Frederick of Isenberg
Encyclopedia
Count Frederick of Isenberg (Friedrich von Isenberg) (1193 – 15 November 1226) was a German
noble, the younger son of Count
Arnold
of Altena
(died 1209). His family castle was the Isenburg
near Hattingen
, Germany
.
was a leading figure in the opposition of Westphalia
n nobles to the aggressive power politics of the Archbishop of Cologne
, Engelbert of Berg
.
In 1225 at the Nobles' Assembly in Soest
, Count Frederick met his cousin Count Engelbert von Berg, Archbishop of Cologne, in order to bring about a peaceful agreement concerning the stewardship (Vogt
ei) of Essen Abbey
, which Count Frederick, according to contemporary complaints, was abusing to his own benefit and to the detriment of the abbey. No conclusion was reached.
During their return together from Soest to Cologne, Count Frederick arranged to ambush his cousin, in a defile
at the foot of the Gevelsberg
between Hagen
and Schwelm
in the late afternoon of 7 November 1225, in the course of which the Archbishop was killed.
There is no consensus as to whether it was a deliberately planned murder, or whether the Archbishop was killed in the heat of combat. Current research assumes the latter, and that it was intended to take him into "knightly detention" so that the political demands of the opposing nobility could be pushed through. This was in accordance with the customs of the medieval feuding ethos.
Frederick travelled with his brothers Dietrich and Engelbert, bishops of Münster
and Osnabrück
(both also implicated in the death of the Archbishop), and the notary of Isenberg with the necessary documents to the Curia
in Rome
, in order to have the excommunication lifted.
On the return journey Frederick was taken prisoner at Liège and sold for 2,100 silver mark
s to the chapter of Cologne Cathedral
. On 14 November 1226 he was executed in front of the Severin Gate in Cologne. His arms and legs were smashed and he was broken on the wheel
, after which he was displayed on a stone pillar. He did not die until the next day.
His son, Count Dietrich von Altena-Isenberg, later fought to recover his paternal inheritance and founded the house of the Counts of Limburg and the County of Limburg at Hohenlimburg
.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
noble, the younger son of Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Arnold
Arnold of Altena
Arnold of Altena, count of Altena, count of Isenberg and Hövel, Vogt of Werden was son of Eberhard IV of Berg. He inherited the north-western territorium of Altena, and became 1st count of Isenberg in 1200....
of Altena
Altena
Altena is a town in the district of Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town's castle is the origin for the later Dukes of Berg. Altena is situated on the Lenne river valley, in the northern streches of the Sauerland.-History:...
(died 1209). His family castle was the Isenburg
Isenburg
Isenburg was a region of Germany located in southern present-day Hesse, located in territories north and south of Frankfurt. The states of Isenburg emerged from the Niederlahngau , which partitioned in 1137 into Isenburg-Isenburg and Isenburg-Limburg-Covern...
near Hattingen
Hattingen
Hattingen is a German town located in northern part of the Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis district, in North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:Hattingen is located on the south bank of the River Ruhr in the south of the Ruhr region. The town was first mentioned in 1396, when the Duke of Mark granted permission to build...
, 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...
.
Murder
According to recent research, Frederick of IsenbergIsenberg
Isenberg was a County of medieval Germany. It was a partition of the County of Altena, and was annexed to Limburg-Isenberg in 1242.-Counts of Isenberg :* Eberhard II of Altena, count of Altena and Isenberg...
was a leading figure in the opposition of Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
n nobles to the aggressive power politics of the Archbishop of Cologne
Archbishopric of Cologne
The Electorate of Cologne was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. It consisted of the temporal possessions of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cologne . It was ruled by the Archbishop in his function as prince-elector of...
, Engelbert of Berg
Engelbert II of Berg
Count Engelbert II of Berg, also known as Saint Engelbert, Engelbert of Cologne, Engelbert I, Archbishop of Cologne or Engelbert I of Berg, Archbishop of Cologne was Archbishop of Cologne and a saint; he was the victim of a notorious murder by a member of his own family.-Early life:Engelbert was...
.
In 1225 at the Nobles' Assembly in Soest
Soest, Germany
Soest is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Soest district. After Lippstadt, a neighbouring town, Soest is the second biggest town in its district.-Geography:...
, Count Frederick met his cousin Count Engelbert von Berg, Archbishop of Cologne, in order to bring about a peaceful agreement concerning the stewardship (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...
ei) of Essen Abbey
Essen Abbey
Essen Abbey was a collegiate foundation for women of the high nobility in Essen. It was founded in about 845 by the Saxon Altfrid , later Bishop of Hildesheim and saint, near a royal estate called Astnidhi, which later gave its name to the religious house and to the town...
, which Count Frederick, according to contemporary complaints, was abusing to his own benefit and to the detriment of the abbey. No conclusion was reached.
During their return together from Soest to Cologne, Count Frederick arranged to ambush his cousin, in a defile
Defile (geography)
Defile is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills. It has its origins as a military description of a pass through which troops can march only in a narrow column or with a narrow front...
at the foot of the Gevelsberg
Gevelsberg
Gevelsberg is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, .- Geography :The city extends from the wooded mountainous south up, into the narrow valley of the Ennepe with Route 7 up to the hilly northern part...
between Hagen
Hagen
Hagen is the 39th-largest city in Germany, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr...
and Schwelm
Schwelm
Schwelm is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis in the administrative region of Arnsberg within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.It's a town that's noted for the famed basketball player Virgil Matthews.-Geography:...
in the late afternoon of 7 November 1225, in the course of which the Archbishop was killed.
There is no consensus as to whether it was a deliberately planned murder, or whether the Archbishop was killed in the heat of combat. Current research assumes the latter, and that it was intended to take him into "knightly detention" so that the political demands of the opposing nobility could be pushed through. This was in accordance with the customs of the medieval feuding ethos.
Aftermath
Frederick of Isenberg was outlawed and excommunicated. He was stripped of all offices and stewardships and his entire personal wealth. In the winter of 1225/1226 the new Archbishop of Cologne, Heinrich von Müllenark, besieged and destroyed his castle.Frederick travelled with his brothers Dietrich and Engelbert, bishops of Münster
Bishopric of Münster
The Bishopric of Münster was an ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire, located in the northern part of today's North Rhine-Westphalia and western Lower Saxony...
and Osnabrück
Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück
The Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück was a prince-bishopric centred on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Osnabrück. The diocese was erected in 772 and is the oldest see founded by Charlemagne, in order to Christianize the conquered stem-duchy of Saxony....
(both also implicated in the death of the Archbishop), and the notary of Isenberg with the necessary documents to the Curia
Curia
A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, in order to have the excommunication lifted.
On the return journey Frederick was taken prisoner at Liège and sold for 2,100 silver mark
Mark (money)
Mark was a measure of weight mainly for gold and silver, commonly used throughout western Europe and often equivalent to 8 ounces. Considerable variations, however, occurred throughout the Middle Ages Mark (from a merging of three Teutonic/Germanic languages words, Latinized in 9th century...
s to the chapter of Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site...
. On 14 November 1226 he was executed in front of the Severin Gate in Cologne. His arms and legs were smashed and he was broken on the wheel
Breaking wheel
The breaking wheel, also known as the Catherine wheel or simply the wheel, was a torture device used for capital punishment in the Middle Ages and early modern times for public execution by bludgeoning to death...
, after which he was displayed on a stone pillar. He did not die until the next day.
His son, Count Dietrich von Altena-Isenberg, later fought to recover his paternal inheritance and founded the house of the Counts of Limburg and the County of Limburg at Hohenlimburg
Hohenlimburg
Hohenlimburg may refer to either:*Hagen-Hohenlimburg, formerly known as Limburg an der Lenne, a present day borough of the city of Hagen, Germany, or*Limburg-Hohenlimburg, a county in medieval Germany....
.
Marriage and children
Frederick married c. 1210 Sophie of Limburg, a daughter of Waleran III, Duke of Limburg and Cunigunde of Lorraine. They had issue:- Dietrich IDietrich I of IsenbergDietrich I, last count of Isenberg and Altena, first count of Limburg , son of Friedrich II of Isenberg, count of Isenberg and Altena....
(born before 1215, died 1301), last Count of IsenbergIsenbergIsenberg was a County of medieval Germany. It was a partition of the County of Altena, and was annexed to Limburg-Isenberg in 1242.-Counts of Isenberg :* Eberhard II of Altena, count of Altena and Isenberg...
and AltenaAltenaAltena is a town in the district of Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town's castle is the origin for the later Dukes of Berg. Altena is situated on the Lenne river valley, in the northern streches of the Sauerland.-History:...
, 1st Count of Limburg (a.d.Lenne) - Friedrich of Altena (born before 1220, died after 1243)
- Elisabeth of Altena (born before 1220, died after 1275), married ca. 1234 Dietrich II Count of Mors (born 1226, died 1275)
- Sophie of Altena (born before 1222, died after 1292), married in 1237 Heinrich III von Volmestein
- Agnes of Altena (born before 1228, died after 1282), married in 1243 Burchard III von Broich. They had 13 children
- a daughter, married Johann I Count of Sponheim and Sayn.