House of Henneberg

The House of Henneberg was a medieval German comital family (Grafen) which from the 11th century onwards held large territories in the Duchy of Franconia. Their county was raised to a princely county (Gefürstete Grafschaft) in 1310.

Henneberg
Parent house	Babenberg in turn from the Robertians
Titles	Princely Counts of Henneberg
Estate(s)	County of Henneberg

(Princely) County of Henneberg (Gefürstete) Grafschaft Henneberg (de)
c. 1037–1660
Coat of arms
County of Henneberg around 1350
Status	Principality
Capital	Henneberg Schleusingen Römhild
Common languages	East Franconian
Historical era	Middle Ages, Renaissance
• Poppo I, first count	c. 1037
• Internally divided	1274
• Raised to principality	1310
• Joined    Franconian Circle	1500
• Schleusingen branch    extinct	1583
• Divided	1660
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Franconia Saxe-Weimar Saxe-Gotha Saxe-Zeitz

Upon the extinction of the line in the late 16th century, most of the territory was inherited by the Saxon House of Wettin and subsequently incorporated into the Thuringian estates of its Ernestine branch.

Origins

The distant origins of this family are speculative yet seem to originate in the Middle Rhine Valley, east of modern-day France. Charibert, a nobleman in Neustria is the earliest recorded ancestor of the family, dating before 636. Five generations pass between Charibert and the next descendant of note, Robert III of Worms. Both the Capetian dynasty and the Elder House of Babenberg (Popponids) are direct male lineal descendants of Count Robert I and therefore referred to as Robertians.

The designation Babenberger, from the castle of Bamberg (Babenberch), was established in the 12th century by the chronicler Otto of Freising, himself a member of the Babenberg family. The later House of Babenberg, which ruled what became the Duchy of Austria, claimed to come of the Popponid dynasty. However, the descent of the first margrave Leopold I of Austria († 994) remains uncertain.

County of Henneberg

Henneberg map dated 1594 but probably reflecting an earlier time

In the 11th century, the dynasty's estates around the ancestral seat Henneberg Castle near Meiningen belonged to the German stem duchy of Franconia. They were located southwest of the Rennsteig ridge in the Thuringian Forest, then forming the border with the possessions held by the Landgraves of Thuringia in the north. In 1096 one Count Godebold II of Henneberg served as a burgrave of the Würzburg bishops, his father Poppo had been killed in battle in 1078. In 1137 he established Vessra Abbey near Hildburghausen as the family's house monastery.

The counts lost their position as the bishops were raised to "Dukes of Franconia" in the 12th century. Nevertheless, in the course of the War of the Thuringian Succession upon the death of Landgrave Henry Raspe, Count Herman I of Henneberg (1224–1290) in 1247 received the Thuringian lordship of Schmalkalden from the Wettin margrave Henry III of Meissen. After the extinction of the Bavarian House of Andechs upon the death of Duke Otto II of Merania in 1248, the Counts of Henneberg also inherited their Franconian lordship of Coburg (then called the "new lordship", later Saxe-Coburg).

In 1274 the Henneberg estates were divided into the Schleusingen, Aschach-Römhild and Hartenberg branches. Count Berthold VII of Henneberg-Schleusingen (1272–1340) was elevated to princely status in 1310, his estates comprised the towns of Schmalkalden, Suhl and Coburg. In 1343 the Counts of Hennberg also purchased the Thuringian town of Ilmenau. The Coburg lands passed to the Saxon House of Wettin upon the marriage of Countess Catherine of Henneberg to Margrave Frederick III of Meissen in 1347.

After the Imperial Reform of 1500, the County of Henneberg formed the northernmost part of the Franconian Circle, bordering on the Upper Saxon Ernestine duchies and the lands of the Upper Rhenish prince-abbacy of Fulda in the northwest. A thorn in the side remained the enclave of Meiningen, a fief held by the Bishops of Würzburg, which was not acquired by the counts until 1542.

Disestablishment

Whereas the male line of the House of Babenberg became extinct in 1246, the Counts of Henneberg lived on until 1583. In 1554 William IV of Henneberg-Schleusingen had signed a treaty of inheritance with Duke John Frederick II of Saxony. However, when the last Count George Ernest of Henneberg died, both the Ernestine and the Albertine branch of the Wettin dynasty claimed his estates, that were finally divided in 1660 among the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Gotha and the Albertine duke Maurice of Saxe-Zeitz. The Lordship of Schmalkalden fell to Landgrave William IV of Hesse-Kassel, according to an inheritance treaty of 1360.

After the Congress of Vienna (1815), the former Albertine parts around Schleusingen and Suhl fell to the Prussian province of Saxony. King Frederick William III of Prussia assumed the title of a Princely Count of Henneberg, which his successors in the House of Hohenzollern have borne ever since.

Counts of Henneberg

Partitions of Henneberg under Henneberg rule

County of Henneberg (1052-1262) (Gotboldian line from 1091)						County of Frankenstein (Popponian line) (1091-1354)
							County of Lichtenberg (1144-1255)
County of Botenlauben then County of Hildenburg (1190-1251)					Burgraviate of Wurzburg (1190-1218)
Sold to the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg
					Lordship of Coburg (1245-1291)
	County of Schleusingen (1262-1583)	County of Hartenberg (1262-1371)	County of Aschach (1262-1535)
					Annexed to Brandenburg- Salzwedel (1312-1353); Schleusingen (1353-1397); to the House of Wettin
						Inherited by the Stein zu Nord-Ostheim family
		County of Römhild (1535-1549)		County of Schwarza (1535-1577)
		Sold to the County of Mansfeld (1549-55) Sold to the Electorate of Saxony (from 1555)		Annexed to the County of Stolberg
	Divided between Hesse-Kassel and Saxony

Table of rulers

(Note: There are two manners for numbering the rulers of this noble family: birth numbers or regnal numbers. Albeit the birth number is more commonly used, the table uses the sequential regnal numbers presented in Stammliste von Henneberg, to avoid confusion or holes in the counting. According to this alternative numbering, there's a different counting for Frankenstein and Lichtenberg (from 1190 onwards). All the other members of the family use one only counting. However, even this alternative counting is not perfect: it counts only the ruling members, but by birth order, which means that people with higher count may start to rule first than others. These cases will be pointed out in the table.)

Ruler		Born	Reign	Ruling part	Consort	Death	Notes
Poppo I		c.1030? ?	1052 – 7 August 1078	County of Henneberg	Hildegard of Thuringia two children	7 August 1078 Mellrichstadt aged c.47-48	Founder of the county. Died fighting in the Battle of Mellrichstadt.
Gotebold I		c.1030? ?	7 August 1078 – 1091	County of Henneberg	Unmarried	c.1091 aged c.60-61	Brother of the predecessor, left no heirs. The county was divided between the sons of Poppo I.
Gotebold II		c.1070? First son of Poppo I and Hildegard of Thuringia	1091 – 6 February 1144	County of Henneberg (Goteboldian line)	Lutgard of Hohenberg (d.3 June 1145) six children	6 February 1144 aged c.77-78?	Children of Poppo I, divided their inheritance.
Poppo II		c.1070? Second son of Poppo I and Hildegard of Thuringia	1091 – 21 August 1118	County of Frankenstein (Popponian line)	Beatrix of Gleichen four children	21 August 1118 aged c.57-58?
Louis I		c.1100 First son of Poppo II and Beatrix of Gleichen	21 August 1118 – 1164	County of Frankenstein	A woman from Zimmern five children	1164 aged 63-64?	Children of Poppo II, divided their inheritance.
Poppo III		c.1100 Second son of Poppo II and Beatrix of Gleichen	21 August 1118 – 1156	County of Irmelshausen	Unknown three children	1156 aged 55-56?
Poppo IV		c.1128 First son of Gotebold II and Lutgard of Hohenberg	6 February 1144 – 1 September 1156	County of Henneberg	Irmgard of Stade no children	1 September 1156 aged 27-28	Left no children. The land passed to his brother.
Henry I		c.1130? First son of Poppo III	1156 – 1167	County of Irmelshausen	Unmarried	Left no children. The land passed to his brothers.	1167 aged 36-37?
Berthold I		c.1130 Würzburg Second son of Gotebold II and Lutgard of Hohenberg	1 September 1156 – 18 October 1159	County of Henneberg	Bertha of Putelendorf three children	18 October 1159 Palestine aged 28-29	Died abroad, possibly in pilgrimage.
Regency of Bertha of Putelendorf (1159 – 1164)							Like his father, he died abroad, either in pilgrimage or a crusade.
Poppo VI		c.1150 Son of Berthold I and Bertha of Putelendorf	18 October 1159 – 14 June 1190	County of Henneberg	Sophia of Andechs (d. 2 June 1218) c.1182 four children	14 June 1190 Margat aged 39-40?
Poppo V / I		c.1130? Second son of Poppo III	1156 – 29 May 1199	County of Irmelshausen (at Lichtenberg) renamed County of Lichtenberg	Irmgard of Rothausen one child	29 May 1199 aged 68-69?	Younger sons of Poppo III, divided their inheritance
Godebold III		c.1130? Third son of Poppo III	1156 – 1190	County of Irmelshausen (at Irmelshausen proper)	Unknown one child	c.1190 aged 59-60?
Irmelhausen inherited by Hildenburg, later inherited by Henneberg-Botenlauben line, and finally sold to the County of Schleusingen (see below)
Louis II		c.1150? Son of Louis I	1164 – 1197	County of Frankenstein	Unknown two children	1197 aged 46-47
Berthold II		c.1170?	1190-1212	24 August 1212	Henneberg-Würzburg	Kunigunde of Abensberg one child Matilda of Esvelt no children	Son of Poppo VI, inherited Würzburg.
Poppo VII		c.1170?	1190-1245	21 August 1245	County of Henneberg-Henneberg	Elisabeth of Wildburg 1217 four children Jutta of Thuringia 3 January 1223 Leipzig five children	Son of Poppo VI, inherited Henneberg, and in 1218, Würzburg.
Otto I		c.1177	1190-1234	3/4 October 1244	Henneberg-Botenlauben	Beatrix de Courtenay 1208 three children	Son of Poppo VI, inherited Botenlauben. In 1234 sold it to the Diocese of Würzburg.
Otto II		c.1200?	1220-1234	22 September 1249	Henneberg-Botenlauben	Adelaide of Hildenburg 1228 one child	Son of Otto I, probably co-ruled with his father.
In 1234 Botenlauben was sold to the Diocese of Würzburg
Albert		c.1170? Son of Louis II	1197 – 26 October 1233	County of Frankenstein	Unknown two children	26 October 1233 aged 62-63
Henry II		c.1170? Son of	29 May 1199 – 6 December 1228	County of Lichtenberg	A woman from Wildberg five children	6 December 1228 Meiningen	Died fighting in Meiningen.
Berthold III		c.1190?	1212-1218	1218	Henneberg-Würzburg	Matilda of Hachberg no children	After his death with no heirs, Würzburg returned to Henneberg.
In 1218 Würzburg was annexed to Henneberg.
Albert		c.1190? Son of Henry II	6 December 1228 – October/January 1253/55	County of Lichtenberg	Matilda of Trimberg one child	October 1253/January 1255 aged 63-65
Louis III		c.1190? Son of Albert	26 October 1233 – 11 January 1263	County of Frankenstein	Unknown two children	11 January 1263 aged 52-53	Also Vogt of the Monastery of Herrenbreiungen.
Herman I		c.1224	1245-1290	18 December 1290	Henneberg-Coburg	Margaret of Holland 1249 two children	Son of Poppo VII, inherited Coburg.
Henry III		c.1226	1245-1262	9 April 1262	County of Henneberg-Henneberg	Elisabeth of Teck four children Sophia of Meissen three children	Son of Poppo VII, inherited Henneberg.
Luitgard		c.1240? Daughter of Albert and Matilda of Trimberg	October/January 1253/55 – February 1312	County of Lichtenberg	Henry of Frankenstein (d.1297) one child	February 1312 aged 71-72?	After her husband's premature death, and without descendants herself, her county went, after her own death, to her brother-in-law, the Count of Frankenstein.
In 1312 Lichtenberg was annexed to Frankenstein
Henry IV		c.1250	1262-1317	Between 9 September and 17 December 1317	Henneberg-Hartenberg	Margaret of Meissen no children Kunigunde of Wertheim 3 May 1287 seven children	Sons of Henry III, inherited Hartenberg, where they probably co-ruled. Berthold became Bishop of Würzburg in 1267, and possibly abdicated from the co-regency.
Berthold IV		c.1250	1262-1267	29 September 1312	Henneberg-Hartenberg	Unmarried
Berthold V		c.1245	1262-1284	15 September 1284	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Sophia of Schwarzburg c. or before 7 March 1268 Elgersburg eight children	Son of Henry III, inherited Schleusingen.
Herman II		c.1250	1262-1292	9 February 1292	Henneberg-Aschach	Adelaide of Trimberg 25 March 1277 six children	Son of Henry III, inherited Aschach.
Henry I		c.1230? Son of Louis III	11 January 1263 – December 1295	County of Frankenstein	Luitgard of Henneberg-Schleusingen eight children	December 1295 aged 64-65?
Berthold VI the Younger		c.1280	1284-1330	21 January/August 1330	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Unmarried	Sons of Berthold V, co-ruled. Berthold VI was Knight Hospitaller, and Berthold VII was made regent for Louis V of Bavaria between 1323 and 1330.
Berthold VII the Wise		1272	1284-1340	13 April 1340	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Adelaide of Hesse 1284 five children Anna of Hohenlohe no children
Poppo VIII		c.1254	1290-1291	4 December 1291	Henneberg-Coburg	Sophia of Bavaria 1277 Landshut no children	After his death, his sister Judith inherited the county and so it was annexed to Brandenburg.
In 1291 Coburg was annexed to the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Salzwedel
Henry VI		c.1280	1292-1355/6	Between 14 August 1355 and 26 January 1356	Henneberg-Aschach	Sophia of Käfernburg c.3 March 1315 five children	Sons of Herman II, co-ruled.
Herman III		c.1277	1292-1307	12 July 1307	Henneberg-Aschach	Katharina of Głogów no children
Poppo IX		c.1280	1292-c.1363	1363	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried
Berthold VIII		c.1280	1292-1329	After 1329	Henneberg-Aschach
Herman IV		c.1280	1292-1329	10 December 1329	Henneberg-Aschach
Henry II		c.1270? First son of Henry I and Luitgard of Henneberg-Schleusingen	December 1295 – April/May 1326/7	County of Frankenstein	Elisabeth of Thuringia 11 April 1291 seven children	Between 26 April 1326 and 25 March 1327 aged 55-57	In 1312 inherited, from his sister-in-law, the county of Irmelshausen. Despite having children, his descendants were displaced from Frankenstein in favor of his younger brother Louis.
Poppo X		1286	1317-1349	30 July 1349	Henneberg-Hartenberg	Elisabeth of Castell no children Richeza of Hohenlohe 6 November 1316 five children
Louis IV		c.1270? Second son of Henry I and Luitgard of Henneberg-Schleusingen	April/May 1326/7 – October 1334	County of Frankenstein	Adelaide of Weilnau two children	September/October 1334 aged 63-64	Brother of the predecessor.
Elisabeth		c.1290? Daughter of Louis IV and Adelaide of Weilnau	October 1334 – 27 October 1360	County of Frankenstein	Unmarried	27 October 1360 aged 69-70?	After her death, the county went to her descendants, the Von Stein zu Ostheim family.
In 1360 Frankenstein was added to the patrimony of the Von Stein zu Ostheim family
John I		1289	1340-1359	2 May 1359	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg 1349 four children	Sons of Berthold VII, co-ruled. Berthold IX was a Knight Hospitaller.
Henry IX the Younger		1288	1340-1347	10 September 1347	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Judith of Brandenburg-Salzwedel 1 January 1317 or 1 February 1319 five children
Berthold IX		1300	1340-1356	c.1356	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Unmarried
Berthold X		c.1330/40	1349-1371	26 May 1378	Henneberg-Hartenberg	Unmarried	Left no heirs, and in 1371 sold Hartenberg to the Herman V.
In 1371 Hartenberg was sold to Aschach
Herman V		c.1330	1355/6-1403	27 January or 28 March 1403	Henneberg-Aschach	Adelaide of Zollern no children Agnes of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg 1366 four children	Son of Henry VI, probably co-ruled.
Berthold XI		c.1330	1355-1411	1 April 1411	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried
Henry X		c.1340/50	1359-1405	2/3 August 1405	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Matilda of Baden c.4 July 1376 six children	Sons of John I, co-ruled. Berthold was canon at Bamberg and resigned his noble titles in 1375.
Berthold XII		1356	1359-1375	11 February 1416	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Unmarried
Frederick I		1367	1405-1422	24 September 1422	Henneberg-Aschach	Elisabeth of Henneberg-Schleusingen c.4 May 1393 four children	Sons of Herman V, probably co-rule.
Herman VI		c.1370	1405-1416	11 September 1416	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried
William I		31 July 1384	1405-1426	7 July 1426	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Anna of Brunswick-Lüneburg c.30 May 1413 nine children
George I		1395	1422-1465	25 July 1465	Henneberg-Aschach	Katharina of Wertheim no children Joanna of Nassau-Saarbrücken 13 May 1423 twelve children
Herman VII		c.1430	1450/60-1464	13 February 1464	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried	Probably ruled with his father.
William II		14 March 1415	1426-1444	8 January 1444	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Katharina of Hanau 28 February 1433 seven children
William III		12 March 1434	1444-1480	25 May 1480	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Margaret of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 5 November 1469 Wolfenbüttel eight children	Sons of William II, probably co-ruled. Bethold XIII died as a minor, Berthold XIV became canon at Bamberg in 1452, and John II became also canon in the ame year at Strasbourg, so they may have probably resigned co-regency.
John II		2 July 1439	1444-1452	20/26 May 1513	Henneberg-Schleusingen
Berthold XIII		8 January 1441	1444-1446	20 April 1446	Henneberg-Schleusingen
Berthold XIV		4 March 1443	1444-1452	20 April 1495	Henneberg-Schleusingen
Otto III		1437	1465-1502	9 June 1502	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried	Sons of George I, co-ruled. In 1484 Berthold became Archbishop of Mainz, probably abdicating from co-regency.
Frederick II		1429	1465-1488	7 November 1488	Henneberg-Aschach	Elisabeth of Württemberg I 13 September 1469 Münnerstadt twelve children
Berthold XV		1442	1465-1484	21 December 1504	Henneberg-Aschach	Unmarried
Regency of Margaret of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1480-1492)							Sons of William III. Poppo died as an infant, and William IV succeeded; being also a minor, Margaret's regency continued.
Poppo XI		14/17 March 1479	1480-1483	14/24 May 1483	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Unmarried
William IV		29 January 1478	1483-1559	24 January 1559	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Anastasia of Brandenburg 7 or 16 February 1500 Neustadt an der Aisch eleven children
John III		30 April 1503	c.1520-1529	20 May 1541	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Unmarried	Probably co-ruled with his father. Became Prince-abbot in Fulda in 1529, probably abdicating from the co-regency.
Herman VIII		1470	1502-1535	5 April 1535	Henneberg-Aschach	Elisabeth of Brandenburg 23 October 1491 Aschaffenburg nine children	After his death, his sons divided Aschach.
Berthold XVI		1493	1535-1549	23 March 1549	Henneberg-Aschach-Römhild	Anna of Mansfeld-Vorderort 17 August 1529 no children	Son of Herman VIII, inherited Römhild. After his death, his county was sold to the County of Mansfeld.
In 1549 Römhild was sold to the County of Mansfeld, and in 1555 it was sold again to the Electorate of Saxony
Albert III		1495	1535-1549	5 May/June 1549	Henneberg-Aschach-Schwarza	Katherine of Stolberg 1537 no children	Son of Herman VIII, inherited Schwarza. After his death, his county was annexed to the County of Stolberg.
In 1549 Schwarza was annexed to the County of Stolberg
George Ernest		27 May 1511	1559-1583	27 December 1583	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Elisabeth of Brunswick-Calenberg 19 August 1543 Münden one child Elisabeth of Württemberg II 31 May 1568 Stuttgart no children	Sons of William IV, co-ruled, and neither of them left descendants. After their death, the county was divided between the Electorate of Hesse and the Electorate of Saxony.
Poppo XII		20 September 1513	1559-1574	4 March 1574	Henneberg-Schleusingen	Elisabeth of Brandenburg 30 May 1546 Münden no children Sophia of Brunswick-Lüneburg 22 June 1562 Schleusingen no children
In 1583 Schleusingen was divided between the Electorate of Hesse and the Electorate of Saxony

Notable members of the Henneberg family

Family tree (click to enlarge)

• Bertold von Henneberg-Römhild (1442 – December 21, 1504), Prince-elector and archbishop of Mainz, son of George, count of Henneberg-Römhild.
• Count Otto von Henneberg, known commonly as Otto von Botenlauben from 1206, probably born in 1177 in Henneberg, died in Reiterswiesen near Bad Kissingen before 1245, was a German minnesinger, crusader and founder of Frauenroth Abbey.
• Herman I, Count of Henneberg
• Catherine of Henneberg
• William II, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen
• William III, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen
• William IV, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen

Castles

• 
  Henneberg, Thuringia
• 
  Bertholdsburg Castle, Schleusingen
• 
  Römhild Castle
• 
  Coburg Castle

Coats of arms incorporating Henneberg

• 
  Wartburgkreis
• 
  Landkreis Hildburghausen
• 
  Ilm-Kreis
• 
  Schmalkalden-Meiningen
• 
  Suhl
• 
  Schleusingen
• 
  Meiningen
• 
  Themar
• 
  Schmalkalden

See also

Monument of Count Otto IV of Henneberg-Münnerstadt +1502

• Bishopric of Würzburg
• Vessra Abbey
• Aura Abbey
• Römhild
• Sondheim vor der Rhön
• Münnerstadt
• Irmelshausen
• Bad Kissingen (district)
• Poppo
• William II, German Emperor/Scraps
• Schmalkalden-Meiningen
• Wartburgkreis
• Hildburghausen (district)
• List of states in the Holy Roman Empire (H)

References

• Schwennicke, Detlev. Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge. [European Family Trees: Family Trees for the History of European States, New Series.] BAND II, Tafel 10:Die Robertiner I und die Anfänge des Hauses Capet, 922-923 König der Westfranken, Marburg, Verlag von J.A. Stargardt (1984)
• Historische Landkarte: Grafschaft Henneberg 1755 mit den Ämtern Schleusingen, Suhl, Kühndorf mit Bennshausen, Reprint 2003, Verlag Rockstuhl, ISBN 3-936030-15-4
• Johannes Mötsch: Regesten des Archivs der Grafen von Henneberg-Römhild. Volumes 1 und 2. Böhlau, Köln etc. 2006, ISBN 978-3-412-35905-8

External links

• Media related to House of Henneberg at Wikimedia Commons
• Henneberg Genealogy
• (in German) Direct male descent of Babenberger from Robertiner (Capet) family, in the German Wikipedia
• (in German) Early Babenberger genealogy, in the German Wikipedia