Henry V, Burgrave of Plauen
Encyclopedia
Henry V of Plauen was Burgrave
of Meissen
and Lord of Plauen
and Voigtsberg.
from his marriage to Margaret Countess of Salm and Neuburg (1517–1573).
On the death of his father, Henry V was still a minor. Therefore King Ferdinand of Bohemia
promised about a month after his father's death to protect him and his younger brother against the princes of Reuss. Henry IV had not only left his sons extensive holdings, but also a high debt and a disputes with the princes of Reuss. New debts arose from further court cases against the Reuss family.
After Henry V had come of age, he at first ruled for himself and on behalf of his younger brother Henry VI of Plauen
; later they ruled together.
Henry married on 25 August 1555 Dorothy Catherine of Brandenburg-Ansbach
(1538–1604) from the Franconian House of Hohenzollern
. She was a daughter of Margrave Georg the Pious
of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1484–1543) and his third wife Emilie of Saxony
(1516–1591). The four sons of this marriage, all of which were named Henry, all died shortly after birth.
As early as 1556, the brothers lost by an imperial arbitration, the Franconian districts of Hof and Schauenstein
to an imperial escrow. Their father had conquered these in a war against the outlawed Margrave Albert II Alcibiades
. After the death of Albert Alcibiades and the extinction of his line, the margraviates Ansbach and Kulmbach were merged into margraviate of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
and the young Margrave George Frederick of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, the brother of Henry's wife, ruled these territories.
In May 1559, the baronies of Plauen en Voigtsberg and the district of Schöneck were pledged to Elector August of Saxony.
With the decision of the court in Vienna of 28 September 1560, the brothers lost the barony of Greiz to the princes of Reuss and they had to share Gera and Schleiz with them, effective 1 January 1561. The brothers only retained their estates in Bohemia and the Bohemian fiefs Lobel and Posterstein Castle. The dispute with the princes of Reuss came to an end with a new treaty, confirmed by the emperor and sealed in Prague on 9 May 1562. On 14 March 1562 was the emperor invested the two brothers with the baronies of Plauen, Voigtsberg, Schleiz and Lobel and the districts Pausa and Schoeneck.
In 1563, the brothers divided their lands between them. Henry V would receive the Bohemian estates, the Lordships of Plauen and Voigtsberg and the district of Schoeneck. Howver, these lands had been pledged to Elector August of Saxony. When Henry V tried to redeem them, he found that money was no longer available. Thus, the heartland of Plauen was forever lost to Saxony. In 1564, Henry V lost the Bohemian barony of Loket to the crown. In 1567, he had to transfer the baronies of Andělská Hora
, Bochov
, Kraslice
and Toužim
to the Gera heirs of Lobkowicz and Hassenstein.
Completely impoverished, the brother of his wife Dorothy Catherine gave him a suitable a house in Hof. He died there on 24 December 1568 and was buried in the Mountain Church in Schleiz.
Dorothy Catherine received Toužim as a widow seat from the heirs of Gera and died there on 8 January 1604. Four years after her death, her second cousin, the Elector Christian II of Saxony, organized her burial in the St John's Church in Plauen.
Burgrave
A burgrave is literally the count of a castle or fortified town. The English form is derived through the French from the German Burggraf and Dutch burg- or burch-graeve .* The title is originally equivalent to that of castellan or châtelain, meaning keeper of a castle and/or fortified town...
of Meissen
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...
and 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:...
and Voigtsberg.
Life
Henry V was the older of the two sons of Burgrave Henry IV of PlauenHenry IV, Burgrave of Plauen
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...
from his marriage to Margaret Countess of Salm and Neuburg (1517–1573).
On the death of his father, Henry V was still a minor. Therefore King Ferdinand of Bohemia
Ferdinand 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...
promised about a month after his father's death to protect him and his younger brother against the princes of Reuss. Henry IV had not only left his sons extensive holdings, but also a high debt and a disputes with the princes of Reuss. New debts arose from further court cases against the Reuss family.
After Henry V had come of age, he at first ruled for himself and on behalf of his younger brother Henry VI of Plauen
Henry VI, Burgrave of Plauen
Henry VI of Plauen was Burgrave of Meissen, Lord of Plauen and Lord of Schleiz and Lobenstein.- Life :...
; later they ruled together.
Henry married on 25 August 1555 Dorothy Catherine of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Dorothy Catherine of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Dorothy Catherine of Brandenburg-Ansbach was a princess of Brandenburg-Ansbach and by marriage burggravine of Meissen.- Life :...
(1538–1604) from the Franconian House of Hohenzollern
House of Hohenzollern
The House of Hohenzollern is a noble family and royal dynasty of electors, kings and emperors of Prussia, Germany and Romania. It originated in the area around the town of Hechingen in Swabia during the 11th century. They took their name from their ancestral home, the Burg Hohenzollern castle near...
. She was a daughter of Margrave Georg the Pious
George, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
George of Brandenburg-Ansbach was a Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach from the House of Hohenzollern.- Early life :...
of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1484–1543) and his third wife Emilie of Saxony
Emilie of Saxony
Emilie of Saxony was the third wife of Margrave George the Pious of Brandenburg-Ansbach. Since his two earlier wives died before his accession, she was the only one to enjoy the title Margravine.- Life :...
(1516–1591). The four sons of this marriage, all of which were named Henry, all died shortly after birth.
As early as 1556, the brothers lost by an imperial arbitration, the Franconian districts of Hof and Schauenstein
Schauenstein
Schauenstein is a town in the district of Hof, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 13 km west of Hof....
to an imperial escrow. Their father had conquered these in a war against the outlawed Margrave Albert II Alcibiades
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...
. After the death of Albert Alcibiades and the extinction of his line, the margraviates Ansbach and Kulmbach were merged into margraviate of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
Principality of Bayreuth
The Principality of Bayreuth or Brandenburg-Bayreuth was a reichsfrei principality in the Holy Roman Empire centered on the Bavarian city of Bayreuth. Until 1604 its capital city was Kulmbach; then the margraves used their palaces in Bayreuth as their residence...
and the young Margrave George Frederick of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, the brother of Henry's wife, ruled these territories.
In May 1559, the baronies of Plauen en Voigtsberg and the district of Schöneck were pledged to Elector August of Saxony.
With the decision of the court in Vienna of 28 September 1560, the brothers lost the barony of Greiz to the princes of Reuss and they had to share Gera and Schleiz with them, effective 1 January 1561. The brothers only retained their estates in Bohemia and the Bohemian fiefs Lobel and Posterstein Castle. The dispute with the princes of Reuss came to an end with a new treaty, confirmed by the emperor and sealed in Prague on 9 May 1562. On 14 March 1562 was the emperor invested the two brothers with the baronies of Plauen, Voigtsberg, Schleiz and Lobel and the districts Pausa and Schoeneck.
In 1563, the brothers divided their lands between them. Henry V would receive the Bohemian estates, the Lordships of Plauen and Voigtsberg and the district of Schoeneck. Howver, these lands had been pledged to Elector August of Saxony. When Henry V tried to redeem them, he found that money was no longer available. Thus, the heartland of Plauen was forever lost to Saxony. In 1564, Henry V lost the Bohemian barony of Loket to the crown. In 1567, he had to transfer the baronies of Andělská Hora
Andelská Hora
Andělská Hora is name of several locations in the Czech Republic:* Andělská Hora , a village in Moravian-Silesian Region * Andělská Hora, a village in Karlovy Vary Region...
, Bochov
Bochov
Bochov is a town in the Czech Republic....
, Kraslice
Kraslice
Kraslice is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic.-Geography:The town is situated on the southern slopes of the eastern reaches of the Ore Mountains, some 5 km from the neighbouring German town of Klingenthal....
and Toužim
Toužim
Toužim is a town in the Czech Republic.-External links:*...
to the Gera heirs of Lobkowicz and Hassenstein.
Completely impoverished, the brother of his wife Dorothy Catherine gave him a suitable a house in Hof. He died there on 24 December 1568 and was buried in the Mountain Church in Schleiz.
Dorothy Catherine received Toužim as a widow seat from the heirs of Gera and died there on 8 January 1604. Four years after her death, her second cousin, the Elector Christian II of Saxony, organized her burial in the St John's Church in Plauen.
Links
- http://www.vogtlandkreis.de/shownews.php?id=224