John VIII, Count of Nassau-Siegen

"Jan VIII" redirects here. Not to be confused with Jan Očko of Vlašim.

John VIII, Count of Nassau-Siegen (Jan or Johan; Dillenburg, 29 September 1583 – Ronse, 27 July 1638) was a German nobleman and militarist of the 17th century.

John VIII of Nassau-Siegen
Portrait by Jan van Ravesteyn
Born	(1583-09-29)29 September 1583 Dillenburg
Died	27 July 1638(1638-07-27) (aged 54) Ronse
Noble family	House of Nassau
Spouse(s)	Ernestine Yolande de Ligne d'Amblise
Father	John VII, Count of Nassau-Siegen
Mother	Magdalene of Waldeck-Wildungen

Life

John VIII, Count of Nassau-Siegen, Katzenelnbogen, Vianden and Dietz, Marquis of Monte-Caballo, Baron of Ronse and Beilstein, was the second son of John VII, Count of Nassau-Siegen and Countess Magdalene of Waldeck-Wildungen.

He was educated in Herborn, Kassel and Geneva. In 1610 he participated in the Dutch States Army in the conquest of Jülich.

On 25 December 1613, much to the horror of his family, he openly converted to Catholicism and entered in the service of the army of Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy. After the death of his elder brother, John Ernest in September 1617, he claimed his rights, but his father chose a Protestant successor. When his father died in 1623, John VIII occupied Nassau-Siegen at the head of a Habsburg Army and started the Contra-Reformation.

In 1624 he became a Knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece.

The Surrender of Breda by Velázquez

In 1625 he participated in the Siege of Breda. Breda was defended by his second cousin Justinus van Nassau and held out for eleven months before surrendering. John VIII of Nassau-Siegen is depicted in the famous painting The Surrender of Breda by Diego Velázquez, third from the left in the Spanish camp, looking directly at the spectator.

In 1630 he was captured by the Dutch Army, however, he was released later that year for a huge bail. In 1631, he was in charge of the Spanish-Flemish Fleet defeated by the Dutch and Scots and English mercenaries, at the Battle of the Slaak, fighting on behalf of the Spanish Governor Francisco de Moncada, 3rd Marquis of Aitona, (1586–1635).

In 1632, Nassau-Siegen was conquered by the Swedes, after which his half-brother John Maurice of Nassau-Siegen re-introduced Protestantism.

John VIII died in 1638 and was succeeded by his only son Johan Frans Desideratus, who had to cede part of Nassau-Siegen to the Protestant branch of the family.

In 1629, he acquired the barony of Ronse, where created the Castle of Ronse modelled after the Luxembourg Palace in Paris. It was considered one of the most beautiful palaces of the Netherlands.

Marriage and children

His wife, Ernestine Yolande de Ligne

John was married in Brussels on 13 August 1618 to the Catholic princess Ernestine Yolande de Ligne d'Amblise (1594–1668), daughter of Lamoral de Ligne, Prince d'Espinoy. They had six children together:

• Maria (1619–1620)
• stillborn daughter (1620)
• Clara Maria (1621–1695), married with her cousins Prince Albert Henri de Ligne in 1634, and with Claude Lamoral, 3rd Prince of Ligne in 1642
• Ernestine Charlotte (1623–1668), married in 1650 with Maurice Henry, Prince of Nassau-Hadamar
• Lamberta Alberta Gabrielle Ursula (1625–1635)
• John Francis Desideratus (Nozeroy, 1627 – Roermond, 1699), Count of Nassau-Siegen

Ancestors

Ancestors of John VIII, Count of Nassau-Siegen

16. John V, Count of Nassau-Siegen 8. William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen 17. Elisabeth of Hesse-Marburg 4. John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg 18. Bodo III, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode 9. Juliana of Stolberg 19. Anna of Eppstein-Königstein 2. John VII, Count of Nassau-Siegen 20. John IV, Landgrave of Leuchtenberg 10. George III, Landgrave of Leuchtenberg 21. Margaret of Schwarzburg 5. Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg 22. Frederick I, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach 11. Barbara of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach 23. Sophia Jagiellon 1. John VIII, Count of Nassau-Siegen 24. Philip I, Count of Waldeck 12. Henry VIII, Count of Waldeck 25. Joanne of Nassau-Siegen 6. Philip IV, Count of Waldeck 26. William of Runkel 13. Anastasia of Runkel 27. Irmgard of Rollingen 3. Magdalene of Waldeck-Wildungen 28. Gerlach III of Isenburg-Grensau 14. Salentin VII of Isenburg-Neumagen 29. Hildegard of Sierck 7. Jutta of Isenburg-Neumagen 30. Henry of Hunolstein 15. Elisabeth of Hunolstein 31. Elisabeth of Bolchen

External links

• Tercios.org (in Spanish)