House of Helfenstein
Encyclopedia
The House of Helfenstein was a German
noble family during the High
and Late Middle Ages
. The family was named after the family castle, Castle Helfenstein
, located above Geislingen an der Steige
in the Swabian Alb
region of Baden-Württemberg
, Germany. The family held the rank of Graf
or Count
and was very significant in the 13th and 14th Centuries, but fell into financial difficulties and the family died out by 1627.
The House of Helfenstein used an elephant on their coat of arms. According to one source, the elephant is a type of Namenwappen (German: Coat of Arms from a name), in this case Helfenstein became Elefanten or elephant because of similarity between the sounds. A more fanciful source claims that the elephant comes from the first ancestor of the family, Helfrich, a citizen of Rome
in 225 AD, a captain of the 5th Legion of Veterans based in Germany and the Lord of the Fils River. Because his legion had fought against Hannibal four centuries earlier, Helfrich chose an elephant for his coat of arms.
While the ancestral castle, Burg Helfenstein
, was built around 1100 the family may originate about three centuries earlier. Ulric Helfenstein was appointed Second Provost
at an earlier Blaubeuren Abbey
by Charlemagne
in 800. His son Rudolf was born around 820. On 12 December 861 he founded the church at Wiesensteig
. Later he also founded the Cyriasus Abbey in Wiesensteig.
It is possible that the Counts from Vils (Fils
) were the ancestors of the House of Helfenstein, because in 1060 the Archbishop of Salzburg
, Gebhard of Salzburg
(from the Counts of Vils) was also known as Gebhard von Helfenstein. This connection is debated.
The first recorded member of the family was Eberhard the Elder, who built the ancestral castle known as Burg Helfenstein (English: Helfenstein Castle) around 1100. Helfenstein castle was located at a key point along the imperial road from Brabant
to Italy
. This allowed the Counts of Helfenstein to guard and tax travellers and merchants. The city of Geislingen an der Steige
grew up at the foot of the castle as a toll collection station and rest stop for travellers.
Around 1200 Count Ludwig IV of Spitzenberg (by Kuchen
) and Sigmaringen
married the heir of Eberhard II (known as the Younger) of Helfenstein, his daughter. Through the marriage to the heir of Helfenstein family, the fortunes of both families were intertwined. The Counts of Spitzenberg were closely allied with the Holy Roman Emperor
and had served the Empire in a variety of positions. Ludwig's brother, Gottfried, had marched with Frederick Barbarossa
on the Third Crusade
and had died on the Crusade in 1190. The Spitzenberg male line died out completely a generation later in 1226. This meant that the Helfenstein lands and the Spitzenburg lands would be combined and Ludwig IV of Spitzenburg became Ludwing I of Helfenstein. He quickly expanded his county, adding numerous holdings in the upper and middle Fils River
Valley, on the highlands of the Swabian Alb
, in Ulm
, in Heidenheim an der Brenz as well as in the Danube
River Valley near Sigmaringen
and Schloss Sigmaringen
.
The next significant Helfenstein count was Ulrich V, who as a member of Emperor Charles IV
's household in 14th century Prague
served the Emperor in many ways. The Emperor rewarded him with a marriage, which raised his social status, to the Duchess Maria of Bosnia
. Unfortunately, this marriage led to many problems and caused the financial downfall of the Helfenstein family.
The collapse of the House of Hohenstaufen (Kings of Germany from 1138 to 1254) threw southern Germany into chaos. For nearly two centuries, each noble fought against the others. The Helfenstein family joined in on the conflicts. In 1356 Ulrich V (known as Ulrich the Elder) and his cousin Ulrich VI (known as Ulrich the Younger), split the House of Helfenstein into two lines; the Wiesensteiger and Blaubeurer branches. The Wiesensteiger branch inherited the county of Geislingen with Burg Helfenstein, but pledged the entire holding to the Free Imperial City
of Ulm
in 1382 for a loan. In 1396 the city called for repayment, but the House of Helfenstein owed at least 123,439 Gulden
to the city. To repay the loan, most of the County of Geislingen including the ancestral castle and 27 villages or hamlets were given to Ulm.
The Blaubeuren branch lost most of their property to the House of Württemberg in 1448 when Württemberg acquired Heidenheim. In 1450 Württemberg acquired the Wiesensteig holdings from Ulm, but lost those holdings seven years later in 1457. The Wiesensteig lands would later pass to Bavaria from 1642 until 1752. Bavaria had already owned the Blaubeuren lands including Heidenheim from 1450 until 1504, but in 1504 Bavaria gave the Blaubeuren lands to Württemberg.
Following the loss of their lands, the House of Helfenstein lost all political power. The last male member of the family died in 1627 in Wiesensteig, which was the end of this family.
The Helfenstein family later moved to Salzburg to become part of the "Salzburgers" that emigrated to the Georgia Colony. One branch of the family 'Latinized' their name to Helvenston.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
noble family during the High
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
and Late Middle Ages
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages was the period of European history generally comprising the 14th to the 16th century . The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern era ....
. The family was named after the family castle, Castle Helfenstein
Ruine Helfenstein
Helfenstein Castle represents the remnants of the fortified castle Helfenstein of the counts of Helfenstein located above the city of Geislingen an der Steige, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-History:...
, located above Geislingen an der Steige
Geislingen an der Steige
Geislingen an der Steige is a town in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.-History:Although the area had settlements since the Bronze Age, Geislingen was founded by the counts of Helfenstein as a transit collection station on the important commercial route between the...
in the Swabian Alb
Swabian Alb
The Swabian Alps or Swabian Jura is a low mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending 220 km from southwest to northeast and 40 to 70 km in width. It is named after the region of Swabia....
region of Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany. The family held the rank of Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
or Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
and was very significant in the 13th and 14th Centuries, but fell into financial difficulties and the family died out by 1627.
History
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
in 225 AD, a captain of the 5th Legion of Veterans based in Germany and the Lord of the Fils River. Because his legion had fought against Hannibal four centuries earlier, Helfrich chose an elephant for his coat of arms.
While the ancestral castle, Burg Helfenstein
Ruine Helfenstein
Helfenstein Castle represents the remnants of the fortified castle Helfenstein of the counts of Helfenstein located above the city of Geislingen an der Steige, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-History:...
, was built around 1100 the family may originate about three centuries earlier. Ulric Helfenstein was appointed Second Provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
at an earlier Blaubeuren Abbey
Blaubeuren Abbey
Blaubeuren Abbey was a house of the Benedictine Order located in Blaubeuren, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.-History: Catholic:...
by Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
in 800. His son Rudolf was born around 820. On 12 December 861 he founded the church at Wiesensteig
Wiesensteig
Wiesensteig is a town in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located on the river Fils, 16 km south of Göppingen....
. Later he also founded the Cyriasus Abbey in Wiesensteig.
It is possible that the Counts from Vils (Fils
Fils River
The Fils river is a 63 km long river in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, a right tributary of the Neckar.Its source is in the Swabian Alb hills near Wiesensteig. It flows through Geislingen and Göppingen to join the Neckar in Plochingen, east of Stuttgart. Due to the contribution of the Fils, the...
) were the ancestors of the House of Helfenstein, because in 1060 the Archbishop of Salzburg
Archbishopric of Salzburg
The Archbishopric of Salzburg was an ecclesiastical State of the Holy Roman Empire, its territory roughly congruent with the present-day Austrian state of Salzburg....
, Gebhard of Salzburg
Gebhard of Salzburg
Blessed Gebhard of Salzburg , also occasionally known as Gebhard of Helfenstein, was Archbishop of Salzburg from 1060 until his death. He was one of the fiercest opponents of King Henry IV during the Investiture Controversy....
(from the Counts of Vils) was also known as Gebhard von Helfenstein. This connection is debated.
The first recorded member of the family was Eberhard the Elder, who built the ancestral castle known as Burg Helfenstein (English: Helfenstein Castle) around 1100. Helfenstein castle was located at a key point along the imperial road from Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. This allowed the Counts of Helfenstein to guard and tax travellers and merchants. The city of Geislingen an der Steige
Geislingen an der Steige
Geislingen an der Steige is a town in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.-History:Although the area had settlements since the Bronze Age, Geislingen was founded by the counts of Helfenstein as a transit collection station on the important commercial route between the...
grew up at the foot of the castle as a toll collection station and rest stop for travellers.
Around 1200 Count Ludwig IV of Spitzenberg (by Kuchen
Kuchen, Germany
Kuchen is a town in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany....
) and Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district....
married the heir of Eberhard II (known as the Younger) of Helfenstein, his daughter. Through the marriage to the heir of Helfenstein family, the fortunes of both families were intertwined. The Counts of Spitzenberg were closely allied with 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...
and had served the Empire in a variety of positions. Ludwig's brother, Gottfried, had marched with Frederick Barbarossa
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...
on 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...
and had died on the Crusade in 1190. The Spitzenberg male line died out completely a generation later in 1226. This meant that the Helfenstein lands and the Spitzenburg lands would be combined and Ludwig IV of Spitzenburg became Ludwing I of Helfenstein. He quickly expanded his county, adding numerous holdings in the upper and middle Fils River
Fils River
The Fils river is a 63 km long river in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, a right tributary of the Neckar.Its source is in the Swabian Alb hills near Wiesensteig. It flows through Geislingen and Göppingen to join the Neckar in Plochingen, east of Stuttgart. Due to the contribution of the Fils, the...
Valley, on the highlands of the Swabian Alb
Swabian Alb
The Swabian Alps or Swabian Jura is a low mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending 220 km from southwest to northeast and 40 to 70 km in width. It is named after the region of Swabia....
, in Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
, in Heidenheim an der Brenz as well as in the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
River Valley near Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district....
and Schloss Sigmaringen
Schloss Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen Castle was the princely castle and seat of government for the Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. Situated in the Swabian Alb region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, this castle dominates the skyline of the town of Sigmaringen...
.
The next significant Helfenstein count was Ulrich V, who as a member of Emperor Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
's household in 14th century Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
served the Emperor in many ways. The Emperor rewarded him with a marriage, which raised his social status, to the Duchess Maria of Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
. Unfortunately, this marriage led to many problems and caused the financial downfall of the Helfenstein family.
The collapse of the House of Hohenstaufen (Kings of Germany from 1138 to 1254) threw southern Germany into chaos. For nearly two centuries, each noble fought against the others. The Helfenstein family joined in on the conflicts. In 1356 Ulrich V (known as Ulrich the Elder) and his cousin Ulrich VI (known as Ulrich the Younger), split the House of Helfenstein into two lines; the Wiesensteiger and Blaubeurer branches. The Wiesensteiger branch inherited the county of Geislingen with Burg Helfenstein, but pledged the entire holding to the Free Imperial City
Free Imperial City
In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city was a city formally ruled by the emperor only — as opposed to the majority of cities in the Empire, which were governed by one of the many princes of the Empire, such as dukes or prince-bishops...
of Ulm
Ulm
Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and...
in 1382 for a loan. In 1396 the city called for repayment, but the House of Helfenstein owed at least 123,439 Gulden
Guilder
Guilder is the English translation of the Dutch gulden — from Old Dutch for 'golden'. The guilder originated as a gold coin but has been a common name for a silver or base metal coin for some centuries...
to the city. To repay the loan, most of the County of Geislingen including the ancestral castle and 27 villages or hamlets were given to Ulm.
The Blaubeuren branch lost most of their property to the House of Württemberg in 1448 when Württemberg acquired Heidenheim. In 1450 Württemberg acquired the Wiesensteig holdings from Ulm, but lost those holdings seven years later in 1457. The Wiesensteig lands would later pass to Bavaria from 1642 until 1752. Bavaria had already owned the Blaubeuren lands including Heidenheim from 1450 until 1504, but in 1504 Bavaria gave the Blaubeuren lands to Württemberg.
Following the loss of their lands, the House of Helfenstein lost all political power. The last male member of the family died in 1627 in Wiesensteig, which was the end of this family.
The Helfenstein family later moved to Salzburg to become part of the "Salzburgers" that emigrated to the Georgia Colony. One branch of the family 'Latinized' their name to Helvenston.