Gerlach V of Isenburg-Limburg
Encyclopedia
Gerlach V of Isenburg-Limburg (died April 14, 1355), also called Gerlach II "the Elder" of Limburg, was Count of Isenburg-Limburg
. He reigned between 1312 and 1355 as Lord of Limburg an der Lahn
, and the head of the House of Limburg. The chronicler Tilemann Elhen von Wolfhagen describes him, in his pre-1402 Limburger Chronicle, as a virtuous nobleman and a bright poet in German and Latin
.
in 1312. Under Gerlach II, the city of Limburg an der Lahn achieved its highest medieval flowering. The chronicler Tilemann Elhen reported that, at the height of its prosperity, the city could summon over 2,000 weapons-capable citizens.
Because of the marriage policies of his predecessors, Gerlach could rely on family relationships with most of the noble families in the vicinity. Gerlach acted as an arbitrator in several disputes between neighboring noble families. He was, like his father, chairman of the arbitrating body of the Ottonian line of the House of Nassau
. In 1329 he also mediated a settlement between Gerlach I of Nassau
-Wiesbaden
-Idstein
-Weilburg
and William of Katzenelnbogen
. The following year, he issued an arbitral award between William and John II of Katzenelnbogen. In 1331 Gerlach joined the Landfriedensbündnis (country peace alliance) of the Archbishop of Trier, Baldwin of Luxembourg. In 1339, he mediated a settlement between Gottfried of Diez and the House of Nassau.
The city of Limburg was strategically important due to its location on the main trade route from Cologne
to Frankfurt
. This led to frequent conflicts with neighbouring lordships and made the city a target of robber barons
. As a result the city was heavily fortified by the Counts of Limburg. In 1315, near the beginning of his reign, Gerlach built towers around the city. He laid out suburbs in front of the Diez and Frankfurt Gates and the approach to the bridge. The suburbs of Limburg extended beyond the limits of his dominion, leading to regular disputes with the neighboring Counts of Diez.
Under Gerlach’s administration, numerous construction projects, some of them started by his father, were completed in Limburg. These included the stone bridge over the Lahn
River (1315) and the new church of the Franciscan
monastery (1320, today the city church). He allowed the Williamite
monastery founded on the island in the Lahn in 1312 to relocate in 1317 to a new building in the suburb in front of the Diez Gate. He also founded the Holy Spirit Hospital in the bridge-area suburb. The construction utilized forced labor from the farmers of Gerlach’s villages. The projects exceeded the financial capacity of the Lordship of Limburg, and Gerlach had to repeatedly borrow money from Limburg merchants.
In 1337, Gerlach expelled the Jews
from Limburg. They were allowed to settle in the city again only after an order by Emperor Louis IV
in 1341. In the same year, in response to a request by Gerlach, Louis' rival, King Charles IV
, authorized the City of Limburg to collect bridge tolls.
A fire in 1342 and the first wave of the Black Death
in 1349 began Limburg’s economic decline. The great fire of 1342 destroyed the greater part of the city. In the reconstruction, the city walls were extended around the suburb outside the Diez Gate, to offer more protection in a feud with the Counts of Diez. A moat
was also added. The costs of the rebuilding effort after the fire and the cost of the feud ultimately exceeded the financial capacity of Gerlach, so that he had to pledge half of his realm of Archbishop Baldwin of Trier in 1344. At the beginning of 1346, he also pledged the second half to Baldwin.
War broke out when Charles IV was elected King of Germany in the place of Emperor Louis IV in July 1346. Archbishop Baldwin supported Charles, while Gerlach belonged to the supporters of Emperor Louis. In return for Gerlach’s services, the emperor issued a comprehensive letter of freedom for the town of Limburg in 1346, and granted Gerlach 20,000 pounds heller
.
The fighting eventually spread to the Lahn Valley. Reinhard I of Westerburg, a supporter of Ludwig, had captured Grenzau Castle from Trier and on April 20, 1347 a relief army sent by Baldwin attacked from the rear. In the battle nearly 200 soldiers were killed, before Reinhard, followed by knights of Trier, escaped to Limburg Castle. Baldwin requested Gerlach to open the castle so he could arrest Reinhard. Baldwin pointed out that according to the pledge of his castle Gerlach had a sworn obligation to do so. Gerlach said he would legally examine the matter. On the day of judgment, about 800 soldiers from Westerburg were in Dietkirchen
, while the army of Trier made its camp near Diez. In the court hearing, Gerlach declared that Reinhard’s attack was in accordance with the command of Emperor Louis IV, that Baldwin was an enemy of the Empire, and that Gerlach was therefore not bound by the oath he had sworn. The troops of Trier therefore withdrew and Reinhard of Westerburg returned home.
After the death of Emperor Louis in 1347, Gerlach succeeded in reconciling with Charles IV and Charles confirmed the rights that had been given by Louis IV.
In 1349, the Black Death ravaged Limburg. Tilemann Elhen reports that there were at least 2,400 deaths (without counting children). The Lordship of Limburg never recovered from the effects of the plague.
In 1351, Gerlach joined a feud of the House of Nassau against the House of Hatzfeld
.
Gerlach died on April 14, 1355, probably in Limburg. He was succeeded by his son Gerlach III
.
After the death of his first wife, Gerlach married Kunigunde of Wertheim
. At least the following children are attributable to this marriage:
Isenburg-Limburg
The Countship of Isenburg-Limburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in the 13th and 14th centuries, based around the city of Limburg an der Lahn in modern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-House of Limburg:...
. He reigned between 1312 and 1355 as Lord of Limburg an der Lahn
Limburg an der Lahn
Limburg an der Lahn is the district seat of Limburg-Weilburg in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Limburg lies in western Hesse between the Taunus and the Westerwald on the river Lahn....
, and the head of the House of Limburg. The chronicler Tilemann Elhen von Wolfhagen describes him, in his pre-1402 Limburger Chronicle, as a virtuous nobleman and a bright poet in German and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
.
Life
Gerlach V's reign began on the death of his father John IJohn I of Isenburg-Limburg
John I of Isenburg-Limburg, "The blind Lord" was from 1289 Count of Limburg and the head of the House of Limburg...
in 1312. Under Gerlach II, the city of Limburg an der Lahn achieved its highest medieval flowering. The chronicler Tilemann Elhen reported that, at the height of its prosperity, the city could summon over 2,000 weapons-capable citizens.
Because of the marriage policies of his predecessors, Gerlach could rely on family relationships with most of the noble families in the vicinity. Gerlach acted as an arbitrator in several disputes between neighboring noble families. He was, like his father, chairman of the arbitrating body of the Ottonian line of the House of Nassau
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled Count of Nassau, then elevated to the princely class as...
. In 1329 he also mediated a settlement between Gerlach I of Nassau
Gerlach I of Nassau-Wiesbaden
Gerlach I of Nassau , Count of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, Weilburg, and Weilnau.-Life:He was a son of Emperor Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg and Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg. In 1344 he abdicated.-Family and children:...
-Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
-Idstein
Idstein
Idstein is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Because of its well preserved historical Altstadt it is part of the Deutsche Fachwerkstraße , connecting towns with fine timber-frame buildings and...
-Weilburg
Weilburg
Weilburg is, with just under 14,000 inhabitants, the third biggest town in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany, after Limburg an der Lahn and Bad Camberg.- Location :...
and William of Katzenelnbogen
County of Katzenelnbogen
The County of Katzenelnbogen was an immediate state of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed between 1095 and 1479, when it was inherited by the Landgraves of Hesse.The estate comprised two separate territories...
. The following year, he issued an arbitral award between William and John II of Katzenelnbogen. In 1331 Gerlach joined the Landfriedensbündnis (country peace alliance) of the Archbishop of Trier, Baldwin of Luxembourg. In 1339, he mediated a settlement between Gottfried of Diez and the House of Nassau.
The city of Limburg was strategically important due to its location on the main trade route from Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. This led to frequent conflicts with neighbouring lordships and made the city a target of robber barons
Robber barons
Robber baron may mean:*Robber baron, German nobles who levied illegal tolls in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries*Robber baron , a pejorative term for certain 19th to early 20th century American industrialists...
. As a result the city was heavily fortified by the Counts of Limburg. In 1315, near the beginning of his reign, Gerlach built towers around the city. He laid out suburbs in front of the Diez and Frankfurt Gates and the approach to the bridge. The suburbs of Limburg extended beyond the limits of his dominion, leading to regular disputes with the neighboring Counts of Diez.
Under Gerlach’s administration, numerous construction projects, some of them started by his father, were completed in Limburg. These included the stone bridge over the Lahn
Lahn
The Lahn River is a -long, right tributary of the Rhine River in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia , Hesse , and Rhineland-Palatinate ....
River (1315) and the new church of the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
monastery (1320, today the city church). He allowed the Williamite
Hermits of Saint William
The Hermits of Saint William was a monastic order founded by Albert, companion and biographer of William of Maleval, and Renaldus, a physician who had settled at Maleval shortly before the saint's death...
monastery founded on the island in the Lahn in 1312 to relocate in 1317 to a new building in the suburb in front of the Diez Gate. He also founded the Holy Spirit Hospital in the bridge-area suburb. The construction utilized forced labor from the farmers of Gerlach’s villages. The projects exceeded the financial capacity of the Lordship of Limburg, and Gerlach had to repeatedly borrow money from Limburg merchants.
In 1337, Gerlach expelled the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
from Limburg. They were allowed to settle in the city again only after an order by Emperor Louis IV
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
in 1341. In the same year, in response to a request by Gerlach, Louis' rival, King Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
, authorized the City of Limburg to collect bridge tolls.
A fire in 1342 and the first wave of the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
in 1349 began Limburg’s economic decline. The great fire of 1342 destroyed the greater part of the city. In the reconstruction, the city walls were extended around the suburb outside the Diez Gate, to offer more protection in a feud with the Counts of Diez. A moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
was also added. The costs of the rebuilding effort after the fire and the cost of the feud ultimately exceeded the financial capacity of Gerlach, so that he had to pledge half of his realm of Archbishop Baldwin of Trier in 1344. At the beginning of 1346, he also pledged the second half to Baldwin.
War broke out when Charles IV was elected King of Germany in the place of Emperor Louis IV in July 1346. Archbishop Baldwin supported Charles, while Gerlach belonged to the supporters of Emperor Louis. In return for Gerlach’s services, the emperor issued a comprehensive letter of freedom for the town of Limburg in 1346, and granted Gerlach 20,000 pounds heller
Heller (money)
The Heller or Häller was originally a German coin valued at half a pfennig and named after the city of Hall am Kocher...
.
The fighting eventually spread to the Lahn Valley. Reinhard I of Westerburg, a supporter of Ludwig, had captured Grenzau Castle from Trier and on April 20, 1347 a relief army sent by Baldwin attacked from the rear. In the battle nearly 200 soldiers were killed, before Reinhard, followed by knights of Trier, escaped to Limburg Castle. Baldwin requested Gerlach to open the castle so he could arrest Reinhard. Baldwin pointed out that according to the pledge of his castle Gerlach had a sworn obligation to do so. Gerlach said he would legally examine the matter. On the day of judgment, about 800 soldiers from Westerburg were in Dietkirchen
Dietkirchen
Dietkirchen an der Lahn is a borough of Limburg an der Lahn, seat of the district of Limburg-Weilburg in the state of Hesse, Germany. The formerly independent village was incorporated into Limburg in 1971. The town is dominated by the St...
, while the army of Trier made its camp near Diez. In the court hearing, Gerlach declared that Reinhard’s attack was in accordance with the command of Emperor Louis IV, that Baldwin was an enemy of the Empire, and that Gerlach was therefore not bound by the oath he had sworn. The troops of Trier therefore withdrew and Reinhard of Westerburg returned home.
After the death of Emperor Louis in 1347, Gerlach succeeded in reconciling with Charles IV and Charles confirmed the rights that had been given by Louis IV.
In 1349, the Black Death ravaged Limburg. Tilemann Elhen reports that there were at least 2,400 deaths (without counting children). The Lordship of Limburg never recovered from the effects of the plague.
In 1351, Gerlach joined a feud of the House of Nassau against the House of Hatzfeld
Hatzfeld
Hatzfeld is a small town in Waldeck-Frankenberg district in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Hatzfeld lies in west Hesse 25 km northwest of Marburg and north of the Sackpfeife in the valley of the Eder.-Neighbouring communities:...
.
Gerlach died on April 14, 1355, probably in Limburg. He was succeeded by his son Gerlach III
Gerlach VI of Isenburg-Limburg
Gerlach VI of Isenburg-Limburg , also known as Gerlach III of Limburg, was Count of Isenburg-Limburg and Lord of Limburg an der Lahn. He succeeded his father Gerlach V in 1355. In 1356, he married Elisabeth of Falkenstein ....
.
Family and descendants
Gerlach’s first marriage was to Agnes of Nassau-Siegen. The wedding took place between 1312 and 1314. Three children were produced by this union:- John II (died August 21, 1336); married Anna of Katzenelnbogen (died before 1353), daughter of William I of KatzenelnbogenCounty of KatzenelnbogenThe County of Katzenelnbogen was an immediate state of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed between 1095 and 1479, when it was inherited by the Landgraves of Hesse.The estate comprised two separate territories...
, in 1329. - Jutta (died March 12, 1336); married John of Katzenelnbogen.
- Uda (died 1361); in 1338, married WaldgraveWaldgraveThe noble family of the Waldgraves or Wildgraves descended of a division of the House of the Counts of Nahegau in the year 1113....
Gerhard II of Kyrburg (a castle in present-day KirnKirnKirn is a town in the district of Bad Kreuznach, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the river Nahe, roughly 10 km north-east of Idar-Oberstein and 30 km west of Bad Kreuznach....
near Bad KreuznachBad KreuznachBad Kreuznach is the capital of the district of Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is located on the Nahe river, a tributary of the Rhine...
) and SchmidtburgSchmidtburgSchmidtburg is a ruin of a former castle next to Schneppenbach in Germany. The castle was built up in 926, and was destroyed during the War of the Grand Alliance by French troops in 1688.-External links:**...
(died 1356).
After the death of his first wife, Gerlach married Kunigunde of Wertheim
Wertheim am Main
Wertheim is a town in southwestern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg with a population of 24,202. It is located on the confluence of the rivers Tauber and Main.It is known for its wine, castle and medieval town centre.-Geography:...
. At least the following children are attributable to this marriage:
- Gerlach IIIGerlach VI of Isenburg-LimburgGerlach VI of Isenburg-Limburg , also known as Gerlach III of Limburg, was Count of Isenburg-Limburg and Lord of Limburg an der Lahn. He succeeded his father Gerlach V in 1355. In 1356, he married Elisabeth of Falkenstein ....
(died 1365); followed his father as Lord of Limburg. - Hermann (died 1365)
- John IIIJohn II of Isenburg-LimburgJohn II of Isenburg-Limburg was Lord of Limburg an der Lahn and the last Count of Isenburg-Limburg from 1365 until 1406. He is sometimes designated John III to differentiate him from his non-ruling older half-brother John II ....
(died 1406); a canonCanon (priest)A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
in CologneArchbishopric of CologneThe 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...
and TrierArchbishopric of TrierThe Archbishopric of Trier was a Roman Catholic diocese in Germany, that existed from Carolingian times until the end of the Holy Roman Empire. Its suffragans were the dioceses of Metz, Toul and Verdun. Since the 9th century the Archbishops of Trier were simultaneously princes and since the 11th...
, followed his brother Gerlach III (as John II) as last Count of Limburg from the House of IsenburgIsenburgIsenburg 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...
; married Hildegard (died 1419) of Saarwerden (a countship centered at present-day Sarre-UnionSarre-UnionSarre-Union is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It consists of two older towns that were unified on 16 June 1794. On the east bank of the Sarre river is the town of Bouquenom and on the west bank the town of Ville Neuve de Sarrewerden .-References:*...
, France). - Otto; knight of the Teutonic Order; listed in 1400.
- Gerlach (died 1414); a canon in Trier
- Rudolph (died before October 7, 1374); a canon in Cologne and Trier and archdeaconArchdeaconAn archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
in WürzburgBishopric of WürzburgThe Bishopric of Würzburg was a prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire, located in Lower Franconia, around the city of Würzburg, Germany. Würzburg was a diocese from 743. In the 18th century, its bishop was often also Bishop of Bamberg...
. - Kunigunde (died October 8, 1386); unmarried
- Elizabeth; abbessAbbessAn abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
of Kaufungen AbbeyKaufungen AbbeyKaufungen Abbey was a Benedictine nunnery founded in 1017 by the Empress Kunigunde, located in Kaufungen in Hessen, Germany.In 1532, during the Reformation, Count Philip I of Hesse appropriated it and gave it, together with Wetter Abbey, to the Hessische Ritterschaft for the care and shelter of...
External links
Preceded by: |
Gerlach V |
Succeeded by: |
|---|---|---|
| John I John I of Isenburg-Limburg John I of Isenburg-Limburg, "The blind Lord" was from 1289 Count of Limburg and the head of the House of Limburg... |
Count of Isenburg-Limburg Isenburg-Limburg The Countship of Isenburg-Limburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire in the 13th and 14th centuries, based around the city of Limburg an der Lahn in modern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.-House of Limburg:... 1312–1355 |
Gerlach VI Gerlach VI of Isenburg-Limburg Gerlach VI of Isenburg-Limburg , also known as Gerlach III of Limburg, was Count of Isenburg-Limburg and Lord of Limburg an der Lahn. He succeeded his father Gerlach V in 1355. In 1356, he married Elisabeth of Falkenstein .... |