County of Brunswick
Encyclopedia
The County of Brunswick was a county in the medieval Duchy of Saxony
. It existed from about the 9th century until 1235, when it was raised to a duchy, the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
.
The County developed out of the possessions of the Brunonen
dynasty centered around the town of Brunswick
and was enlarged by the inheritances of Henry the Fat of Northeim
around Northeim
and Göttingen
and a part of the Billung
inheritance around Lüneburg
, which fell to the House of Welf in 1106. When the Duchy of Saxony was reorganized in 1180, the County became de facto independent from the Duchy, since the new Ascanian dukes could not establish control over it. In 1203, the three sons of Duke Henry the Lion
divided the county among themselves; Henry
received the western part including Hannover and Göttingen, William received the area around Lüneburg, and King Otto IV
the area around Braunschweig. The independence of Brunswick was recognized when it was raised to the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
in 1235, which would exist until 1918.
The list may be incomplete.
Brunonen
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
. It existed from about the 9th century until 1235, when it was raised to a duchy, the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
.
The County developed out of the possessions of the Brunonen
Brunonen
The Brunonen were a Saxon noble family in the 10th and 11th centuries, who owned property in Eastphalia and Frisia....
dynasty centered around the town of Brunswick
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
and was enlarged by the inheritances of Henry the Fat of Northeim
Henry, Margrave of Frisia
Henry the Fat , also known as Henry of Nordheim or Northeim, was from 1083 Count in Rittigau and Eichsfeld and from 1099 the Margrave of Frisia. He was the eldest son of Otto of Nordheim and Richenza of Swabia....
around Northeim
Northeim
Northeim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, seat of the district of Northeim, with, as of 2002, a population of 31 000. It's located on the German Half-Timbered House Road.-History:...
and Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
and a part of the Billung
Billung
The House of Billung was a dynasty of Saxon noblemen in the 9th through 12th centuries.The first known member of the house was Count Wichmann, mentioned as a Billung in 811...
inheritance around Lüneburg
Lüneburg
Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
, which fell to the House of Welf in 1106. When the Duchy of Saxony was reorganized in 1180, the County became de facto independent from the Duchy, since the new Ascanian dukes could not establish control over it. In 1203, the three sons of Duke 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....
divided the county among themselves; Henry
Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine
Henry was count palatine of the Rhine from 6 August 1195 to 1213.Henry was the eldest son of Duke Henry the Lion, from his marriage to Matilda, eldest daughter of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He grew up in England and became count palatine of the Rhine through his 1193...
received the western part including Hannover and Göttingen, William received the area around Lüneburg, and King Otto IV
Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1215.-Early life:Otto was the third son of Henry the...
the area around Braunschweig. The independence of Brunswick was recognized when it was raised to the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
in 1235, which would exist until 1918.
Counts
For later rulers, see Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg.The list may be incomplete.
BrunonenBrunonenThe Brunonen were a Saxon noble family in the 10th and 11th centuries, who owned property in Eastphalia and Frisia....
dynasty
- Brun IBrun I, Count of BrunswickBrun , was count in the Derlingau, the Nordthüringgau, the Hastfalagau, the Salzgau, the Gau Gretinge, and the Gau Mulbeze, with Brunswick as his residence. Brun was a member of the Brunones dynasty....
(in office before 991, died 1015/16) - LiudolfLiudolf, Margrave of FrisiaLiudolf of Brunswick was margrave of Frisia, count of Brunswick, count in the Derlingau and the Gudingau. He was a member of the Brunonen family....
(died 1038) - Brun II (died 1057)
- Ekbert IEgbert I, Margrave of MeissenEgbert I was the Margrave of Meissen from 1067 until his early death the next year. Egbert was the Count of Brunswick from about 1038, when his father, Liudolf, Margrave of Frisia, died. His mother was Gertrude, the sister of Pope Leo IX.Egbert was the scion of the influential Eastphalian family...
(died 1068) - Ekbert IIEgbert II, Margrave of MeissenEgbert II was Count of Brunswick and Margrave of Meissen. He was the eldest son of the Margrave Egbert I of the Brunonen family.Still a minor, he succeeded his father on the latter's death 11 January 1068 in Brunswick and Meissen...
(died 1090)
Welf dynasty
- Henry the Proud (died 1139)
- Henry the LionHenry the LionHenry 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....
(deposed 1180, died 1195) - Jointly:
- William of Winchester (died 1215)
- Otto IV, Holy Roman EmperorOtto IV, Holy Roman EmperorOtto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1215.-Early life:Otto was the third son of Henry the...
(died 1218) - Henry V, Count Palatine of the RhineHenry V, Count Palatine of the RhineHenry was count palatine of the Rhine from 6 August 1195 to 1213.Henry was the eldest son of Duke Henry the Lion, from his marriage to Matilda, eldest daughter of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He grew up in England and became count palatine of the Rhine through his 1193...
(died 1227)
- Otto the Child (raised to duke in 1235)