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Bentheim (county)
Encyclopedia
Bentheim was a county
of Holy Roman Empire
, located in modern southwestern Lower Saxony
, Germany
. The borders of the county correspond largely to the modern borders of the District of Bentheim
. Originally, the county was largely made up of fen
s, with settlement concentrated along the banks of the rivers which passed through the county. Sandstone
was exported at decent profit from Bentheim to other locales throughout present-day Germany and the Netherlands
.
In 1115, the county was passed to Count Otto, of the House of Salm
. His heir and daughter, Countess Sophia, married Dirk VI, Count of Holland
, and they co-ruled the county until Dirk's death in 1157. Sophia died in 1176, and the title of count passed to her son Otto I. In 1263, Bentheim annexed the County of Tecklenburg
, and over time various branches of the counts of Bentheim would annex and purchase various territories in Rheda
, Steinfurt
, and the Netherlands. In 1277, the County of Bentheim was partitioned into Bentheim-Bentheim
(containing the County of Bentheim) and Bentheim-Tecklenburg
(containing the County of Tecklenburg).
The first County of Bentheim-Bentheim endured until 1530, when its line of counts had become extinct and Bentheim was granted to Arnold II of Bentheim-Steinfurt
. In 1544, Arnold officially converted to Lutheranism
, beginning a slow process of introducing the Reformation
in Bentheim and other territories he ruled. Protestant preachers were introduced into Bentheim during the autumn of 1587. The following year Bentheim officially gained a new Church constitution, which was later introduced in Tecklenburg (1589) and Steinfurt (1591). In 1613, Count Arnold Jobst of Bentheim-Steinfurt created the Higher Church Council to help administer the spiritual matters of Bentheim, as well as establishing the Reformed Church of Bentheim in all three of the counties.
When Arnold Jobst died in 1643, the County of Bentheim-Steinfurt was partitioned into Bentheim-Steinfurt and Bentheim-Bentheim, the latter comprising the County of Bentheim. In 1753, the County of Bentheim was seized by the elector of Hanover
. "In 1753, trouble within made them (the Counts of Bentheim) take out a mortgage to the King of Hanover and England."
For almost 700 years prior to this, Grafshaft Bentheim was independently ruled by the Counts of Bentheim and that they might have continued thus had it not been for the circumstances of 1753.
In 1803, Bentheim was again united with Bentheim-Steinfurt. Bentheim-Steinfurt was mediatised
to Berg and Prussia
in 1806, with the former gaining Bentheim and the latter Steinfurt. Bentheim was annexed by France
in 1810 with the Kingdom of Holland and many northwest German
regions. The Congress of Vienna
later granted Bentheim to Hanover.
took them over in 1866. They lived under the Kaiser
and under Hitler. Through all this they came with good courage. If you ask them today about their identity, they just might tell you, 'Wy bin't Groofshappers' (We are Grafschappers)."
Arranged marriages have been a longstanding tradition in Grafschaft (county) Bentheim. In former times, the parents arranged for their children to marry a distant relative. Weddings lasted three days with each invited guest giving about 100 DM ($50 in 1988) to the newly married couple. The couple signs the marriage contract before the ceremony (as opposed to after, as in the United States
). The presentation of the dowry
and hope chest
was part of the ceremony.
Until the 1950s, most gave birth, with aid of a midwife, in their own home. After birth, the baby would have its lower body tightly wrapped to prevent it becoming bowlegged and a tight fitting cap would be placed on its head, covering the ears, "so the ears would grow nice and close to the face." Children born during the week would be baptized
in the Reformed tradition that coming Sunday, attended by the neighbors and midwife to stand as witnesses. In former times, the new mother would not leave the house during the first six weeks after giving birth.
When a family member dies, the next-door neighbor is the first to be contacted. He is in charge for the next four days, and instructs the other neighbors as to their duties. He is responsible for contacting the pastor (officiant), the bell ringer, and the gravedigger and making the burial arrangements. The town bell would be sounded one toll for each year the deceased had lived. If the death occurred after 9:00 p.m., this would wait until 9:00 the following morning. The casket builder would then begin his work, and the "death messengers
" would be dispatched to inform the citizenry of the death with a message akin to "You are asked to attend the funeral of the departed ____________ at (time and date)." All in attendance at the funeral would wear unadorned black clothing. From 850 CE to about 1850 CE, burial was done in the churchyard, the idea being that the "church on earth" was the closest place to the "Church Triumphant." A grave was family-owned, and could be reused for another family member after 30 years. Napoleon decreed the establishment of cemetery yards outside of the city or village (for sanitary reasons) in 1808, an edict which was resisted in Bentheim, but finally adopted in 1850.
The funeral was followed by a church service featuring songs about resurrection. The length of the mourning period varied by relationship to the deceased: three years for the spouse, two years for the children, one year for the siblings, and 6 weeks for the next-door neighbor. During this period, unadorned black was to be worn, and this was strictly enforced.
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, located in modern southwestern Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, 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...
. The borders of the county correspond largely to the modern borders of the District of Bentheim
Bentheim
County of Bentheim is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the Dutch provinces of Overijssel and Drenthe, the district of Emsland, and the districts of Steinfurt and Borken in North Rhine-Westphalia.- History :The District has roughly the same territory as the County of...
. Originally, the county was largely made up of fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s, with settlement concentrated along the banks of the rivers which passed through the county. Sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
was exported at decent profit from Bentheim to other locales throughout present-day Germany and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
History
The county of Bentheim had existed by c. 1050 AD, although little is known of the county until 1115.In 1115, the county was passed to Count Otto, of the House of Salm
Salm (state)
Salm is the name of several historic countships and principalities in present Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France.-Origins:The County of Salm arose in the 10th century in Vielsalm, in the Ardennes region of present Belgium...
. His heir and daughter, Countess Sophia, married Dirk VI, Count of Holland
Dirk VI, Count of Holland
Dirk VI of Holland was Count of Holland between 1121 and 1157, at first, during his minority, under the regency of his mother Petronilla. He was the son of Count Floris II. After his death he was succeeded by his eldest son Floris III. He married Sofie of Salm, Countess of Rheineck and Bentheim...
, and they co-ruled the county until Dirk's death in 1157. Sophia died in 1176, and the title of count passed to her son Otto I. In 1263, Bentheim annexed the County of Tecklenburg
Tecklenburg
Tecklenburg is a town in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:It is located at the foothills of the Teutoburg Forest, southwest of Osnabrück.-Division of the town:...
, and over time various branches of the counts of Bentheim would annex and purchase various territories in Rheda
Rheda, Germany
Rheda is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, a part of the municipality of Rheda-Wiedenbrück in the Kreis of Gütersloh.-History:Rheda was first mentioned in documents from the year 1085, at the latest 1088...
, Steinfurt
Steinfurt
Steinfurt is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Steinfurt.-Geography:Steinfurt is situated north-west of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia. Its name came into being in 1975 when the two – up to then independent – parts of the city – Borghorst and...
, and the Netherlands. In 1277, the County of Bentheim was partitioned into Bentheim-Bentheim
Bentheim-Bentheim
Bentheim-Bentheim was a County of southeastern Lower Saxony, Germany. The borders of Bentheim-Bentheim by 1806 were the modern borders of the District of Bentheim. It was one of the original partitions of the County of Bentheim in 1277, and it partitioned between itself and Bentheim-Steinfurt in 1454...
(containing the County of Bentheim) and Bentheim-Tecklenburg
Bentheim-Tecklenburg
Bentheim-Tecklenburg was a German district based in the region around Tecklenburg in northern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Bentheim-Tecklenburg emerged as a partition of the County of Bentheim in 1277, and was partitioned between itself and Bentheim-Lingen in 1450. Count Conrad converted his...
(containing the County of Tecklenburg).
The first County of Bentheim-Bentheim endured until 1530, when its line of counts had become extinct and Bentheim was granted to Arnold II of Bentheim-Steinfurt
Bentheim-Steinfurt
Bentheim-Steinfurt was a County of Germany, located in northwestern North Rhine-Westphalia in the region surrounding Steinfurt. Bentheim-Steinfurt was a partition of Bentheim-Bentheim...
. In 1544, Arnold officially converted to Lutheranism
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
, beginning a slow process of introducing the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in Bentheim and other territories he ruled. Protestant preachers were introduced into Bentheim during the autumn of 1587. The following year Bentheim officially gained a new Church constitution, which was later introduced in Tecklenburg (1589) and Steinfurt (1591). In 1613, Count Arnold Jobst of Bentheim-Steinfurt created the Higher Church Council to help administer the spiritual matters of Bentheim, as well as establishing the Reformed Church of Bentheim in all three of the counties.
When Arnold Jobst died in 1643, the County of Bentheim-Steinfurt was partitioned into Bentheim-Steinfurt and Bentheim-Bentheim, the latter comprising the County of Bentheim. In 1753, the County of Bentheim was seized by the elector of Hanover
Electorate of Hanover
The Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg was the ninth Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation...
. "In 1753, trouble within made them (the Counts of Bentheim) take out a mortgage to the King of Hanover and England."
For almost 700 years prior to this, Grafshaft Bentheim was independently ruled by the Counts of Bentheim and that they might have continued thus had it not been for the circumstances of 1753.
In 1803, Bentheim was again united with Bentheim-Steinfurt. Bentheim-Steinfurt was mediatised
German Mediatisation
The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era....
to Berg and Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
in 1806, with the former gaining Bentheim and the latter Steinfurt. Bentheim was annexed by France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1810 with the Kingdom of Holland and many northwest German
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...
regions. The Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
later granted Bentheim to Hanover.
The people
"In spirit," writes Harger, "the people of Bentheim have never lost their independence. They became Hanoverians; they were invaded by Napoleon. PrussiaPrussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
took them over in 1866. They lived under the Kaiser
Kaiser Wilhelm
Kaiser Wilhelm is a common reference to two German emperors:* Wilhelm I, German Emperor , King of Prussia; became the first Kaiser of a united Germany...
and under Hitler. Through all this they came with good courage. If you ask them today about their identity, they just might tell you, 'Wy bin't Groofshappers' (We are Grafschappers)."
Arranged marriages have been a longstanding tradition in Grafschaft (county) Bentheim. In former times, the parents arranged for their children to marry a distant relative. Weddings lasted three days with each invited guest giving about 100 DM ($50 in 1988) to the newly married couple. The couple signs the marriage contract before the ceremony (as opposed to after, as in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). The presentation of the dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
and hope chest
Hope chest
A hope chest, dowry chest, cedar chest, or glory box is a chest used to collect items such as clothing and household linen, by unmarried young women in anticipation of married life....
was part of the ceremony.
Until the 1950s, most gave birth, with aid of a midwife, in their own home. After birth, the baby would have its lower body tightly wrapped to prevent it becoming bowlegged and a tight fitting cap would be placed on its head, covering the ears, "so the ears would grow nice and close to the face." Children born during the week would be baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
in the Reformed tradition that coming Sunday, attended by the neighbors and midwife to stand as witnesses. In former times, the new mother would not leave the house during the first six weeks after giving birth.
When a family member dies, the next-door neighbor is the first to be contacted. He is in charge for the next four days, and instructs the other neighbors as to their duties. He is responsible for contacting the pastor (officiant), the bell ringer, and the gravedigger and making the burial arrangements. The town bell would be sounded one toll for each year the deceased had lived. If the death occurred after 9:00 p.m., this would wait until 9:00 the following morning. The casket builder would then begin his work, and the "death messengers
Death messengers
Death messengers, in former times, were those who were dispatched to spread the news that an inhabitant of their city or village had died. They were to wear unadorned black and go door to door with the message, "You are asked to attend the funeral of the departed __________ at ." This was all...
" would be dispatched to inform the citizenry of the death with a message akin to "You are asked to attend the funeral of the departed ____________ at (time and date)." All in attendance at the funeral would wear unadorned black clothing. From 850 CE to about 1850 CE, burial was done in the churchyard, the idea being that the "church on earth" was the closest place to the "Church Triumphant." A grave was family-owned, and could be reused for another family member after 30 years. Napoleon decreed the establishment of cemetery yards outside of the city or village (for sanitary reasons) in 1808, an edict which was resisted in Bentheim, but finally adopted in 1850.
The funeral was followed by a church service featuring songs about resurrection. The length of the mourning period varied by relationship to the deceased: three years for the spouse, two years for the children, one year for the siblings, and 6 weeks for the next-door neighbor. During this period, unadorned black was to be worn, and this was strictly enforced.
States of Bentheim
- County of Bentheim (c.1050 - 1277)
- County of Bentheim-AlpenBentheim-AlpenBentheim-Alpen was a short-lived County of the Holy Roman Empire, created as a partition of Bentheim-Steinfurt in 1606. It was remerged to Bentheim-Steinfurt in 1629....
(1606–1629) - County of Bentheim-BentheimBentheim-BentheimBentheim-Bentheim was a County of southeastern Lower Saxony, Germany. The borders of Bentheim-Bentheim by 1806 were the modern borders of the District of Bentheim. It was one of the original partitions of the County of Bentheim in 1277, and it partitioned between itself and Bentheim-Steinfurt in 1454...
(1277–1530, 1643–1753, 1753 - 1803) - County of Bentheim-BentheimBentheim-BentheimBentheim-Bentheim was a County of southeastern Lower Saxony, Germany. The borders of Bentheim-Bentheim by 1806 were the modern borders of the District of Bentheim. It was one of the original partitions of the County of Bentheim in 1277, and it partitioned between itself and Bentheim-Steinfurt in 1454...
and Bentheim-SteinfurtBentheim-SteinfurtBentheim-Steinfurt was a County of Germany, located in northwestern North Rhine-Westphalia in the region surrounding Steinfurt. Bentheim-Steinfurt was a partition of Bentheim-Bentheim...
(1803–1806) - County of Bentheim-LimburgBentheim-LimburgBentheim-Limburg was a short-lived County of the Holy Roman Empire, created as a partition of Bentheim-Steinfurt in 1606. It was remerged to Bentheim-Steinfurt in 1632....
(1606–1632) - County of Bentheim-LingenBentheim-LingenBentheim-Lingen was a County based around Lingen in Germany. Bentheim-Lingen emerged as a partition of Bentheim-Tecklenburg in 1450, and was absorbed by Spain in 1555...
(1450–1555) - County of Bentheim-SteinfurtBentheim-SteinfurtBentheim-Steinfurt was a County of Germany, located in northwestern North Rhine-Westphalia in the region surrounding Steinfurt. Bentheim-Steinfurt was a partition of Bentheim-Bentheim...
(1454 - 1803) - County of Bentheim-TecklenburgBentheim-TecklenburgBentheim-Tecklenburg was a German district based in the region around Tecklenburg in northern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Bentheim-Tecklenburg emerged as a partition of the County of Bentheim in 1277, and was partitioned between itself and Bentheim-Lingen in 1450. Count Conrad converted his...
(1277–1557) - County of Bentheim-Tecklenburg-RhedaBentheim-Tecklenburg-RhedaBentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda was a County of northwestern North Rhine-Westphalia and southwestern Lower Saxony, Germany. Bentheim-Tecklenburg-Rheda emerged as a partition of Bentheim-Steinfurt in 1606, and was mediatised to Prussia in 1806....
(1606–1806)
Counts of Bentheim (c. 1050 - 1277)
???- Otto of SalmSalm (state)Salm is the name of several historic countships and principalities in present Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and France.-Origins:The County of Salm arose in the 10th century in Vielsalm, in the Ardennes region of present Belgium...
(1115–1149) - Sophia (1149–1176) with...
- DirkDirk VI, Count of HollandDirk VI of Holland was Count of Holland between 1121 and 1157, at first, during his minority, under the regency of his mother Petronilla. He was the son of Count Floris II. After his death he was succeeded by his eldest son Floris III. He married Sofie of Salm, Countess of Rheineck and Bentheim...
(VI of Holland) (1149–1157) - Otto I (1176–1207)
- Baldwin (1207–1247)
- Otto II (1247–1277)
Pre-history
- 500-600 CE: Germanic tribes settle the area
- 804 CE: Saxon tribes lose their independence
- 800-850 CE: Charlemagne introduces "Christianity with the sword." Founding of the scholten system. Emlichheim, Uelsen, Veldhausen, and Nordhorn become church and court districts.