House of Mansfeld
Encyclopedia
The House of Mansfeld was a princely German
house, which took its name from the town of Mansfeld
in the present-day state of Saxony-Anhalt
. Mansfelds were archbishops, generals, supporters as well as opponents of Martin Luther
, and Habsburg
administrators.
in 1069, Emperor Henry IV
appointed the loyal House of Mansfeld counts (Graf
en) in the Saxon Hassegau
at Eisleben
. The family progenitor, Count Hoyer I of Mansfeld, also known as Hoyer the Great, was a field marshal in the service of Emperor Henry V
. He was killed at the Battle of Welfesholz
on 11 February 1115, fighting the rebellious Saxon forces under Count Lothair of Supplinburg
.
The Mansfelds held extended fiefs both in the Archbishopric of Magdeburg
and the Bishopric of Halberstadt
. The male line became extinct for the first time upon the death of Count Burchard of Mansfeld in 1229; his daughter Sophia married a scion of the Lords of Querfurt
, who assumed the comital title. In the 15th century, the primary house divided into cadet branches: Hinterort, Mittelort, and Vorderort, while their County of Mansfeld in 1512 joined the Upper Saxon Circle
as an immediate Imperial estate.
Things worsened with the Protestant Reformation
: While Count Hoyer VI of Mansfeld-Vorderort (1477-1540) remained a loyal supporter of the Catholic faith, the Mittelort and Hinterort branches sided with Martin Luther
. When the county was devastated during the Peasants' War
, Count Albert VII of Mansfeld-Hinterort (1480-1560) not only fought with the Imperial troops in the 1525 Battle of Frankenhausen
, but also signed the Protestant Augsburg Confession
in 1530 and joined the Schmalkaldic League
, wherefore he was banned by Emperor Charles V
after the 1547 Battle of Mühlberg
.
To settle the enormous debts of the Counts of Mansfeld, their mighty neighbour Elector Augustus of Saxony
urged Emperor Maximilian II
to appoint a committee. On 15 March 1574, and again on 5 July 1574, in Leipzig
and Halle
, respectively, the surviving counts Hans Hoyer, Hans Georg, Hans Albrecht and Bruno concluded an agreement for the repayment of debts incurred by Counts Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort, Hans Ernst and Bruno von Mansfeld. The family's assets were confiscated in 1579, whereafter Imperial immediacy was lost.
The Mittelort and Hinterort branches died out in 1602 and 1666. The male Mansfeld-Vorderort line finally became extinct in 1780 with the death of Josef Wenzel Nepomuk, Prince of Fondi
in Italy, and their fiefs fell back to the Electorate of Saxony
and the Prussian Duchy of Magdeburg
. Josef Wenzel's half-sister and heiress Maria Isabella was only able to retain the Bohemian
possessions. In 1771 she had married Prince Franz de Paula Gundaker von Colloredo (1731-1807), last Vice Chancellor of the Holy Roman Empire
from 1789, thereby establishing the House of Colloredo-Mansfeld, which claimed the family's sovereignty after the German Mediatisation
.
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....
house, which took its name from the town of Mansfeld
Mansfeld
Mansfeld is a town in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Wipper, 10 km northwest of Eisleben....
in the present-day state of Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
. Mansfelds were archbishops, generals, supporters as well as opponents of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
, and Habsburg
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
administrators.
History
Upon the revolt instigated by the Wettin margrave Dedi IDedi I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark
Dedi was the Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark from 1046 and a claimant for the title of Margrave of Meissen from 1069...
in 1069, Emperor Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
appointed the loyal House of Mansfeld counts (Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
en) in the Saxon Hassegau
Hassegau
The Hassegau was an early medieval shire in the Eastphalia region of the Duchy of Saxony. It was located in the corner between the Saale , Unstrut , and Wipper rivers; its most important town was Merseburg...
at Eisleben
Eisleben
Eisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as the hometown of Martin Luther, hence its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. As of 2005, Eisleben had a population of 24,552...
. The family progenitor, Count Hoyer I of Mansfeld, also known as Hoyer the Great, was a field marshal in the service of Emperor Henry V
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor...
. He was killed at the Battle of Welfesholz
Battle of Welfesholz
The Battle of Welfesholz was fought on February 11, 1115 between the Imperial army of the Holy Roman Empire and a rebellious Saxon force.Henry V, uncontested King of the Romans since 1106, had inherited the Investiture Controversy from his father Henry IV...
on 11 February 1115, fighting the rebellious Saxon forces under Count Lothair of Supplinburg
Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
Lothair III of Supplinburg , was Duke of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia...
.
Archbishopric of Magdeburg
The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a Roman Catholic archdiocese and Prince-Bishopric of the Holy Roman Empire centered on the city of Magdeburg on the Elbe River....
and the Bishopric of Halberstadt
Bishopric of Halberstadt
The Bishopric of Halberstadt was a Roman Catholic diocese from 804 until 1648 and an ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire from the late Middle Ages...
. The male line became extinct for the first time upon the death of Count Burchard of Mansfeld in 1229; his daughter Sophia married a scion of the Lords of Querfurt
Querfurt
Querfurt a town in Saalekreis district in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, situated in a fertile area on the Querne, west from Merseburg, on a branch line from Oberroblingen. Pop. 12,935 .-History:...
, who assumed the comital title. In the 15th century, the primary house divided into cadet branches: Hinterort, Mittelort, and Vorderort, while their County of Mansfeld in 1512 joined the Upper Saxon Circle
Upper Saxon Circle
The Upper Saxon Circle was an Imperial Circle of the Holy Roman Empire, created in 1512.The circle was dominated by the electorate of Saxony and the electorate of Brandenburg. It further comprised the Saxon Ernestine duchies and Pomerania...
as an immediate Imperial estate.
Things worsened with the Protestant 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...
: While Count Hoyer VI of Mansfeld-Vorderort (1477-1540) remained a loyal supporter of the Catholic faith, the Mittelort and Hinterort branches sided with Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
. When the county was devastated during the Peasants' War
Peasants' War
The Peasants' War was a popular revolt that took place in Europe during 1524–1525...
, Count Albert VII of Mansfeld-Hinterort (1480-1560) not only fought with the Imperial troops in the 1525 Battle of Frankenhausen
Battle of Frankenhausen
The Battle of Frankenhausen was fought on 15 May 1525. It was the final act of the German Peasants' War: joint troops of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse and Duke George of Saxony defeated the peasants under their Anabaptist leader Thomas Müntzer near Frankenhausen in the County of Schwarzburg .On April...
, but also signed the Protestant Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
in 1530 and joined the Schmalkaldic League
Schmalkaldic League
The Schmalkaldic League was a defensive alliance of Lutheran princes within the Holy Roman Empire during the mid-16th century. Although originally started for religious motives soon after the start of the Protestant Reformation, its members eventually intended for the League to replace the Holy...
, wherefore he was banned by Emperor Charles V
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
after the 1547 Battle of Mühlberg
Battle of Mühlberg
The Battle of Mühlberg was a large battle at Mühlberg in the Electorate of Saxony during the Protestant Reformation at which the Catholic princes of the Holy Roman Empire led by the Emperor Charles I of Spain and V of the Holy Roman Empire decisively defeated the Lutheran Schmalkaldic League of...
.
To settle the enormous debts of the Counts of Mansfeld, their mighty neighbour Elector Augustus of Saxony
Augustus, Elector of Saxony
Augustus was Elector of Saxony from 1553 to 1586.-First years:Augustus was born in Freiberg, the youngest child and third son of Henry IV, Duke of Saxony, and Catherine of Mecklenburg. He consequently belonged to the Albertine branch of the Wettin family...
urged Emperor Maximilian II
Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian II was king of Bohemia and king of the Romans from 1562, king of Hungary and Croatia from 1563, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1564 until his death...
to appoint a committee. On 15 March 1574, and again on 5 July 1574, in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
and Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
, respectively, the surviving counts Hans Hoyer, Hans Georg, Hans Albrecht and Bruno concluded an agreement for the repayment of debts incurred by Counts Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort, Hans Ernst and Bruno von Mansfeld. The family's assets were confiscated in 1579, whereafter Imperial immediacy was lost.
The Mittelort and Hinterort branches died out in 1602 and 1666. The male Mansfeld-Vorderort line finally became extinct in 1780 with the death of Josef Wenzel Nepomuk, Prince of Fondi
Fondi
Fondi is a city and comune in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy, halfway between Rome and Naples. Before the construction of the highway between the latter cities in the late 1950s, Fondi had been an important settlement on the Roman Via Appia, which was the main connection from Rome to...
in Italy, and their fiefs fell back to the Electorate of Saxony
Electorate of Saxony
The Electorate of Saxony , sometimes referred to as Upper Saxony, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was established when Emperor Charles IV raised the Ascanian duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg to the status of an Electorate by the Golden Bull of 1356...
and the Prussian Duchy of Magdeburg
Duchy of Magdeburg
The Duchy of Magdeburg was a province of Brandenburg-Prussia from 1680 to 1701 and a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1701 to 1807. It replaced the Archbishopric of Magdeburg after its secularization by Brandenburg. The duchy's capitals were Magdeburg and Halle, while Burg was another...
. Josef Wenzel's half-sister and heiress Maria Isabella was only able to retain the Bohemian
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
possessions. In 1771 she had married Prince Franz de Paula Gundaker von Colloredo (1731-1807), last Vice Chancellor of the 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...
from 1789, thereby establishing the House of Colloredo-Mansfeld, which claimed the family's sovereignty after the German Mediatisation
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....
.
Notable family members
- Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort (1517–1604), military commander in Spanish HabsburgHabsburg SpainHabsburg Spain refers to the history of Spain over the 16th and 17th centuries , when Spain was ruled by the major branch of the Habsburg dynasty...
service, governor of the Spanish NetherlandsSouthern NetherlandsSouthern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and annexed by France... - Gebhard I von Mansfeld-VorderortGebhard I von Mansfeld-VorderortJohann Gebhard von Mansfeld-Vorderort, born circa 1525-30, was Archbishop-Elector of Cologne. He died in Frankfurt on 2 November 1562.-Career:Both Gebhard and his older brother were founding members of the Schmalkaldic League...
(c. 1525–1562), his brother, Prince-electorPrince-electorThe Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
and Archbishop of Cologne from 1558 - Karl von MansfeldKarl von MansfeldKarl von Mansfeld was a German general during the Cologne War and the Ottoman-Habsburg wars.Von Mansfeld was the son of Count Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort, born in present day Luxembourg, and was educated in France. He entered the military of Philip II of Spain, and was appointed a general...
(1543–1595), legitimate son of Peter Ernst I, general during the Cologne WarCologne WarThe Cologne War devastated the Electorate of Cologne, a historical ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire, present-day North-Rhine-Westphalia, in Germany...
and the Ottoman-Habsburg WarsOttoman-Habsburg warsThe Ottoman–Habsburg wars refers to the military conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Habsburg dynasties of the Austrian Empire, Habsburg Spain and in certain times, the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary. The war would be dominated by land campaigns in Hungary and present day... - Ernst von MansfeldErnst von MansfeldErnst, Graf von Mansfeld , was a German military commander during the early years of the Thirty Years' War.-Biography:...
(c.1580–1626), natural son of Peter Ernst I, military commander of the Protestant UnionProtestant UnionThe Protestant Union or Evangelical Union was a coalition of Protestant German states that was formed in 1608 to defend the rights, lands and person of each member....
during the early years of the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' WarThe 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.... - Philipp von MansfeldPhilipp von Mansfeldthumb|250px|Philipp von MansfeldPhilipp von Mansfeld , was Graf von Mansfeld, Vorderort and Bornstedt who commanded troops during the Thirty Years' War. He first fought on the side of the Swedish Empire under his second-cousin, was captured, changed allegiance and raised a navy for General...
(1589-1657), second-cousin of Ernst, commanded at first SwedishSwedish EmpireThe Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
troops during the Thirty Years' War, from 1633 as Field Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire. - Agnes von Mansfeld-EislebenAgnes von Mansfeld-EislebenAgnes von Mansfeld-Eisleben was Countess of Mansfeld and the daughter of Johann Georg I, of Mansfeld Eisleben. She converted Gebhard, Seneschal of Waldburg, the Prince-Elector of Electorate of Cologne and archbishop of the Diocese of Cologne to the Protestant faith, leading to the Cologne War...
(1551-1637), wife of the Cologne Prince-Archbishop Gebhard Truchsess von WaldburgGebhard Truchsess von WaldburgGebhard Truchsess von Waldburg was Archbishop-Elector of Cologne. After pursuing an ecclesiastical career, he won a close election in the Cathedral chapter of Cologne over Ernst of Bavaria. After his election, he fell in love with and later married Agnes von Mansfeld-Eisleben, a Protestant...
Possessions
- Mansfeld CastleMansfeld CastleMansfeld Castle is a castle in the Mansfelder Land of Saxony, Germany. The castle, which is surrounded by forest, stands on top of a large boulder overlooking the town of Mansfeld. The Late Gothic church of the castle, as well as the ruins, moats and the remains of the battlements from the time of...
, ancestral seat - SeeburgSeeburg, Saxony-AnhaltSeeburg is a village and a former municipality in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Seegebiet Mansfelder Land....
- HeldrungenHeldrungenHeldrungen is a town in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, Thuringia, Germany.Nearby rivers are the Unstrut and the Wipper.It is known for its fortification with two water ditches, four vauban bastions and five rondells. In the center of the fortification is a renaissance castle, which was built within...
in Thuringia, purchased in 1479 - AllstedtAllstedtAllstedt is a town the district of Mansfeld-Südharz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approximatively 10 km southeast of Sangerhausen.- References :...
, former Saxon KaiserpfalzKaiserpfalzThe term Kaiserpfalz or Königspfalz refers to a number of castles across the Holy Roman Empire which served as temporary, secondary seats of power for the Holy Roman Emperor in the Early and High Middle Ages...
, acquired by Count Albert VII of Mansfeld in 1526 - La Fontaine CastleLa Fontaine CastleLa Fontaine Castle is the name of a former castle which was located in Clausen, Luxembourg. The sumptuous building was the residence of Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort, governor of Luxembourg, who began its construction in 1563 and continued to extend it until his death in 1604. For this...
, Luxembourg-Clausen, built at the behest of Count Peter Ernst I of Mansfeld from 1563 - DobříšDobríšDobříš is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic with about 8,600 inhabitants the second largest town in Příbram District, located south of Prague. It is part of the Prague metropolitan area....
, Bohemia, acquired in 1630