House of Luxembourg
Encyclopedia
The House of Luxembourg was a late medieval German
dynasty, which between 1308 and 1437 ruled the Holy Roman Empire
, twice interrupted by the rivaling House of Wittelsbach.
, when in 1247 Henry, younger son of Duke Waleran III inherited the County of Luxembourg
upon the death of his mother Countess Ermesinde, a scion of the House of Namur
. Her father, Count Henry IV of Luxembourg, was related on his mother's side with the Ardennes-Verdun dynasty (also called the Elder House of Luxembourg), which had ruled the county since the late 10th century.
Count Henry V's grandson Henry VII
, Count of Luxembourg upon the death of his father Henry VI at the 1288 Battle of Worringen
, was elected
Rex Romanorum
in 1308. The election was necessary after the Habsburg king Albert I of Germany
had been murdered, and Henry, backed by his brother Prince-Archbishop Baldwin of Trier, prevailed against Count Charles of Valois. Henry arranged the marriage of his son John with the Přemyslid
heiress Elisabeth of Bohemia in 1310, whereupon the House of Luxembourg gained the vast Kingdom of Bohemia
as a significant power basis to compete with the Habsburg and Wittelsbach dynasties. One year after being crowned Holy Roman Emperor
at Rome
, Henry VII, still on campaign in Italy
, died in 1313.
The Prince-electors, perturbed by the steep rise of the Luxembourgs, disregarded the claims raised by Henry's heir King John, and the rule over the Empire was assumed by the Wittelsbach duke Louis of Bavaria
. John instead concentrated on securing his rule in Bohemia and gradually vassalized the Piast
dukes of adjacent Silesia
from 1327 until 1335. His son Charles IV
, in 1346 again gained the Imperial crown, the most capable ruler of the Luxembourg dynasty, whose Golden Bull of 1356
served as a constitution of the Empire for centuries. Charles not only acquired the duchies of Brabant
and Limburg
in the west, but also the former March of Lusatia (Lower Lusatia
) and even the Margraviate of Brandenburg
in 1373, then holding two votes in the electoral college.
The family's decline began under Charles' son King Wenceslaus
, who was deposed by the Prince-electors in 1400, who chose the Wittelsbach Elector Palatine Rupert. In 1410 the rule was assumed by Wenceslaus' brother Sigismund
, who once again stabled the rule of the Luxembourgs and even contributed to end the Western Schism
in 1417; however, with his death in 1437, the dynasty became extinct. He was succeeded by his son-in-law, the Habsburg archduke Albert V of Austria
. The Habsburgs finally prevailed as Luxembourg heirs, ruling the Empire until their extinction upon the death of Maria Theresa in 1780.
Kingdom of Germany
The Kingdom of Germany developed out of the eastern half of the former Carolingian Empire....
dynasty, which between 1308 and 1437 ruled 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...
, twice interrupted by the rivaling House of Wittelsbach.
History
It initially was a cadet branch of the ducal House of LimburgDuchy of Limburg
The Duchy of Limburg, situated in the Low Countries between the river Meuse and the city of Aachen, was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory is now divided between the Belgian provinces of Liège and Limburg , the Dutch province of Limburg , and a small part of North Rhine-Westphalia in...
, when in 1247 Henry, younger son of Duke Waleran III inherited the County of Luxembourg
County, Duchy and Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
The County, later Duchy of Luxembourg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire, the ancestral homeland of the noble House of Luxembourg.-History:...
upon the death of his mother Countess Ermesinde, a scion of the House of Namur
Counts of Namur
The following is a list of Counts or Margraves of Namur.Namur was not often an independent state, rather under the dominion of other entities like the counties of Hainaut and Flanders or the Duchy of Burgundy....
. Her father, Count Henry IV of Luxembourg, was related on his mother's side with the Ardennes-Verdun dynasty (also called the Elder House of Luxembourg), which had ruled the county since the late 10th century.
Count Henry V's grandson Henry VII
Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry VII was the King of Germany from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first emperor of the House of Luxembourg...
, Count of Luxembourg upon the death of his father Henry VI at the 1288 Battle of Worringen
Battle of Worringen
The Battle of Worringen was fought on June 5, 1288, near the town of Worringen , which is now the northernmost borough of Cologne...
, was elected
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
Rex Romanorum
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
in 1308. The election was necessary after the Habsburg king Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
had been murdered, and Henry, backed by his brother Prince-Archbishop Baldwin of Trier, prevailed against Count Charles of Valois. Henry arranged the marriage of his son John with the Přemyslid
Premyslid dynasty
The Přemyslids , were a Czech royal dynasty which reigned in Bohemia and Moravia , and partly also in Hungary, Silesia, Austria and Poland.-Legendary rulers:...
heiress Elisabeth of Bohemia in 1310, whereupon the House of Luxembourg gained the vast Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
as a significant power basis to compete with the Habsburg and Wittelsbach dynasties. One year after being crowned 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...
at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Henry VII, still on campaign in Italy
Kingdom of Italy (medieval)
The Kingdom of Italy was a political entity under control of Carolingian dynasty of Francia first, after the defeat of the Lombards in 774. It was finally incorporated as a part of the Holy Roman Empire in 962....
, died in 1313.
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
. John instead concentrated on securing his rule in Bohemia and gradually vassalized the Piast
Silesian Piasts
The Silesian Piasts were the oldest line of the Piast dynasty beginning with Władysław II the Exile, son of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland...
dukes of adjacent Silesia
Duchy of Silesia
The Duchy of Silesia with its capital at Wrocław was a medieval duchy located in the historic Silesian region of Poland. Soon after it was formed under the Piast dynasty in 1138, it fragmented into various Duchies of Silesia. In 1327 the remaining Duchy of Wrocław as well as most other duchies...
from 1327 until 1335. His son 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....
, in 1346 again gained the Imperial crown, the most capable ruler of the Luxembourg dynasty, whose Golden Bull of 1356
Golden Bull of 1356
The Golden Bull of 1356 was a decree issued by the Reichstag assembly in Nuremberg headed by the Luxembourg Emperor Charles IV that fixed, for a period of more than four hundred years, important aspects of the constitutional structure of the Holy Roman Empire...
served as a constitution of the Empire for centuries. Charles not only acquired the duchies of 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...
and Limburg
Duchy of Limburg
The Duchy of Limburg, situated in the Low Countries between the river Meuse and the city of Aachen, was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory is now divided between the Belgian provinces of Liège and Limburg , the Dutch province of Limburg , and a small part of North Rhine-Westphalia in...
in the west, but also the former March of Lusatia (Lower Lusatia
Lower Lusatia
Lower Lusatia is a historical region stretching from the southeast of the Brandenburg state of Germany to the southwest of the Lubusz Voivodeship in Poland. Important towns beside the historic capital Lübben include Calau, Cottbus, Guben , Luckau, Spremberg, Finsterwalde, Senftenberg and Żary...
) and even the Margraviate of Brandenburg
Margraviate of Brandenburg
The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
in 1373, then holding two votes in the electoral college.
The family's decline began under Charles' son King Wenceslaus
Wenceslaus, King of the Romans
Wenceslaus ) was, by election, German King from 1376 and, by inheritance, King of Bohemia from 1378. He was the third Bohemian and second German monarch of the Luxembourg dynasty...
, who was deposed by the Prince-electors in 1400, who chose the Wittelsbach Elector Palatine Rupert. In 1410 the rule was assumed by Wenceslaus' brother Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
, who once again stabled the rule of the Luxembourgs and even contributed to end the Western Schism
Western Schism
The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417. Two men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics rather than any theological disagreement, the schism was ended by the Council of Constance . The simultaneous claims to the papal chair...
in 1417; however, with his death in 1437, the dynasty became extinct. He was succeeded by his son-in-law, the Habsburg archduke Albert V of Austria
Albert II of Germany
Albert the Magnanimous KG was King of Hungary from 1438 until his death. He was also King of Bohemia, elected King of Germany as Albert II, duke of Luxembourg and, as Albert V, archduke of Austria from 1404.-Biography:Albert was born in Vienna as the son of Albert IV, Duke of Austria, and Johanna...
. The Habsburgs finally prevailed as Luxembourg heirs, ruling the Empire until their extinction upon the death of Maria Theresa in 1780.
Notable members
- Henry VIIHenry VII, Holy Roman EmperorHenry VII was the King of Germany from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first emperor of the House of Luxembourg...
(1275–1313) — elected King of the RomansKing of the RomansKing of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
in 1308 succeeding assassinated Albert of HabsburgAlbert I of GermanyAlbert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
, crowned Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman EmperorThe 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...
in 1312. Was succeeded by Louis IVLouis IV, Holy Roman EmperorLouis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
from the House of Wittelsbach.- Baldwin — brother of Henry, Prince-Archbishop of Trier and thereby ArchchancellorArchchancellorAn archchancellor or chief chancellor was a title given to the highest dignitary of the Holy Roman Empire, and also used occasionally during the Middle Ages to denote an official who supervised the work of chancellors or notaries....
of BurgundyKingdom of ArlesThe Kingdom of Arles or Second Kingdom of Burgundy of the High Middle Ages was a Frankish dominion established in 933 from lands of the early medieval Kingdom of Burgundy at Arles...
1307–54.
- Baldwin — brother of Henry, Prince-Archbishop of Trier and thereby Archchancellor
- John the Blind (1296–1346) — only son of Henry. Was enfeoffed with the BohemiaKingdom of BohemiaThe Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
by his father in 1310, married the PřemyslidPremyslid dynastyThe Přemyslids , were a Czech royal dynasty which reigned in Bohemia and Moravia , and partly also in Hungary, Silesia, Austria and Poland.-Legendary rulers:...
heiress Elisabeth of Bohemia and deposed the Bohemian king Henry the Carinthian. - Charles IVCharles IV, Holy Roman EmperorCharles 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....
(1316–78) — eldest son of John. Was elected King of the Romans in opposition to Louis IV in 1346 and succeeded his father as King of Bohemia in the same year, crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1355. Most important emperor of the Late Middle AgesLate Middle AgesThe 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 ....
, famous for founding the Charles University in PragueCharles University in PragueCharles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
and issuing the Golden Bull of 1356Golden Bull of 1356The Golden Bull of 1356 was a decree issued by the Reichstag assembly in Nuremberg headed by the Luxembourg Emperor Charles IV that fixed, for a period of more than four hundred years, important aspects of the constitutional structure of the Holy Roman Empire...
.- John Henry, Margrave of MoraviaJohn Henry, Margrave of MoraviaJohn Henry of Luxembourg, Czech: Jan Jindřich, German: Johann Heinrich , was Count of Tyrol from 1335 to 1341 and Margrave of Moravia from 1349 until his death....
— younger brother of Charles. Married Countess Margaret of Tyrol, daughter of Henry the Carinthian in 1330, Count of TyrolCounty of TyrolThe County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
from 1335 until his repudiation in 1341.- Jobst of MoraviaJobst of MoraviaJobst of Moravia, Jobst von Mähren from the House of Luxembourg was the eldest son of Margrave John Henry of Moravia, the younger brother of Emperor Charles IV....
(1351–1411) — eldest son of John Henry. Margrave of Brandenburg 1388-1411, elected King of the Romans in 1410.
- Jobst of Moravia
- John Henry, Margrave of Moravia
- WenceslausWenceslaus, King of the RomansWenceslaus ) was, by election, German King from 1376 and, by inheritance, King of Bohemia from 1378. He was the third Bohemian and second German monarch of the Luxembourg dynasty...
(1361–1419) — eldest surviving son of Charles. Margrave of BrandenburgMargraviate of BrandenburgThe Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
1373-1378, elected King of the Romans in 1376, succeeded his father as King of Bohemia in 1378. Declared deposed by the Prince-electorPrince-electorThe Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
s in 1400, was succeeded by Rupert of Wittelsbach. - SigismundSigismund, Holy Roman EmperorSigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
(1368–1437) — younger son of Charles. Margrave of Brandenburg 1378-1388, King of HungaryKingdom of Hungary in the Middle AgesThe Kingdom of Hungary was formed from the previous Principality of Hungarywith the coronation of Stephen I in AD 1000. This was a result of the conversion of Géza of Hungary to the Western Church in the 970s....
from 1387 by his wife Mary of Anjou, elected King of the Romans in 1411, succeeded his brother as King of Bohemia in 1419, crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1433, left no male heirs.- Elizabeth of Luxembourg, only child of Emperor Sigismund, married Archduke Albert V of AustriaAlbert II of GermanyAlbert the Magnanimous KG was King of Hungary from 1438 until his death. He was also King of Bohemia, elected King of Germany as Albert II, duke of Luxembourg and, as Albert V, archduke of Austria from 1404.-Biography:Albert was born in Vienna as the son of Albert IV, Duke of Austria, and Johanna...
from the Albertinian lineAlbertinian LineThe Albertinian line was a line of the Habsburg dynasty, begun by Albert III, who, after death of his brother Rudolf IV the Founder, split the Habsburg territories with his brother. Albert was the prince of the Duchy of Austria, while the southern territories were ruled by his brother - Leopold III...
of the House of Habsburg in 1422, thereby queen consort of Hungary from 1437 as well as Queen of the Romans and queen consort of BohemiaKingdom of BohemiaThe Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
from 1438 until Albert's death in 1439; the heiress who conveyed the major portion of the Luxembourg inheritance to the Habsburgs and, later, the JagiellosJagiellon dynastyThe Jagiellonian dynasty was a royal dynasty originating from the Lithuanian House of Gediminas dynasty that reigned in Central European countries between the 14th and 16th century...
through her daughter Elisabeth of Austria.
- Elizabeth of Luxembourg, only child of Emperor Sigismund, married Archduke Albert V of Austria