Philip V, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg
Encyclopedia
Philip V of Hanau-Lichtenberg (21 February 1541, Bouxwiller
– 2 June 1599, Niederbronn) was Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg from 1590 until his death.
(1514–1590) and the Countess Eleonore of Fürstenberg (1523–1544).
Philip V was baptized in Bouxwiller on the day he was born. On 18 June 1553 he enrolled at the University of Tübingen, where he focussed on mathematics
and astronomy
. It was said that for a long time the Hanau family possessed a silver "terrestrial and celestial sphere" that Philip had manufactured himself.
In his last years, Philip V was sick. He died in 1599 during a visit to the spa in Bad Niederbronn. He was buried in Lichtenberg.
inherited the County of Bitsch
, the Lordship of Ochsenstein and half the Lordship of Lichtenberg
(his father already held the other half). James's older brother, Simon V Wecker, had already died in 1540, also without a male heir. A dispute about the inheritance erupted between the husbands of Ludowika Margaretha and her cousin Amalie, Philip V of Hanau-Lichtenberg and Philip I of Leiningen-Westerburg, respectively. Formally, the County of Bitsch and he district of Lemberg were fiefs of the Duchy of Lorraine and such fiefs could only be inherited in the male line.
Philip V was initially successful in the dispute with Philip I about Zweibrücken-Bitsch. However, he immediately introduced the Lutheran confession in his newly-gained territories. This made the powerful and Catholic
Duke of Lorraine unhappy. The Duke terminated the fief and in July 1572 Lorraine troops occupied the county. Since Philip V's army was no match for Lorraine, he took his case to the Reichskammergericht
. During the trial, Lorraine argued that, firstly, a significant part of the territory of Zweibrücken-Bitsch had been obtained in an exchange with Lorraine in 1302 and, secondly, the Counts of Leiningen had sold their hereditary claims to Lorraine in 1573.
In 1604, Hanau-Lichtenberg and Lorraine decided to settle out of court. In a treaty signed in 1606, it was agreed that Bitsch would revert to Lorraine and Hanau-Lichtenberg would retain Lemberg. This was reasonable, as it corresponded approximately to the religious realities of the territories.
Because of his advanced age, Philip IV delegated successively larger parts of the government business to Philip V during the final years of his life. After Philip IV died in 1590, Philip V took up rule in his own name. As early as 1579, Philip V introduced the Statutes of Solms in the district of Babenhausen
, "on the advice" of his father. This was part of a program to have the same statute law in all territories rules by members of the Wetterau Association of Imperial Count
s. In 1585, he took over from his father the guardianship of Philip Louis II and Albert, the underage sons of Philip Louis I
of Hanau-Münzenberg, who had died in 1580.
Philip V tried to have the Lutheran Count Palatine Richard
of Simmern-Sponheim appointed as an extra guardian. This attempt failed, despite a ruling in his favour by the Reichskammergericht
. The Calvinist majority of the guardians prevented the population of Hanau-Münzenberg from paying homage
to Richard. The majority then had the Electoral Administrator Count Palatine John Casimir of Simmern appointed as "upper guardian" — a purely honorary position — thereby strengthening the Calvinist majority among the guardians. In this conflict, Philip V eventually succumbed.
in his county in Wörth an der Sauer
; this was probably induced by the excellent economic situation in the county during his reign.
Witch hunts were widespread in this period. Philip V issued a proclamation on the subject, but did not involve himself any further. This led to fewer executions than in other territories. Even so, there was at least one execution, in Schaafheim
.
Bouxwiller, Bas-Rhin
Bouxwiller is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Among the city's sight is the Musée Judéo-Alsacien, dedicated to the History of Jews in Alsace, and located in the former synagogue.-References:*...
– 2 June 1599, Niederbronn) was Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg from 1590 until his death.
Life
Philip V was the eldest son, heir and successor of Count Philip IV of Hanau-LichtenbergPhilip IV, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg
Philip IV of Hanau-Lichtenberg was from 1538 to 1590 the reigning Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg. Before his accession he had already conducted gouvernment business on behalf of his father, Count Philip III. He was very interested in alchemy.- Reformation :Unlike his father, Philip IV stood behind...
(1514–1590) and the Countess Eleonore of Fürstenberg (1523–1544).
Philip V was baptized in Bouxwiller on the day he was born. On 18 June 1553 he enrolled at the University of Tübingen, where he focussed on mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. It was said that for a long time the Hanau family possessed a silver "terrestrial and celestial sphere" that Philip had manufactured himself.
In his last years, Philip V was sick. He died in 1599 during a visit to the spa in Bad Niederbronn. He was buried in Lichtenberg.
Ascent to the Throne
In 1570, Philip's father-in-law, Count Palatine James of Zweibrücken-Bitsch (1510–1570), died without male heir and Philip's first wife, Countess Ludowika MargarethaLudowika Margaretha of Zweibrücken-Bitsch
Ludowika Margaretha of Zweibrücken-Bitsch , was the only child of Count James of Zweibrücken-Bitsch and his heiress. She was buried in Ingwiller....
inherited the County of Bitsch
Bitche
Bitche is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.It is known for its large citadel. The surrounding territory is known as le Pays de Bitche in French and Bitscherland in German.-Geography:...
, the Lordship of Ochsenstein and half the Lordship of Lichtenberg
Lichtenberg, Bas-Rhin
Lichtenberg is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The village forms a part of the Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord.-Geography:...
(his father already held the other half). James's older brother, Simon V Wecker, had already died in 1540, also without a male heir. A dispute about the inheritance erupted between the husbands of Ludowika Margaretha and her cousin Amalie, Philip V of Hanau-Lichtenberg and Philip I of Leiningen-Westerburg, respectively. Formally, the County of Bitsch and he district of Lemberg were fiefs of the Duchy of Lorraine and such fiefs could only be inherited in the male line.
Philip V was initially successful in the dispute with Philip I about Zweibrücken-Bitsch. However, he immediately introduced the Lutheran confession in his newly-gained territories. This made the powerful and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Duke of Lorraine unhappy. The Duke terminated the fief and in July 1572 Lorraine troops occupied the county. Since Philip V's army was no match for Lorraine, he took his case to the Reichskammergericht
Reichskammergericht
The Reichskammergericht or Imperial Chamber Court was one of two highest judicial institutions in the Holy Roman Empire, the other one being the Aulic Council in Vienna. It was founded in 1495 by the Imperial Diet in Worms...
. During the trial, Lorraine argued that, firstly, a significant part of the territory of Zweibrücken-Bitsch had been obtained in an exchange with Lorraine in 1302 and, secondly, the Counts of Leiningen had sold their hereditary claims to Lorraine in 1573.
In 1604, Hanau-Lichtenberg and Lorraine decided to settle out of court. In a treaty signed in 1606, it was agreed that Bitsch would revert to Lorraine and Hanau-Lichtenberg would retain Lemberg. This was reasonable, as it corresponded approximately to the religious realities of the territories.
Because of his advanced age, Philip IV delegated successively larger parts of the government business to Philip V during the final years of his life. After Philip IV died in 1590, Philip V took up rule in his own name. As early as 1579, Philip V introduced the Statutes of Solms in the district of Babenhausen
Babenhausen
Babenhausen is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hesse, Germany.-Geography:It is situated on the river Gersprenz, 25 km southeast of Frankfurt, and 14 km west of Aschaffenburg. South of its general borders, the mountain range of the Odenwald is situated about 15 km away...
, "on the advice" of his father. This was part of a program to have the same statute law in all territories rules by members of the Wetterau Association of Imperial Count
Imperial Count
Imperial Count was a title in the Holy Roman Empire. On the one hand, it was used to designate the holders of a imperial county, that is, a county that was a fief directly from the emperor, rather than from a duke; on the other hand, the owner of the title of "Count" could be elevated to...
s. In 1585, he took over from his father the guardianship of Philip Louis II and Albert, the underage sons of Philip Louis I
Philip Louis I, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg
Philip Louis I, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg succeeded his father in the government of the County of Hanau-Münzenberg in 1561.- Background :...
of Hanau-Münzenberg, who had died in 1580.
Guardianship in Hanau-Münzenberg
The other guardian in Hanau-Münzenberg, beside Philip V, were Count John VI "the Elder" of Nassau-Dillenburg and Count Louis I of Sayn-Wittgenstein. With respect to Albert, who reached adulthood in 1608, there were considerable religious disputes between the parties — Hanau-Lichtenberg was Lutheran, Hanau-Münzenberg was Calvinist — and the guardianship could only be finalized in 1608.Philip V tried to have the Lutheran Count Palatine Richard
Richard, Count Palatine of Simmern-Sponheim
Richard was the Count Palatine of Simmern-Sponheim from 1569 until 1598.Richard was born in Simmern in 1521 to John II, Count Palatine of Simmern. In 1569 he succeeded his brother George as Count Palatine of Simmern-Sponheim. Richard died in Simmern in 1598...
of Simmern-Sponheim appointed as an extra guardian. This attempt failed, despite a ruling in his favour by the Reichskammergericht
Reichskammergericht
The Reichskammergericht or Imperial Chamber Court was one of two highest judicial institutions in the Holy Roman Empire, the other one being the Aulic Council in Vienna. It was founded in 1495 by the Imperial Diet in Worms...
. The Calvinist majority of the guardians prevented the population of Hanau-Münzenberg from paying homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to Richard. The majority then had the Electoral Administrator Count Palatine John Casimir of Simmern appointed as "upper guardian" — a purely honorary position — thereby strengthening the Calvinist majority among the guardians. In this conflict, Philip V eventually succumbed.
Domestic policies
In 1588, he built the first mintMiNT
MiNT is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST and its successors. Together with the free system components fVDI , XaAES , and TeraDesk , MiNT provides a free TOS compatible replacement OS that is capable of multitasking.MiNT was originally released by Eric Smith as...
in his county in Wörth an der Sauer
Wœrth
Wœrth or Woerth is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It lies north of Strasbourg. Wœrth is known for the Battle of Wœrth, in the initial stage of the Franco-Prussian War in August 1870.-References:*...
; this was probably induced by the excellent economic situation in the county during his reign.
Witch hunts were widespread in this period. Philip V issued a proclamation on the subject, but did not involve himself any further. This led to fewer executions than in other territories. Even so, there was at least one execution, in Schaafheim
Schaafheim
Schaafheim is a municipality in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hesse, Germany....
.
Marriage and issue
Philip V married three times:- 14 October 1560 in BitschBitcheBitche is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.It is known for its large citadel. The surrounding territory is known as le Pays de Bitche in French and Bitscherland in German.-Geography:...
with Countess Palatine Ludowika Margaretha of Zweibrücken-BitschLudowika Margaretha of Zweibrücken-BitschLudowika Margaretha of Zweibrücken-Bitsch , was the only child of Count James of Zweibrücken-Bitsch and his heiress. She was buried in Ingwiller....
(born: 19 July 1540 in IngwillerIngwillerIngwiller is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The commune lies within the North-Vosges natural park.-History:The first known mention of Ingwiller dates from the year 742 a.C...
; died: 15 December 1569 in BouxwillerBouxwiller, Bas-RhinBouxwiller is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.Among the city's sight is the Musée Judéo-Alsacien, dedicated to the History of Jews in Alsace, and located in the former synagogue.-References:*...
). She was the only child of Count James of Zweibrücken-Bitsch (born: 19 July 1510; died: 22 March 1570) and was his heiress. She was buried in Ingweiler. With her, Philip V had the following children:- Johanna Sybille (born: 6 July 1564 in LichtenbergLichtenberg, Bas-RhinLichtenberg is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The village forms a part of the Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord.-Geography:...
; died on 24 March 1636 RunkelRunkelRunkel is a town on the Lahn River in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany.- Location :Runkel lies in the Lahn Valley on both sides of the river between the Westerwald and the Taunus, some eight kilometres east of Limburg....
), married to Count William V of Wied-Runkel and Isenburg (died: 1612) - Philip (born: 7 October 1565 in Bouxwiller; died: 31 August 1572 in StrasbourgStrasbourgStrasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
; buried in Neuwiller-lès-SaverneNeuwiller-lès-SaverneNeuwiller-lès-Saverne is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
) - Albert (born: 22 November 1566 in Bouxwiller; died: 13 February 1577 in HaguenauHaguenau-Economy:The town has a well balanced economy. Centuries of troubled history in the buffer lands between France and Germany have bequeathed to Haguenau a rich historical and cultural heritage which supports a lively tourist trade. There is also a thriving light manufacturing sector centred on the...
; buried in Neuwiller) - Catherine (born: 30 January 1568 in Bouxwiller; died 6 August 1636), married Schenk Eberhard of Limpurg-Speckfeld (1560–1622)
- Johann Reinhard IJohann Reinhard I, Count of Hanau-LichtenbergCount Johann Reinhard I of Hanau-Lichtenberg Count Johann Reinhard I of Hanau-Lichtenberg Count Johann Reinhard I of Hanau-Lichtenberg (13 February 1569, Bitche – 19 November 1625, Lichtenberg ruled the county of Hanau-Lichtenberg from 1599 to 1625.- Life :...
(born: 13 February 1569 in Bitsch, died: 19 November 1625 in LichtenbergLichtenberg, Bas-RhinLichtenberg is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The village forms a part of the Parc naturel régional des Vosges du Nord.-Geography:...
)
- Johanna Sybille (born: 6 July 1564 in Lichtenberg
- On 18 February 1572 in Bitsch Countess Catherine of Wied (born: 27 May 1552; died: 13 November 1584 in LichfieldLichfieldLichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
). She was buried in Ingweiler. With her, Philip V had the following children:- Juliane (born: 6 March 1573 in BabenhausenBabenhausenBabenhausen is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hesse, Germany.-Geography:It is situated on the river Gersprenz, 25 km southeast of Frankfurt, and 14 km west of Aschaffenburg. South of its general borders, the mountain range of the Odenwald is situated about 15 km away...
; died on 8 April 1582 in Bouxwiller; buried in Neuwiller) - Eleanor (born: 13 June 1576; died young)
- Philip (born: 21 July 1579 in Babenhausen; died 23 February 1580 in Bouxwiller; buried in Neuwiller)
- Amalie (born: 14 March 14, 1582 in Bouxwiller; died: 11 July 1627; buried in Lichtenberg
- Juliane (born: 6 March 1573 in Babenhausen
- On 20 June 1586 in Bouxwiller with Schenkess Agathe of Limpurg-Obersontheim (born: 17 November 1561; died: 1623; buried in Lichtenberg), daughter of Schenk Frederick VII, Lord of Limpurg-Obersontheim (born: 6 August 1536; died: 29 January 1596). She married after 1605 in her second marriage to Count Rudolf of Sulz, Landgrave in KlettgauKlettgauKlettgau is a group of towns in the district of Waldshut in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. Landgraviat of Klettgau to 1812.There is a border crossing into Switzerland at Erzingen to Trasadingen in Schaffhausen canton....
(born: 13 February 1559; died: 5 May 1620), who had previously married Barbara of Staufen. Philip V and Agathe had the following children:- Agathe (born: 17 June 1587; died after 1605
- Reinhard (born: 21 January 1589; died 7 February 1589; buried in Neuweiler)
- Anna Margarethe (born: after 1589; died shortly after birth). She was once assumed to be identical with Agathe, this assumption is contradicted by a contemporary document in the Hessian State Archives, Marburg, which lists all members of the family.