count Nicholas INicholas, Count of Salm
Nicholas, Count of Salm was a Holy Roman Empire Imperial senior military commander ....
of Salm
Salm
-Rivers:* Salm , in Germany, tributary to the river Moselle* Salm , in Belgium, tributary to the river Amblève-Places:*Salm , a historic principality with territories in present Germany, Belgium and France*partitions of the state...
and Neuburg, with whom he had two sons:
- Henry V, Burgrave of PlauenHenry V, Burgrave of PlauenHenry V of Plauen was Burgrave of Meissen and Lord of Plauen and Voigtsberg.- Life :...
(1533–1568), Burgrave of Meissen
- married in 1555 princess Dorothy Catherine of Brandenburg-AnsbachDorothy Catherine of Brandenburg-AnsbachDorothy Catherine of Brandenburg-Ansbach was a princess of Brandenburg-Ansbach and by marriage burggravine of Meissen.- Life :...
(1538-1604)- Henry VI, Burgrave of PlauenHenry VI, Burgrave of PlauenHenry VI of Plauen was Burgrave of Meissen, Lord of Plauen and Lord of Schleiz and Lobenstein.- Life :...
(1536–1572), Burgrave of Meissen,
- Henry VI, Burgrave of Plauen
- married firstly, in 1564, Princess Catherine of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1548-1565)
- married secondly, in 1566, Princess Anna of Pomerania-Stettin (1531-1592)