John I of Isenburg-Limburg
Encyclopedia
John I of Isenburg-Limburg, "The blind Lord" (died September 29, 1312) was from 1289 Count of (Isenburg-) Limburg
and the head of the House of Limburg. The core territory of the Lordship of Limburg consisted of the city of Limburg an der Lahn
and several surrounding villages.
In the City Chronicle of Limburg by Tilemann Elhen von Wolfhagen, written before 1402, John was referred to as the "Blind Lord." What is this name means, however, is unclear, because no sources refer to John being physically blind. Probably John had an eye disease in his old age and was thereby visually impaired.
, had founded the House of Limburg and sought to secure dynastic connections with neighboring noble families. John’s sister Imagina
was married with the Count, later King of Germany, Adolf of Nassau. His second sister Agnes was married to Henry of Westerburg, the brother of the Siegfried II of Westerburg
, the Archbishop of Cologne.
In 1288 John participated in the Battle of Worringen
on the side of Siegfried of Westerburg. After the death of his father in the Black Forest
on a military campaign of King Rudolph I of Habsburg
, John inherited Lordship of Limburg.
John maintained a particularly close relationship to his brother-in-law, Adolf of Nassau. He served as godparent
for Adolf's children. After Adolf’s election as king, John was a regular and active supporter and rose to become one of his advisors. He sealed the 1292 pledge of the imperial portion of the city of Limburg to the Archbishopric of Cologne. In the following years, he repeatedly sealed deeds of the king, and sealed the document as a witness for King Edward I of England
in his agreement with Adolf. John was delegated to arrange the marriage between Adolf’s son Robert of Nassau and Agnes, the daughter of the King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia. He was also involved in concluding of the marriage contract between Duke Rudolph I
of Upper Bavaria and Matilda (Mechtilde) of Nassau (King Adolf's daughter).
On July 2, 1298 John participated in the Battle of Göllheim
on the side of Adolf of Nassau. Nevertheless, after the battle, he was able to win the favor of Adolf’s opponent, the new King Albert I of Habsburg
. In 1303, Albert commissioned him to look for fiefs that had been wrongly taken from the empire and recover them.
The children of Otto I of Nassau
designated John to act as arbitrator in the division of Otto’s inheritance in 1308.
John also worked diligently in his town of Limburg. Near the beginning of his reign, after a great fire destroyed the entire city of Limburg on May 14, 1289, John led a successful reconstruction effort. Already by around 1300 the city had outgrown its walls. John was probably responsible for the construction of the bridge over the Lahn
at Limburg, the construction of the church of the Franciscan
Monastery, and the founding of the Wilhelmiten monastery. Even the construction of St. Peter's Chapel in Limburg Castle goes back to him.
John died on September 29, 1312. He was buried in the Franciscan church of Limburg. His grave stone is still preserved today.
). With her he probably had the following children:
His second marriage was to Uda of Ravensberg. This marriage probably accounted for the following children:
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:...
and the head of the House of Limburg. The core territory of the Lordship of Limburg consisted of the city 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 several surrounding villages.
In the City Chronicle of Limburg by Tilemann Elhen von Wolfhagen, written before 1402, John was referred to as the "Blind Lord." What is this name means, however, is unclear, because no sources refer to John being physically blind. Probably John had an eye disease in his old age and was thereby visually impaired.
Life
John’s father, Gerlach I of LimburgGerlach IV of Isenburg-Limburg
Gerlach IV of Isenburg-Limburg , also known as Gerlach I of Limburg, was from 1258 Count of Limburg, ruling over the town of Limburg an der Lahn and some villages in its hinterlands...
, had founded the House of Limburg and sought to secure dynastic connections with neighboring noble families. John’s sister Imagina
Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg
Imagina of Isenburg-Limburg was the Queen consort of Adolf of Nassau, King of Germany.-Life:Imagina was born in about 1255 to Gerlach I of Limburg and Imagina of Blieskastel. Her father, from the House of Limburg held power over Limburg an der Lahn...
was married with the Count, later King of Germany, Adolf of Nassau. His second sister Agnes was married to Henry of Westerburg, the brother of the Siegfried II of Westerburg
Siegfried II of Westerburg
Siegfried II of Westerburg was Archbishop of Cologne from 1275 to 1297.Siegfried was the second son of Siegfried IV, Count of Runkel in Westerburg...
, the Archbishop of Cologne.
In 1288 John participated in the Battle of Worringen
Battle of Worringen
The Battle of Worringen was fought on June 5, 1288, near the town of Worringen , which is now the northernmost borough of Cologne...
on the side of Siegfried of Westerburg. After the death of his father in the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
on a military campaign of King Rudolph I of Habsburg
Rudolph I of Germany
Rudolph I was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death. He played a vital role in raising the Habsburg dynasty to a leading position among the Imperial feudal dynasties...
, John inherited Lordship of Limburg.
John maintained a particularly close relationship to his brother-in-law, Adolf of Nassau. He served as godparent
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
for Adolf's children. After Adolf’s election as king, John was a regular and active supporter and rose to become one of his advisors. He sealed the 1292 pledge of the imperial portion of the city of Limburg to the Archbishopric of Cologne. In the following years, he repeatedly sealed deeds of the king, and sealed the document as a witness for King Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in his agreement with Adolf. John was delegated to arrange the marriage between Adolf’s son Robert of Nassau and Agnes, the daughter of the King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia. He was also involved in concluding of the marriage contract between Duke Rudolph I
Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria
Rudolf I of Bavaria , a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty, was Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine...
of Upper Bavaria and Matilda (Mechtilde) of Nassau (King Adolf's daughter).
On July 2, 1298 John participated in the Battle of Göllheim
Battle of Göllheim
The Battle of Göllheim was fought on 2 July 1298 between Albert I of Habsburg and Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg.After the death of Rudolph I at Germesheim on 15 July 1291, his son, Albert I seemed to be the inevitable successor to the throne of Holy Empire...
on the side of Adolf of Nassau. Nevertheless, after the battle, he was able to win the favor of Adolf’s opponent, the new King Albert I of Habsburg
Albert I of Germany
Albert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans and Duke of Austria, the eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and his first wife Gertrude of Hohenburg.-Life:...
. In 1303, Albert commissioned him to look for fiefs that had been wrongly taken from the empire and recover them.
The children of Otto I of Nassau
Otto I of Nassau
Otto I of Nassau , Count of Nassau was the younger son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Geldern. Otto I became the count of Dillenburg, Hadamar, Siegen, Herborn and Beilstein after many years of quarrel with his brother Count Walram II. In the division of 17 December 1255 he received...
designated John to act as arbitrator in the division of Otto’s inheritance in 1308.
John also worked diligently in his town of Limburg. Near the beginning of his reign, after a great fire destroyed the entire city of Limburg on May 14, 1289, John led a successful reconstruction effort. Already by around 1300 the city had outgrown its walls. John was probably responsible for the construction of the 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 ....
at Limburg, the construction of the 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, and the founding of the Wilhelmiten monastery. Even the construction of St. Peter's Chapel in Limburg Castle goes back to him.
John died on September 29, 1312. He was buried in the Franciscan church of Limburg. His grave stone is still preserved today.
Marriages and Children
John was married twice and it is unclear which children should be assigned to each marriage. His first marriage was to Elizabeth of Gerolseck (near StrasbourgStrasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
). With her he probably had the following children:
- Elizabeth (died after October 27, 1351); married first ca. 1303 to Baron Ulrich I of Bickenbach (now part of EngelskirchenEngelskirchenEngelskirchen is a municipality in Oberbergischer Kreis, Germany in North Rhine-Westphalia, about 40 kilometers east of Cologne. The neighbouring municipalities are Overath, Lindlar, Gummersbach, Wiehl and Much.-History:...
) (died 1339); remarried before June 24, 1340 to Count John II 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...
(died March 2, 1357) - Lisa; married before 1300 to Count Henry III of Solms-BraunfelsSolms-BraunfelsSolms-Braunfels was a County in what is today the federal Land of Hesse in Germany.Solms-Braunfels was a partition of Solms, and was raised to a Principality in 1742. Solms-Braunfels was partitioned between: itself and Solms-Ottenstein in 1325; itself and Solms-Lich in 1409; and itself,...
(died after February 22, 1314)
His second marriage was to Uda of Ravensberg. This marriage probably accounted for the following children:
- Gerlach IIGerlach V of Isenburg-LimburgGerlach V of Isenburg-Limburg , 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 Elder" - John, listed 1373/79
- Jutta, listed 1330/35; married Count Friedrich VI of Leiningen-Dagsburg (died 1342)
- Maria, abbessAbbessAn abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
of Altenberg Abbey in WetzlarWetzlarWetzlar is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. Located at 8° 30′ E, 50° 34′ N, Wetzlar straddles the river Lahn and is on the German Timber-Framework Road which passes mile upon mile of half-timbered houses. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis on the north edge of...
(1343-1349) - Imagina (died 1337/43); her first marriage was to Count Ulrich of Truhendingen (from present-day WassertrüdingenWassertrüdingenWassertrüdingen is a town in the district of Ansbach, Middle Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is between the Hesselberg, the only Franconian mountain with a view on the Alps, the wooded heights of the Oettinger Forest and the foothills of the Hahnenkamm. The Fränkisches Seenland recreation area is...
) before 1302; her second marriage was to Count Louis VIII of Oettingen before August 14, 1332.
External links
Preceded by: |
John I |
Succeeded by: |
|---|---|---|
| Gerlach IV Gerlach IV of Isenburg-Limburg Gerlach IV of Isenburg-Limburg , also known as Gerlach I of Limburg, was from 1258 Count of Limburg, ruling over the town of Limburg an der Lahn and some villages in its hinterlands... |
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:... 1289–1312 |
Gerlach V Gerlach V of Isenburg-Limburg Gerlach V of Isenburg-Limburg , 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... |