Otto I of Nassau
Encyclopedia
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 possessions north to the Lahn
. And thus began the geographical and political separation of the House of Nassau
. He became the founder of the Ottonian line of the house. He stood against the local aristocracy, particularly the counts of Greifenstein
and of Dernbach
and was for many years banished, since he withheld lands of Teutonic Knights
, which his uncle had left to him. His opponents were among other the archbishops of Cologne
and Trier
, who presented the territorial claims. He lost also the lordships in Emsland
and Koblenz
.
Also he had illegitimate son Heinrich, who was a monk in Arnstein
and a priest in Nassau.
Henry II of Nassau
Henry II the Rich was Count of Nassau between 1198 and 1247. Among his descendants are the present-day rulers of both Luxembourg and the Netherlands.-Biography:...
and Matilda of Geldern.
Otto I became the count of Dillenburg
Dillenburg
Dillenburg is a town in Hesse's Gießen region in Germany. The town was formerly the seat of the old Dillkreis district, which is now part of the Lahn-Dill-Kreis....
, Hadamar
Hadamar
Hadamar is a small town in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany.Hadamar is known for its Clinic for Forensic Psychiatry/Centre for Social Psychiatry, lying at the edge of town, in whose outlying buildings is also found the Hadamar Memorial...
, Siegen
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
, Herborn
Herborn
Herborn is a historic town on the Dill in the Lahn-Dill district of Hesse in Germany. Before World War I, it was granted its own title as Nassauisches Rothenburg. The symbol or mascot of this town is a bear. Scenic attractions include its half-timbered houses; Herborn is located on the German...
and Beilstein
Beilstein
Beilstein may refer to:*places in Germany:**Beilstein, Württemberg, in Baden-Württemberg**Beilstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, in Rhineland-Palatinate**Beilstein, Hessen*a 2270-metre mountain of the Hochschwab Plateau, Northern Limestone Alps, Styria...
after many years of quarrel with his brother Count Walram II
Walram II of Nassau
-Biography:Walram was the elder son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Guelders. He was chief cavalry officer in the service of Emperor Rudolf I.In about 1247, Henry II abdicated, passing the reign to Walram's younger brother, Otto...
. In the division of 17 December 1255 he received possessions north to 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 ....
. And thus began the geographical and political separation of the House of Nassau
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled Count of Nassau, then elevated to the princely class as...
. He became the founder of the Ottonian line of the house. He stood against the local aristocracy, particularly the counts of Greifenstein
Greifenstein
Greifenstein is a community in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. Its administrative seat is Beilstein. Greifenstein covers 67.43 km² on the eastern slope of the Westerwald range...
and of Dernbach
Dernbach
-Places:Municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany:*Dernbach, Neuwied, in the district of Neuwied*Dernbach, Südliche Weinstraße, in the district Südliche Weinstraße*Dernbach, Westerwaldkreis, in the district Westerwaldkreis...
and was for many years banished, since he withheld lands of Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
, which his uncle had left to him. His opponents were among other the archbishops 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...
and Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, who presented the territorial claims. He lost also the lordships in Emsland
Emsland
Landkreis Emsland is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany named after the river Ems. It is bounded by the districts of Leer, Cloppenburg and Osnabrück, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia , the district of Bentheim and the Netherlands .- History :For a long time the region of the Emsland was...
and Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
.
Family and children
He married Agnes von Leiningen, daughter of Count Emich IV of Leiningen and had following children:- Henry, Count of Nassau in SiegenHenry, Count of Nassau in SiegenHenry, Count of Nassau Count of Nassau-Siegen, of Grimborg, Heiger, Westerwald, later of Molsberg, and after his brother's death of Dillenburg. He was a son of Count Otto I of Nassau and Agnes of Leiningen...
(d. 1343), Count in Nassau-Siegen, GinsbergGinsbergGinsberg, Ginsburg, Ginsburgh, Ginsparg, Ginzberg, Ginzborg, and Ginzburg are variants of the same surname.-Ginsberg:* Allen Ginsberg, Beat poet* Asher Hirsch Ginsberg , Zionist writer and philosopher...
, HaigerHaigerHaiger is a country town in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. The nearest city is Siegen, about 25 km north of Haiger.-Location:Haiger lies about 5 km west of Dillenburg, and 20 km southeast of Siegen on the eastern edge of the Westerwald range, near where the three states of...
and in WesterwaldWesterwaldThe Westerwald is a low mountain range on the right bank of the River Rhine in the German federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a part of the Rhine Massif...
since 1303, in Dillenburg, Herborn and Beilstein in 1328–43. - Emicho I of Nassau-Hadamar (d. 7 June 1334) in Driedrof, Estenau and Hadamar.
- John of Nassau-Dillenburg (d. 1328), Count in Beilstein and Herborn since 1303, in KatzenelnbogenKatzenelnbogenKatzenelnbogen is the name of a castle and small city in the district of Rhein-Lahn-Kreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Katzenelnbogen is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Katzenelnbogen.-History:...
since 1320. - Mechtild (d. 28 October 1319), married ca. 1289 tp Gerhard von Schönecken.
- Gertrud (d. 19 September 1359), Abbess of AltenbergAltenbergAltenberg is a German language place name and may refer to:Places in Germany:*Altenberg, Germany, a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany...
.
Also he had illegitimate son Heinrich, who was a monk in Arnstein
Arnstein
Arnstein is a town in the Main-Spessart district in the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany.- Location :...
and a priest in Nassau.