Limburg-Hohenlimburg was a county in Germany in the Middle Ages. It was created as a partition of Limburg-Isenberg by Diederck I of Isenberg, who called himself in 1246 Diederick I van Limburg. Diederik had three sons, Hendrik, Johan and Everhard. The eldest, Hendrik, died young around 1248. Brother Johan died before May 1277. Everhard died before May 28, 1308, aged 55. During their lifetime, both deceased brothers were not known by charter as Count of Limburg. In the kept original charters of January 28, 1287 and May 20, 1296, just Everhard appears as a count together with his father Diederik. Theodericus comes senior de Lymburg & Everhardus comes de Lymburg appear as heir in the line, with the edge lettering of his seal COMITIS EV(erhar)DI LIMBURGE(nsis) On coins of his descendants THEODERI-COMES. Diederik I's patrimony was guaranteed in 1296 by son Everhard I and grandson Diederik III(II). Who was 20 years old at the time and had earned his spurs. Everhard had continued more than 30 years, the struggle with his father for the conquest of former Isenberger family property he was in 1301 the 'nearest in the bloodline', and succeeded his father.

Two houses of Limburg

Other grandsons, Diederik II lord of Stirum and brother Frederik canon in Cologne, were not short of anything. Were, not hear of the line but as descendants, richly endowed with allodial estates, Stirum castle and associated lordship. Granddaughter Mechteld of Limburg Stirum married to Lord Egbert I of Almelo. There was no straight fief and primogeniture, but a well-considered balance between the then legitimate inheritance rights of his three grandsons and two granddaughters. The house of Limburg since then was divided in the house Counts of Limburg-Hohenlimburg, later on the house of Limburg Hohenlimburg and Lordship of Broich and the house of Limburg-Styrum, still exists today. Limburg-Hohenlimburg passed to the Daun-Falkenstein in 1511, then Neuenahr-Alpen in 1542. Limburg-Hohenlimburg became a possession of the counts of Bentheim at the end of the 16th century, who kept it until it was mediatized to the Grand Duchy of Berg in 1808. The prince of Bentheim-Tecklenburg still owns the fortress of Hohenlimburg.

Counts of Limburg

Literature

Sources