Lordship of Diepholz
The Lordship, later County, of Diepholz was a territory in the Holy Roman Empire in the Lower-Rhenish-Westphalian Circle.
The territory of the County stretched from Colnrade and Goldenstedt in the north to Wehdem, Dielingen en Lemförde in the south. The eastern border was marked by the Wietings Moor (near Barver) and the Neustädter Moor (near Wagenfeld). The western border was formed by the Dümmer See (lake) and the Hunte River. The distance from the northernmost point to the southernmost point of the county was about 47 kilometers whilst the distance from east to west was 22 kilometers at its widest point.[1][2] The territory of the county includes most of the modern municipalities of Altes Amt Lemförde, Barnstorf, Rehden, Diepholz und Wagenfeld. The former District County of Diepholz (Landkreis Grafschaft Diepholz) was named after the territory.
The origins of the Noble Lords of Diepholz
The dynasty of the Noble Lords of Diepholz can be traced back with certainty to the family of domina Gysela, heiress of Drebber, her brother Gottschalk (cited 1080/1088) and his son, Gottschalk, Bishop of Osnabruck (1110-1118). The family belonged to the Germanic Uradel (ancient nobility) and ruled as sovereign lords over their territories on the border between the districts (Gau) of Westphalia and Engern in the stem duchy of Saxony.[3] Their family name first appears in 1160, although a continuous genealogy only starts with Gottschalk I (cited 1177-1205).[4]
The title used by the Noble Lords (edler Herr) of Diepholz was identical to that of the Noble Lords of Lippe and underlined their credentials as sovereign territorial lords and as members of the ancient Saxon nobility.
The Sovereign Lordship of Diepholz in the Middle Ages
After the fall of Henry the Lion in the late twelfth century, smaller Saxon territories were able to expand their dominions and influence, and the Noble Lords of Diepholz extended its influence to the north and south from its initial core holdings around the town and castle of Diepholz. It's expansion was however constrained by the moors that surrounded it and by the ambitions of its more powerful neighbours, the Counts of Hoya and the Bishops of Minden. The territory itself was not particularly wealthy and the sovereign dynasty continuously struggled to cover the costs of its administration and of their lifestyle.[5]
The dynasty concluded marriages with the sovereigns of neighbouring territories such as the Counts of Oldenburg, Hoya and Rietberg, and in 1285 Noble Lord Rudolf II of Diepholz (†1303/04) married the daughter of the Swedish King Valdemar (†1302). In order to prevent a division of the territory's modest resources, younger sons tended to enter religious life as canons in neighbouring bishoprics such as Osnabrück, Minden, Bremen and Cologne, where some of them also ruled as bishops.[6][7]
From Lordship to County
In accordance with their sovereign status and their marital alliances with neighbouring sovereign counts, the Noble Lords of Diepholz started titling themselves as Counts of Diepholz during the course of the fifteenth century. Their comtal title only came to be formally recognised under Count Johann VI around 1531.[8] After the extinction of the main line of the Lords of Bronkhorst in 1553, the Counts of Diepholz also laid claim to that territory based on their descent from Heilwig of Bronkhorst, and subsequently titled themselves as Counts of Diepholz and Bronkhorst.[9]
The Reformation was introduced into the County of Diepholz by Friedrich I in 1528.[10]
The last count, Friedrich II, died in 1585. In the absence of legitimate male heirs the the county was absorbed by the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg.[11]
List of the Noble Lords and Counts of Diepholz
- from 1177: Gottschalk I
- ca 1160: Cono I (Konrad) and Wilhelm I
- from 1219: Rudolf I
- 1233–1265: Johann II, son of Cono III, married Hedwig of Roden, daughter of Hildebold II, Count of Roden and Limmer.
- 1265–1302: Konrad V, son of Johann II, married Hedwig of Rietberg, daughter of Friedrich I, Count of Rietberg.
- 1302–1350: Rudolf IV, son of Konrad V, married Jutta of Oldenburg, daughter of Otto II, Count of Oldenburg in Delmenhorst.
- 1350–1378: Konrad VII, son of Rudolf IV, married Armgard of Waldeck, daughter of Heinrich IV, Count of Waldeck.
- 1378–1422: Johann II, son of Konrad VII, married Kunigunde of Oldenburg, daughter of Konrad II, Count of Oldenburg in Oldenburg.
- 1422–1426: Konrad IX, son of Johann II, died in battle at Detern, married Irmgard of Hoya, daughter of Otto, Count of Hoya.
- 1426–1484: Otto IV, son of Konrad IX, married Heilwig van Bronkhorst, daughter of Otto, Lord of Bronkhorst.
- 1484–1510: Rudolf VIII, son of Otto IV, married Elisabeth of Lippe, daughter of Bernhard VII "Bellicosus", Noble Lord of Lippe.
- 1510-1514: Co-Lordship of the brothers Friedrich I, Johann VI and Konrad XII, sons of Rudolf VII; the brothers signed a treaty in 1514 allocating sole rule to Friedrich I.
- 1510-1529: Friedrich I (as sole Lord / Count), married Eva von Regenstein, daughter of Ulrich VIII, Count of Regenstein and Blankenburg.
- 1529–1545: Johann VI, brother of Friedrich I, his use of the title of Count of Diepholz was generally recognised from 1531 onwards, he seized the county after the death of his brother and ruled as sovereign count during his nephew's minority.
- 1545–1560: Rudolf IX, son of Friedrich I.
- 1575–1585: Friedrich II (1560–1575), son of Friedrich I.
Notable members of the Diepholz dynasty in religious life
- Princess-Abbesses of Essen
- 1561-1575: Irmgard
- Bishops of Minden
- 1236–1242: Wilhelm
- 1242–1253: Johann
- 1261–1266: Konrad
- Bishops of Osnabrück
- 1109–1119: Gottschalk
- 1424–1437: Johann
- 1454–1455: Rudolf
- 1455–1482: Konrad
- Bishops of Utrecht
- 1423–1455: Rudolf van Diepholt
Castles and Seats
- Auburg
- Diepholz
- Cornau
- Lembruch
- Lemförde
Literature
- Bach, Otto, Heimatgeschichte im Spiegel der Karte, Diepholz 1999.
- Gade, Heinrich, Historisch-geographisch-statistische Beschreibung der Grafschaften Hoya und Diepholz. Nienburg 1901.
- Giesen, Klaus, Die Münzen von Diepholz. Osnabrück 2001.
- Guttzeit, Emil Johannes, Geschichte der Stadt Diepholz, Diepholz 1982.
- Hucker, Berend Ulrich, „Genealogie und Wappen der Edelherren von Diepholz in 12. und 13. Jahrhundert“ in Norddeutsche Familienkunde, Jahrgang 1990, pp. 180-188.
- Kinghorst, Dr. Wilhelm, Die Graffschaft Diepholz zur Zeit ihres Überganges an das Haus Braunschweig-Lüneburg. Beiträge zur Geschichte der Graffschaft Diepholz in sechzehnten Jahrhundert, Diepholz 1912 (reprinted 1979).
- Moormeyer, Willy Die Grafschaft Diepholz. Göttingen 1938.
- Museum Nienburg: Die Grafschaften Bruchhausen, Diepholz, Hoya und Wölpe. Nienburg 2000.
- Rootenberg, Francesco Uys, Het geslacht Van Diepholt in het Sticht en Westfalen en hun verwwantschap aan de graven van Buren, Kaapstad 2015.
- ^ Bach, Otto, Heimatgeschichte im Spiegel der Karte, Diepholz 1999.
- ^ Rootenberg, Francesco Uys, Het geslacht Van Diepholt in het Sticht en Westfalen en hun verwwantschap aan de graven van Buren, Kaapstad 2015, p. 16.
- ^ Rootenberg, Francesco Uys, Het geslacht Van Diepholt in het Sticht en Westfalen en hun verwwantschap aan de graven van Buren, Kaapstad 2015, p. 6.
- ^ Berend Ulrich Hucker, „Genealogie und Wappen der Edelherren von Diepholz in 12. und 13. Jahrhundert“ in Norddeutsche Familienkunde, Jahrgang 1990, pp. 180-188.
- ^ Rootenberg, Francesco Uys, Het geslacht Van Diepholt in het Sticht en Westfalen en hun verwwantschap aan de graven van Buren, Kaapstad 2015, p. 16.
- ^ Emil Johannes Guttzeit, Geschichte der Stadt Diepholz, Diepholz 1982; p. 142-145.
- ^ Rootenberg, Francesco Uys, Het geslacht Van Diepholt in het Sticht en Westfalen en hun verwwantschap aan de graven van Buren, Kaapstad 2015, p. 6.
- ^ Rootenberg, Francesco Uys, Het geslacht Van Diepholt in het Sticht en Westfalen en hun verwwantschap aan de graven van Buren, Kaapstad 2015, p. 17.
- ^ Rootenberg, Francesco Uys, Het geslacht Van Diepholt in het Sticht en Westfalen en hun verwwantschap aan de graven van Buren, Kaapstad 2015, p. 17.
- ^ Kinghorst, Dr. Wilhelm, Die Graffschaft Diepholz zur Zeit ihres Überganges an das Haus Braunschweig-Lüneburg. Beiträge zur Geschichte der Graffschaft Diepholz in sechzehnten Jahrhundert, Diepholz 1912 (reprinted 1979).
- ^ Kinghorst, Dr. Wilhelm, Die Graffschaft Diepholz zur Zeit ihres Überganges an das Haus Braunschweig-Lüneburg. Beiträge zur Geschichte der Graffschaft Diepholz in sechzehnten Jahrhundert, Diepholz 1912 (reprinted 1979).