Robert III of Nassau
Encyclopedia
Robert III, the Bellicose (died 1191; ) was co-Count of Nassau
between 1160 and 1191. The House of Nassau
would become an important aristocratic family in Germany
, from which are descended the present-day Kings of the Netherlands
and Grand Dukes of Luxembourg
.
from the House of Nassau and Anastasia, daughter of Count Ludwig II of Arnstein an der Lahn
. His father was Count of Laurenburg
and the younger brother of Robert (Ruprecht) I
.
From 1160, Robert III was Count of Nassau and ruled the possessions of Nassau together with his brother Henry (Heinrich) I and his cousin Walram I
, son of Robert I. He became the Münzherr of Siegen in 1170, the Vogt
of Schönau Abbey
in 1172, and Vogt of Koblenz
in 1182. Robert III was a loyal supporter of the Hohenstaufen
Emperor Frederick I
Barbarossa and escorted him in the Battle of Monte Porzio
in 1167 and the Battle of Legnano
the 1176. He also participated in the Empire’s wars against Henry the Lion
in 1180-1181.
With his cousin Walram I, Robert joined the Third Crusade
(1189-1190), acting as the imperial standard-bearer in Frederick’s army. Walram and Robert were part of Frederick I’s delegation set ahead to Constantinople
to prepare for the arrival of the German troops. While Frederick had earlier received promises of cooperation from Byzantine
Emperor Isaac II Angelos
, the delegation was initially snubbed and then actually held as hostages by the Emperor. Robert died on the way back from the Crusade while yet in the Holy Land
in 1191.
(died ca. 1235-38), daughter and heiress of Count Emicho III of Leiningen. From this union came two children:
This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding German Wikipedia article, as of 2009-01-25.
Nassau (state)
Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later in the German Confederation. Its ruling dynasty, now extinct in male line, was the House of Nassau.-Origins:...
between 1160 and 1191. The House of Nassau
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled Count of Nassau, then elevated to the princely class as...
would become an important aristocratic family in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, from which are descended the present-day Kings of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Grand Dukes of Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
.
Life
Robert was the younger son of Count Arnold I of LaurenburgArnold I of Laurenburg
Arnold I of Laurenburg , an early member of the House of Nassau, was from 1123 co-Count of Laurenburg. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day Kings of the Netherlands and Grand Dukes of Luxembourg.-Biography:Arnold was...
from the House of Nassau and Anastasia, daughter of Count Ludwig II of Arnstein an der Lahn
Lahn
The Lahn River is a -long, right tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , and Rhineland-Palatinate ....
. His father was Count of Laurenburg
Laurenburg
Laurenburg is a municipality in the Rhein-Lahn district of Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany. The town, a health resort situated in the lower Lahn River valley, belongs to the Diez Municipal Association.-History:...
and the younger brother of Robert (Ruprecht) I
Robert I of Nassau
Robert I of Nassau was from 1123 co-Count of Laurenburg and would later title himself the first Count of Nassau. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day rulers of both the Netherlands and Luxembourg.-Biography:Robert...
.
From 1160, Robert III was Count of Nassau and ruled the possessions of Nassau together with his brother Henry (Heinrich) I and his cousin Walram I
Walram I of Nassau
Walram I of Nassau was the first Count of Nassau, reigning from 1154 to 1198. The House of Nassau would become an important aristocratic family in Germany, from which are descended the present-day rulers of both the Netherlands and Luxembourg.- Early life :Walram was the younger son of Count...
, son of Robert I. He became the Münzherr of Siegen in 1170, the Vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
of Schönau Abbey
Schönau Abbey (Nassau)
Schönau Abbey is a monastery in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Limburg on the outskirts of the municipality of Strüth in the Rhein-Lahn district, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
in 1172, and Vogt of Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
in 1182. Robert III was a loyal supporter of the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
Emperor Frederick I
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...
Barbarossa and escorted him in the Battle of Monte Porzio
Battle of Monte Porzio
The Battle of Monte Porzio was fought on 29 May 1167 between the Holy Roman Empire and the Commune of Rome...
in 1167 and the Battle of Legnano
Battle of Legnano
The Battle of Legnano was fought on May 29, 1176, between the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, led by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and the Lombard League.-The Lombard League:...
the 1176. He also participated in the Empire’s wars against Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
in 1180-1181.
With his cousin Walram I, Robert joined 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...
(1189-1190), acting as the imperial standard-bearer in Frederick’s army. Walram and Robert were part of Frederick I’s delegation set ahead to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
to prepare for the arrival of the German troops. While Frederick had earlier received promises of cooperation from Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
Emperor Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos
Isaac II Angelos was Byzantine emperor from 1185 to 1195, and again from 1203 to 1204....
, the delegation was initially snubbed and then actually held as hostages by the Emperor. Robert died on the way back from the Crusade while yet in the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
in 1191.
Descendants
Robert married Elizabeth of SchaumburgSchaumburg
Schaumburg is a district of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Nienburg, Hanover and Hamelin-Pyrmont, and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia .-History:...
(died ca. 1235-38), daughter and heiress of Count Emicho III of Leiningen. From this union came two children:
- Herrmann (died after December 3, 1240), CanonCanon (priest)A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Mainz CathedralMainz CathedralMainz Cathedral or St. Martin's Cathedral is located near the historical center and pedestrianized market square of the city of Mainz, Germany... - Luitgard (died before 1222) – She first married Gebhard IV of QuerfurtQuerfurtQuerfurt a town in Saalekreis district in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, situated in a fertile area on the Querne, west from Merseburg, on a branch line from Oberroblingen. Pop. 12,935 .-History:...
, Count of the Castle of MagdeburgMagdeburgMagdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, in ca. 1200. After his death in 1213, she later married Hermann III, Count of VirneburgVirneburgVirneburg is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany.-Geography:Virneburg is a municipality in the Vulkaneifel. Next towns are Mayen in the East and Adenau in the West. The average height is 402 meters above NN. Virneburg is in a valley surrounded by...
(died ca. 1254).
Sources
This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding German Wikipedia article, as of 2009-01-25.