County of Werdenberg
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Werdenberg was a county of the Holy Roman Empire, within the Duchy of Swabia, situated on either side of the Alpine Rhine, including parts of what is now St. Gallen (Switzerland), Liechtenstein, and Vorarlberg (Austria). It was partitioned from Montfort in 1230. In 1260, it was divided into Werdenberg and Sargans.
History
It is named for Werdenberg Castle, today located in the municipality of Grabs in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen, seat of the counts of Werdenberg (Werdenberger), The family was descended from count Hugo II of Tübingen (d. 1180), who married Elisabeth, daughter of the last count of Bregenz, thus inheriting substantial territory along the Alpine Rhine. His son was Hugo I of Montfort (d. 1228), whose son Rudolf I is considered the founder of the Werdenberg line. Rudolf's sons Hugo I of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg and Hartmann I of Werdenberg divided the southern territory of the Montfort inheritance, establishing the two lines of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg and Werdenberg-Sargans.
In 1308 Werdenberg was further divided into Werdenberg-Heiligenberg (Linzgau) and Werdenberg-Werdenberg. The Vaduz line of Counts of Werdenberg died out in 1406 and Vaduz passed to the Barons of Brandis.
The family fractured further into a number of cadet branches. The line of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Sigmaringen-Trochtelfingen remained influential in the early 16th century in the context of the Swabian League but was extinct in 1534.
The Werdenberg feud (Werdenbergfehde) was a major series of feuds between the Werdenberg and their neighbours in the late 15th century, most notably their conflict with the von Zimmern family of Swabia. The feud between the lords of Werdenberg and of Zimmern escalated in 1488, rising to an importance above merely regional concerns, influencing the imperial policy of Frederick III and Maximilian I regarding the formation of the Swabian League, the Imperial Reforms and the history of the Old Swiss Confederacy.
Counts of Werdenberg
Below, a list of the counts of Werdenberg[1], numbered by order of ascension:
House of Tubingen
Partitions of Werdenberg under Tubingen rule
County of Werdenberg (1230-1247) | ||||||
County of Werdenberg-Werdenberg or Werdenberg-Heiligenberg (1247-1402) |
County of Werdenberg-Sargans (1st creation) (1247-1396) | |||||
County of Werdenberg-Vaduz (1322-1416) |
County of Werdenberg-Alpeck (1322-1383) | |||||
County of Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen (1332-1534) | ||||||
County of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Bludenz (1373-1394) |
County of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Rheineck (1373-1395) |
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Annexed to Ulm | ||||||
Annexed to Austria | Pawned to the Counts of Toggenburg | |||||
Pawned to the Counts of Montfort until 1485, then annexed by Switzerland | ||||||
Passed to the Lords of Brandis | ||||||
County of Werdenberg-Sargans (2nd creation) (1436-1483) |
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Annexed by Switzerland | ||||||
Divided between Fürstenberg and Austria (1534) and then Hohenzollern (1535) |
Table of rulers
(Note: Here the numbering of the counts is the same for all counties, as all were titled Counts of Werdenberg, despite of the different parts of land or particular numbering of the rulers. The counts are numbered by the year of their succession.)
House of Tubingen
Ruler | Born | Reign | Death | Ruling part | Consort | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rudolph I | c.1190 | 1230-1247 | 7 October 1247 | Werdenberg | Clementia of Kyburg c.1230 six children |
Abdicated from Montfort to inherit Werdenberg. After his death the land the county was divided. | |
Hartmann I | c.1230 | 1247-1271 | 3 April 1271 | Werdenberg-Sargans | Elisabeth of Ortenburg 26 June 1256 or 11 July 1258 three children |
Son of Rudolph I, inherited Sargans. | |
Hugo I | ![]() |
1231 | 1247-1280 | 7 December 1280 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg | Matilda of Neuffen 11 February 1263 six children |
Son of Rudolph I, inherited Heiligenberg. |
Rudolph II | ![]() |
c.1257 | 1271-1323 | 18 March 1323 | Werdenberg-Sargans | Adelaide of Burgau 1282 five children |
|
Hugo II the One-Eyed | c.1265 | 1280-1307 | 25 March 1307 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg | Euphemia of Ortenburg 3 June 1281 eleven children |
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Albert I | c.1283 | 1307-1365 | c.1365 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg | Catherine of Habsburg-Kyburg c.1330 three children |
Sons of Hugo II, ruled together. | |
Hugo III Cocles | ![]() |
c.1280 | 1307-1329/34 | 16 August 1329 or 16 October 1334 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg | Anna of Wildenberg c.1320 no children | |
Rudolph III | c.1293 | 1323-1325 | 1325 | Werdenberg-Sargans | Unmarried | Sons of Rudolph II, ruled jointly. Rudolph IV assume alone the rulership of Sargans after the death of his older brother and namesake. In 1338, after the death of Count Donat of Vaz, he could inherit a part of his domains, as husband of Ursula. | |
Rudolph IV | c.1310 | 1323-1361 | 21 January or 15 March 1361 | Werdenberg-Sargans | Ursula of Vaz 15 August 1337 one child | ||
Hartmann II | c.1300 | 1323-1353/55 | 15 July 1353 or 21 May 1355 | Werdenberg-Vaduz | Agnes of Montfort-Feldkirch before 1354 three children |
Son of Rudolph II, inherited Vaduz. | |
Henry I | c.1300 | 1323-1332/34 | 2 March 1332 or 27 June 1334 | Werdenberg-Alpeck | Agnes of Württemberg c.1317 six children |
Son of Rudolph II, inherited Alpeck. After his death, the county was once more divided. | |
Eberhard I | c.1315? | 1332/34-1383 | 27 or 28 May 1383 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Luitgard of Berg-Schelklingen c.1335 no children Sophie of Geroldseck after 1344 one child |
Son of Henry I, inherited Trochtelfingen. | |
Henry II | c.1315? | 1332/34-1366/70 | 14 March 1366/70 | Werdenberg-Alpeck | Bertha of Kirchberg before 1352 two children |
Sons of Henry I, kept Alpeck, where they ruled jointly. | |
Rudolph V | c.1315? | 1332/4-1342/9 | 18 December 1342 or 27 March 1349 | Werdenberg-Alpeck | Unmarried | ||
Rudolph VI | c.1320 | 1353/5-1365/7 | 7 July 1365/7 | Werdenberg-Vaduz | Unmarried | Son of Rudolph II, inherited Vaduz. Left no descendants and was succeeeded by his brother. | |
John I | c.1340 | 1361-1396 | 16 October 1400 | Werdenberg-Sargans | Anna of Rhazuns (I) 5 April 1367 one child |
In 1396, highly endebted, John pawned Sargans to the Habsburgs, who resold it to the Counts of Toggenburg. | |
In 1396 Sargans was annexed to the County of Toggenburg | |||||||
Albert II | c.1330 | 1365-1371/3 | 22 July 1371 or 6 January 1373 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg | Matilda of Montfort-Tettnang c.1322 one child Agnes of Nuremberg 3 August 1343 or 5 July 1344 five children |
Son of Albert I. After his death, the county was once more divided. | |
Henry III | c.1357 | 1365/7-1397 | 23 January 1397 | Werdenberg-Vaduz | Katharina of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Bludenz before 1395 no children |
Son of Rudolph II, inherited Vaduz. Left no descendants and was succeeeded by his cousin Hugo, from Rheineck. | |
Henry IV | c.1350 | 1366-1383 | c.1390 | Werdenberg-Alpeck | Elisabeth of Oettingen two children Agnes of Helfenstein no children |
In 1383 sold his county to the city of Ulm. | |
In 1383 Alpeck was annexed to Ulm | |||||||
Albert III the Elder | c.1360 | 1371/3-1394 | 23 February 1418/20 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Bludenz | Ursula of Schaunberg c.1383 six children |
Son of Albert II, received Bludenz. In 1394 he sold his lands to the Habsburgs. | |
In 1394 Bludenz was annexed to Austria | |||||||
Henry V | ![]() |
c.1364 | 1371/3-1392/3 | 24 December 1392 or 24 July 1393 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Rheineck | Anna of Montfort-Feldkirch c.1375 four children |
Son of Albert II, received Rheineck. |
Albert IV the Younger | c.1360 | 1371/3-1402 | 30 July 1416 or 4 May 1418 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Bludenz | Agnes of Montfort-Bregenz c.1380 no children |
Son of Albert II, kept Heiligenberg. In 1402 his lands were pawned to his cousins, the Counts of Montfort. | |
In 1402 Heiligenberg was annexed to Montfort, and in 1485 to Switzerland | |||||||
Henry VI | c.1360? | 1383-1393 | 1393 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Agnes of Teck 1370 one child Ida of Toggenburg before 1392 no children |
Sons of Eberhard I, ruled jointly. | |
Eberhard II | c.1360? | 1383 | 1383 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Unmarried | ||
Hugo IV | c.1390 | 1392-1395 | c.1428 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Rheineck | Agnes of Abensberg c.1399 no children |
Son of Henry II, ruled jointly with his brothers Rudolph and Henry, but the trio lost their lands to the Habsburgs in 1395. However, Hugo was able to recover power by inheriting his cousins county of Vaduz, losing it, however, in 1416, to the Lords of Brandis. | |
1397-1416 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Vaduz | ||||||
In 1416 Vaduz was annexed to the Lordship of Brandis, and, after many inheritances, eventually became part of Liechtenstein in 1699. | |||||||
Rudolph VII | c.1388 | 1392-1395 | c.1419 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Rheineck | Beatrix of Fürstenberg-Haslach c.1399 no children |
Brothers of Hugo IV, co-ruled with him in Rheineck. | |
Henry VII | ? | 1401 | Werdenberg-Heiligenberg-Rheineck | Unmarried | |||
In 1395 Rheineck was annexed to Austria | |||||||
Eberhard III | ![]() |
c.1380? | 1393-1416 | 1416 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Anna of Zimmern six children |
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Eberhard IV | c.1400? | 1416-1475 | 1475 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Unmarried | Sons of Eberhard III, ruled jointly. | |
John II | ![]() |
c.1400? | 1416-1465 | 1465 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Elisabeth of Württemberg 1430 seven children | |
Henry VIII | c.1400? | 1416-1439 | 1439 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Unmarried | ||
In 1436, with the extinction of the Toggenburgs, Sargans returned to Werdenberg family. | |||||||
Henry IX | c.1385 | 1436-1447 | 1447 | Werdenberg-Sargans | Agnes of Matsch before or c.1440 four children |
Son of John I, he was restored to the county. | |
William I | before or c.1440? | 1447-1467 | 1467 | Werdenberg-Sargans | Erentrude of Stauffen no children |
Left no descendants. He was succeeded by his brother. | |
George I | c.1442 | 1467-1483 | 23 February 1504 | Werdenberg-Sargans | Anna of Rhazuns (II) before 1461 no children Barbara of Waldburg-Sonnenburg 1463 (June-September) no children |
Left no descendants. Highly endebted, sold the county to the Swiss Confederation. | |
In 1483 Sargans was definitely annexed to Switzerland | |||||||
Hugo V | c.1450? | 1475-1508 | 8 August 1508 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Unmarried | Sons of John II, ruled jointly. | |
George II | c.1450? | 1475-1500 | 12 March 1500 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Katharina of Baden 1464 seven children | ||
Ulrich | ![]() |
c.1450? | 1475-1503 | 17 July 1503 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Unmarried | |
Christoph | c.1470? | 1508-1534 | 29 January 1534 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Eleonora Gonzaga 1500 one child Johanna van Borselen no children |
Sons of George II, ruled jointly. | |
Felix | c.1470? | 1508-1530 | 12 July 1530 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Elisabeth of Neuchâtel no children | ||
John III | ![]() |
c.1470? | 1508-1522 | 8 July 1522 | Werdenberg-Trochtelfingen | Katharina of Gundelfingen no children | |
In 1534 Trochtelfingen became divided between Fürstenberg and Austria, but was annexed to Hohenzollern in the following year. |
Successor houses in Werdenberg-Vaduz
(Note: Numbering restarts)
House of Brandis
- 1416-1456: Wolfhard, son-in-law of Albert III the Elder
- 1456-1486: Ulrich
- 1486-1507: Ludwig and Sigismund, brothers
House of Sulz
- 1507-1535: Rudolf I, maternal grandson of Ulrich of Brandis
- 1535-1556: John Louis
- 1556-1569: William and Alwig, brothers
- 1569-1572: Alwig
- 1572-1611: Rudolf II
- 1611-1613: John, sold Vaduz to the House of Hohenems
House of Hohenems
- 1613-1640: Kaspar
- 1640-1646: Jacob Hannibal
- 1646-1662: Franz Wilhelm I
- 1662-1686: Ferdinand Carl
- 1686-1691: Jacob Hannibal Frederick and Franz Wilhelm II, brothers
- 1691-1712: Jacob Hannibal Frederick, with Franz Wilhelm III (son of Franz Wilhelm I)
- 1712: To the Prince of Liechtenstein
See also
Footnotes
![]() | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (February 2017) |
References
- Gerhard Köbler, 'Werdenberg (Grafschaft)', in: Historisches Lexikon der deutschen Länder. Die deutschen Territorien vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart 2nd edition Munich 1989, p. 605.
- Fritz Rigendinger: Das Sarganserland im Spätmittelalter. Lokale Herrschaften, die Grafschaft Sargans und die Grafen von Werdenberg-Sargans. Chronos, Zürich 2007.
- Carl Borromäus Alois Fickler: Heiligenberg in Schwaben. Mit einer Geschichte seiner alten Grafen und des von ihnen beherrschten Linzgaues. Macklot, Karlsruhe 1853 [1]
- Gerhard Köbler: Werdenberg (Grafschaft), in: Historisches Lexikon der deutschen Länder. Die deutschen Territorien vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. 2. verbesserte Auflage, München 1989, S. 605
- Martin Leonhard: Werdenberg, von in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
- Johann Nepomuk von Vanotti: Geschichte der Grafen von Montfort und von Werdenberg. Belle-Vue bei Konstanz 1845 [2] 209ff.
- Hermann Wartmann (1896), "Werdenberg, Grafen von", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 41, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 749–759
External links
Media related to Werdenberg at Wikimedia Commons