Henry VII, Count of Waldeck
Encyclopedia
Henry VII of Waldeck was Count of Waldeck
from 1397 until his death, and acted several times as bailiff
for the Electorate of Mainz in Upper
and Lower Hesse
.
man.
Even before his father, he attacked the Bishopric of Paderborn
. He was accused of having destroyed the castle and town of Blankenrode. In 1395, he was made to swear that he would never again invade Paderborn, and Waldeck had to transfer its share in the castle and town of Liebenau
to Paderborn.
After his father's death, the county Waldeck was divided bewteen Henry and his brother Adolph. Thus, Adolph founded the older line of Waldeck-Landau and Henry founded the Waldeck-Waldeck line. He resided at Waldeck Castle
.
In 1399, he was appointed bailiff of the districts Fritzlar
, Hofgeismar
, Battenberg, Rosenthal
, Elenhog and Wetter
of the Electorate of Mainz. Henry reckoned that this office provided him with enough power that he could afford to break his alliance with the Landgraviate of Hesse
. At Whitsuntide 1400, he marched his troops to Kassel
. He could not take the city. He did, however, set fire to several neighbouring villages. He lost his office in 1404, but was re-appointed temporarily in 1406. In 1410, he was again appointed bailiff in Upper and Lower Hesse. He then attacked Hesse and destroyed the city of Kirchhain
, whereupon Landgrave Hermann II
persuaded Archbishop John II of Mainz to relieve henry of his duties. Peace was restored in 1420 and Henry made a alliance with Landgrave Louis I
that would last until his death.
On 5 June 1400, Henry and his men, who included Friedrich von Hertingshausen and Konrad von Falkenberg, attacked Duke Frederick I of Brunswick-Wolffenbüttel at Kleinenglis
, south of Fritzlar. A fierce battle followed and the Duke was killed. Duke Frederick had been on his way home from a congress of princes in Frankfurt
, where King Wenceslaus
had been deposed. Frederick thought that he had a good chance to succeed Wenceslaw, but Archbishop John II of Mainz favoured the election of Rupert
, the Elector Palatine. The newly elected King Rupert investigated the attack on Duke Frederick and Henry was sentenced to the foundation of an altar with perpetual requiem mass at the St. Peter's Church in Fritzlar
.
Henry also had disputes with his brother Adolph, some of them violent. In 1421, they settled their disputes and confirmed the division of the county. They also agreed the neither of them would be allowed to pledge or sell off parts of the county without knowledge and consent of the other. Deeds relating to either half of the county were to be archived in a common archive at Waldeck Castle
. Completed fiefs
would revert to joint ownership. Future disputes were to be investigated and settled by the burgmann
en and councils. In later years, this treaty was renewed and refined.
Henry had a feud
with the Lords of Padberg, which lasted from 1413 to 1418. He also had a feud against the League of the Morning Star, of which the Lords of Padberg were members.
In 1424, Henry and his son Wolrad
pledged half of their territory for life to Landgrave Louis I
for . Louis paid up and the burgmann
en, vassalss, burghers and peasants of the affected area paid him homage
. However, Archbishops Conrad of Mainz and Dietrich of Cologne, in his capacity as administrator of the Archdiocese of Paderborn objected and Henry and Wolrad recanted, claiming they had promised the land to Mainz in an earlier treaty, and in 1426, they pledged the land to Mainz for instead, opening their castles to the Archbishops of Mainz and Cologne. This was one of the causes of the Mainz-Hessian War of 1427. Conrad offered Louis to refund him his , but Louis turned the offer down. He declared war on the archbishop on 21 July 1427. Henry and Wolrad fought on the Mainz side in this war. Hesse won the war and Henry had to refund the . In 1438, Henry saw himself forced to acknowledge Landgrave Louis as his liege lord
.
Waldeck
-Places:* Waldeck Castle, a medieval fortress/castle in Germany* Waldeck, Hesse, a town in Hesse* Waldeck or Waldeck-Pyrmont, a principality in the German Empire and German Confederation, and a state in the Weimar Republic, named after the above castle and town* Waldeck, Bavaria, a village in the...
from 1397 until his death, and acted several times as bailiff
Bailiff
A bailiff is a governor or custodian ; a legal officer to whom some degree of authority, care or jurisdiction is committed...
for the Electorate of Mainz in Upper
Upper Hesse
The province of Upper Hesse was one of three provinces in the Grand Duchy of Hesse and later the People's State of Hesse. Its territory covers the area of land north of the River Main in the historic region of Upper Hesse...
and Lower Hesse
Lower Hesse
Lower Hesse a historic designation for an area in northern Hesse, Germany.The term Lower Hesse originated in the Middle Ages for the so-called "lower principality" of Hesse, which was separated until 1450 from the so-called "upper principality" by the area Ziegenhain...
.
Life
He was the second son of the Count Henry VI of Waldeck and Elizabeth of Berg and was considered a belligerentBelligerent
A belligerent is an individual, group, country or other entity which acts in a hostile manner, such as engaging in combat. Belligerent comes from Latin, literally meaning "to wage war"...
man.
Even before his father, he attacked the Bishopric of Paderborn
Bishopric of Paderborn
The Archdiocese of Paderborn is an Archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany; its seat is Paderborn. It was a diocese from its foundation in 799 until 1802, and again from 1821 until 1930. In 1930, it was promoted to an archdiocese...
. He was accused of having destroyed the castle and town of Blankenrode. In 1395, he was made to swear that he would never again invade Paderborn, and Waldeck had to transfer its share in the castle and town of Liebenau
Liebenau, Hesse
Liebenau is a town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the river Diemel, 25 km northwest of Kassel....
to Paderborn.
After his father's death, the county Waldeck was divided bewteen Henry and his brother Adolph. Thus, Adolph founded the older line of Waldeck-Landau and Henry founded the Waldeck-Waldeck line. He resided at Waldeck Castle
Waldeck Castle
Castle Waldeck within the limits of the village of Dorweiler in Dommershausen in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate was the main seat of the Hunsrück Family Boos.The ruin lies high above the Baybach valley...
.
In 1399, he was appointed bailiff of the districts Fritzlar
Fritzlar
Fritzlar is a small German town in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history. It can reasonably be argued that the town is the site where the Christianization of northern Germany began and the birthplace of the German empire as a political entity.The...
, Hofgeismar
Hofgeismar
Hofgeismar is a town in the district of Kassel, in northern Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km north of Kassel on the German Framework Road.-External links:*...
, Battenberg, Rosenthal
Rosenthal, Hesse
Rosenthal is a small town in southeast Waldeck-Frankenberg district in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Rosenthal lies in the Burgwald range 11 km southeast of Frankenberg and 18 km northeast of Marburg.-Neighbouring communities:...
, Elenhog and Wetter
Wetter, Hesse
Wetter is a small town in Hesse, Germany. The rather unusual designation Wetter stems from a time when the town belonged to the Prussian province of the same name, and nowadays is only used by the railway – even today, the railway station in town bears this name.-Geography:Wetter lies in the...
of the Electorate of Mainz. Henry reckoned that this office provided him with enough power that he could afford to break his alliance with the Landgraviate of Hesse
Landgraviate of Hesse
The Landgraviate of Hesse was a Landgraviate of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed as a unity from 1264 to 1567, when it was divided between the sons of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse.-History:...
. At Whitsuntide 1400, he marched his troops to Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
. He could not take the city. He did, however, set fire to several neighbouring villages. He lost his office in 1404, but was re-appointed temporarily in 1406. In 1410, he was again appointed bailiff in Upper and Lower Hesse. He then attacked Hesse and destroyed the city of Kirchhain
Kirchhain
Kirchhain is a town in Marburg-Biedenkopf district in Hesse, Germany.-Geography:Kirchhain is located in the heart of the state of Hesse in Marburg-Biedenkopf County...
, whereupon Landgrave Hermann II
Hermann II, Landgrave of Hesse
Hermann II of Hesse was Landgrave of Hesse from 1376 to 1413.Hermann II, called "the Learned" was born in 1345 in Grebenstein castle, the son of Louis the Junker. He studied in Paris and in Prague. After the death of Otto, the intended heir to the throne, Henry II appointed his own nephew...
persuaded Archbishop John II of Mainz to relieve henry of his duties. Peace was restored in 1420 and Henry made a alliance with Landgrave Louis I
Louis I, Landgrave of Hesse
Louis I of Hesse , called "the Peaceful" was Landgrave of Lower Hesse from 1413-1458....
that would last until his death.
On 5 June 1400, Henry and his men, who included Friedrich von Hertingshausen and Konrad von Falkenberg, attacked Duke Frederick I of Brunswick-Wolffenbüttel at Kleinenglis
Kleinenglis
Kleinenglis is a constituent community of Borken . Kleinenglis has about 1300 inhabitants, and over the years it has become Borken's biggest community.- Sightseeing :...
, south of Fritzlar. A fierce battle followed and the Duke was killed. Duke Frederick had been on his way home from a congress of princes in 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...
, where King Wenceslaus
Wenceslaus, King of the Romans
Wenceslaus ) was, by election, German King from 1376 and, by inheritance, King of Bohemia from 1378. He was the third Bohemian and second German monarch of the Luxembourg dynasty...
had been deposed. Frederick thought that he had a good chance to succeed Wenceslaw, but Archbishop John II of Mainz favoured the election of Rupert
Rupert of Germany
Rupert of Germany from the House of Wittelsbach was Elector Palatine from 1398 and German King from 1400 until his death...
, the Elector Palatine. The newly elected King Rupert investigated the attack on Duke Frederick and Henry was sentenced to the foundation of an altar with perpetual requiem mass at the St. Peter's Church in Fritzlar
Fritzlar
Fritzlar is a small German town in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history. It can reasonably be argued that the town is the site where the Christianization of northern Germany began and the birthplace of the German empire as a political entity.The...
.
Henry also had disputes with his brother Adolph, some of them violent. In 1421, they settled their disputes and confirmed the division of the county. They also agreed the neither of them would be allowed to pledge or sell off parts of the county without knowledge and consent of the other. Deeds relating to either half of the county were to be archived in a common archive at Waldeck Castle
Waldeck Castle
Castle Waldeck within the limits of the village of Dorweiler in Dommershausen in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate was the main seat of the Hunsrück Family Boos.The ruin lies high above the Baybach valley...
. Completed fiefs
Fiefs
Fiefs may refer to:* Fiefdom* Fiefs, a commune of the Pas-de-Calais département in northern France...
would revert to joint ownership. Future disputes were to be investigated and settled by the burgmann
Burgmann
A Burgmann was a member of the low aristocracy in the Middle Ages who guarded and defended castles. They were hired by a lord of the castle to take on the burghut, the guarding and defense of a castle....
en and councils. In later years, this treaty was renewed and refined.
Henry had a feud
Feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight between parties—often groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one party perceives itself to have been attacked, insulted or wronged by another...
with the Lords of Padberg, which lasted from 1413 to 1418. He also had a feud against the League of the Morning Star, of which the Lords of Padberg were members.
In 1424, Henry and his son Wolrad
Wolrad I, Count of Waldeck
Count Wolrad I of Waldeck was a son of Count Henry VII of Waldeck and his wife Margaret of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein. He was named after his maternal grandfather, and was to first Wolrad in the House of Waldeck...
pledged half of their territory for life to Landgrave Louis I
Louis I, Landgrave of Hesse
Louis I of Hesse , called "the Peaceful" was Landgrave of Lower Hesse from 1413-1458....
for . Louis paid up and the burgmann
Burgmann
A Burgmann was a member of the low aristocracy in the Middle Ages who guarded and defended castles. They were hired by a lord of the castle to take on the burghut, the guarding and defense of a castle....
en, vassalss, burghers and peasants of the affected area paid him homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
. However, Archbishops Conrad of Mainz and Dietrich of Cologne, in his capacity as administrator of the Archdiocese of Paderborn objected and Henry and Wolrad recanted, claiming they had promised the land to Mainz in an earlier treaty, and in 1426, they pledged the land to Mainz for instead, opening their castles to the Archbishops of Mainz and Cologne. This was one of the causes of the Mainz-Hessian War of 1427. Conrad offered Louis to refund him his , but Louis turned the offer down. He declared war on the archbishop on 21 July 1427. Henry and Wolrad fought on the Mainz side in this war. Hesse won the war and Henry had to refund the . In 1438, Henry saw himself forced to acknowledge Landgrave Louis as his liege lord
Liege Lord
Liege Lord was an American speed/power metal band, active in the 1980s and considered to be a pioneer of the genre. It was formed by Matt Vinci, Anthony Truglio and Frank Cortese....
.
Marriage and issue
In 1398, Henry married Margaret of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein. They had three children:- WolradWolrad I, Count of WaldeckCount Wolrad I of Waldeck was a son of Count Henry VII of Waldeck and his wife Margaret of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein. He was named after his maternal grandfather, and was to first Wolrad in the House of Waldeck...
, who would succeed him as Count of Waldeck - Elizabeth
- Margaret