Sayn
Encyclopedia
Sayn was a mediæval German
County located in the Rhineland-Palatinate
and North Rhine-Westphalia
. There were two Counties of Sayn: the first County emerged in 1139. It became closely associated with the County of Sponheim
early in its existence. Count Henry II
was notable for being accused of satanic orgies by the Church's German Grand Inquisitor, Conrad von Marburg
, in 1233. Henry was acquitted by an assembly of bishops in Mainz
, but Conrad refused to accept the verdict and left Mainz. It is unknown whether it was Henry's Knights which killed Conrad on his return to Thuringia
, but investigation was foregone due to the cruelty of Conrad, despite Pope Gregory ordering his murderers to be punished. With the death of Henry in 1246, the County passed to the Counts of Sponheim-Eberstein and thence to Sponheim-Sayn
in 1261.
The second County of Sayn emerged as a partition of Sponheim-Sayn in 1283 (the other partition being Sayn-Homburg
). It was notable for its numerous co-reigns, and it endured until 1608 when it was inherited by the Counts of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
. A lack of clear heirs of William III of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn led to the temporary annexation of the comital territories by the Archbishop of Cologne
until the succession was decided. In 1648 following the Thirty Years' War
, the County was divided between Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn-Altenkirchen and Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg
.
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...
County located in the Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
and North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
. There were two Counties of Sayn: the first County emerged in 1139. It became closely associated with the County of Sponheim
County of Sponheim
The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
early in its existence. Count Henry II
Henry II, Count of Sayn
Henry II was the Count of Sayn, a County located near the Sieg River in northern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Henry II shared the first year of his reign with his uncle, Count Henry I, as he and his father Eberhard II had co-ruled the Countship. Godfrey II had been a regent from 1181 and...
was notable for being accused of satanic orgies by the Church's German Grand Inquisitor, Conrad von Marburg
Konrad von Marburg
Konrad von Marburg was a medieval German inquisitor. He was commissioned by the Pope to combat the Albigensians, whom the Roman Catholic Church considered heretics...
, in 1233. Henry was acquitted by an assembly of bishops in Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, but Conrad refused to accept the verdict and left Mainz. It is unknown whether it was Henry's Knights which killed Conrad on his return to Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, but investigation was foregone due to the cruelty of Conrad, despite Pope Gregory ordering his murderers to be punished. With the death of Henry in 1246, the County passed to the Counts of Sponheim-Eberstein and thence to Sponheim-Sayn
Sponheim-Sayn
Sponheim-Sayn was a County of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was created as a partition of Sponheim-Eberstein in 1261, and it comprised the lands of the former County of Sayn. In 1283, it was divided into Sayn and Sayn-Homburg....
in 1261.
The second County of Sayn emerged as a partition of Sponheim-Sayn in 1283 (the other partition being Sayn-Homburg
Sayn-Homburg
Sayn-Homburg was a mediæval county of Germany. It was created as a partition of Sponheim-Sayn in 1283...
). It was notable for its numerous co-reigns, and it endured until 1608 when it was inherited by the Counts of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn was a County of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, comprising the lands of the region of Sayn. It was created as a partition of Sayn-Wittgenstein in 1607, although it was not until the next year that it obtained fully the Countship of Sayn. The succession was never clear, leading...
. A lack of clear heirs of William III of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn led to the temporary annexation of the comital territories by the Archbishop of 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...
until the succession was decided. In 1648 following the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, the County was divided between Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn-Altenkirchen and Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg
Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg was a German County located in Rhineland-Palatinate, near the Sieg River.When Count William III of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn died in 1623 without clear heirs, the Archbishop of Cologne occupied the vacant County until the succession was settled...
.
Counts of Sayn (1139–1246)
- Eberhard I (1139–76)
- Henry I/II (1176–1203) with…
- Eberhard II (1176–1202) with…
- Henry II/IIIHenry II, Count of SaynHenry II was the Count of Sayn, a County located near the Sieg River in northern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Henry II shared the first year of his reign with his uncle, Count Henry I, as he and his father Eberhard II had co-ruled the Countship. Godfrey II had been a regent from 1181 and...
(1202–46) - Godfrey II/III, Count of SponheimCounty of SponheimThe County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century...
(Regent, 1181–1220) - John I, Count of Sponheim-Starkenburg (Regent, 1226–1246)
Counts of Sayn (1283–1608)
- John I (1283–1324)
- John II (1324–59)
- John III (1359–1403)
- Gerard I (1403–19)
- Theodore (1419–52)
- Gerard II (1452–93)
- Gerard III (1493–1506) with…
- Sebastian I (1493–98) with…
- John IV (1498–1529)
- John V (1529–60) with…
- Sebastian II (1529–73) with…
- Adolph (1560–68) with…
- Henry IV (1560–1606) with…
- Herman (1560–71)
- Anna Elizabeth (1606–08)
See also
- Sayn-HomburgSayn-HomburgSayn-Homburg was a mediæval county of Germany. It was created as a partition of Sponheim-Sayn in 1283...
- Sayn-WittgensteinSayn-WittgensteinSayn-Wittgenstein was a county of mediæval Germany, located in the Sauerland of eastern North Rhine-Westphalia. Sayn-Wittgenstein was created when Count Salentin of Sayn-Homburg married the heiress Countess Adelaide of Wittgenstein in 1345...
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-BerleburgSayn-Wittgenstein-BerleburgSayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg was a county , most of which is located in the present district of Siegen-Wittgenstein, Germany . Its seat was the town and palace in Berleburg...
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-HachenburgSayn-Wittgenstein-HachenburgSayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg was a German County located in Rhineland-Palatinate, near the Sieg River.When Count William III of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn died in 1623 without clear heirs, the Archbishop of Cologne occupied the vacant County until the succession was settled...
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-HohensteinSayn-Wittgenstein-HohensteinSayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein was a county between Hesse-Darmstadt and Westphalia. It was formed by the 1657 partition of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Wittgenstein and raised from a county to principality in 1801. It belonged from 1806 to 1815 to the Grand Duchy of Hesse and after 1816 to Prussia. The capital...
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-KarlsburgSayn-Wittgenstein-KarlsburgSayn-Wittgenstein-Karlsburg was a sideline of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, created by Graf Casimir for his brother Karl Wilhelm.-Counts of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Karlsburg :* Charles William...
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-LudwigsburgSayn-Wittgenstein-LudwigsburgSayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg was a side line of the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg family, created by Graf Casimir for his brother, Ludwig Francis zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg...
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-SaynSayn-Wittgenstein-SaynSayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn was a County of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, comprising the lands of the region of Sayn. It was created as a partition of Sayn-Wittgenstein in 1607, although it was not until the next year that it obtained fully the Countship of Sayn. The succession was never clear, leading...
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn-Altenkirchen
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-VallendarSayn-Wittgenstein-VallendarSayn-Wittgenstein-Vallendar was a County of the Holy Roman Empire in Germany. It was created as a partition of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Wittgenstein, and was inherited by Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohnstein in 1775.- Counts of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Vallendar :...
- Sponheim-SaynSponheim-SaynSponheim-Sayn was a County of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was created as a partition of Sponheim-Eberstein in 1261, and it comprised the lands of the former County of Sayn. In 1283, it was divided into Sayn and Sayn-Homburg....