House of Nassau

This article is about the European aristocratic dynasty. For the former state ruled by this dynasty, the Countship and later Duchy of Nassau, see Nassau (state). For other uses, see Nassau (disambiguation).

Arms of Nassau: Azure billetty or, a lion rampant of the last armed and langued gules

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 "Princely Counts" (in German: gefürstete Grafen, i.e. Counts who are granted all legal and aristocratic privileges of a Prince).

At the end of the Holy Roman Empire and the Napoleonic Wars, they proclaimed themselves with the permission of the Congress of Vienna "Dukes of Nassau", forming the independent state Nassau (capital city: Wiesbaden), a territory which is at present mainly part of the German Federal State of Hesse (Hessen), and partially of the neighbouring State of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz).

The Duchy was annexed in 1866 after the Austrian-Prussian War as an ally of Austria by Prussia. It was subsequently incorporated into the newly created Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau.

Today the term Nassau is used in Germany as a name for a geographical, historical and cultural region, but has no longer any political meaning.

All Dutch and Luxembourgish monarchs since 1815 were senior members of the House of Nassau. However, in 1890 (for the Netherlands), respectively in 1912 (for Luxembourg), the male line of heirs to the two thrones became extinct, so that since then they descended in the female line from the House of Nassau.

According to German tradition, the family name is passed on only in the male line of succession. The House would be therefore, from this (German) perspective, extinct since 1985. However, both Dutch and Luxembourgish monarchic traditions, constitutional rules and legislation in that matter differ from the German one, and thus both countries do not consider the House extinct.

The Grand Duke of Luxembourg uses "Duke of Nassau" as his secondary title and a title of pretense to the dignity of Chief of the House of Nassau (being the most senior member of the eldest branch of the House), but not to lay any territorial claims to the former Duchy of Nassau (which is now part of the Federal Republic of Germany).

Origins

Count Dudo-Henry of Laurenburg (ca. 1060 – ca. 1123) is considered the founder of the House of Nassau. He is first mentioned in the purported founding-charter of Maria Laach Abbey in 1093 (although many historians consider the document to be fabricated). The Castle Laurenburg, located a few kms upriver from Nassau on the Lahn, was the seat of his lordship. His family probably descended from the Lords of Lipporn. In 1159, Nassau Castle became the ruling seat, and the house is now named after this castle.

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  Laurenburg Castle

• Aerial fg071.jpg

  Nassau Castle

The Counts of Laurenburg and Nassau expanded their authority under the brothers Robert (Ruprecht) I (1123–1154) and Arnold I of Laurenburg (1123–1148). Robert was the first person to call himself Count of Nassau, but the title was not confirmed until 1159, five years after Robert's death. Robert's son Walram I (1154–1198) was the first person to be legally titled Count of Nassau.

The chronology of the Counts of Laurenburg is not certain and the link between Robert I and Walram I is especially controversial. Also, some sources consider Gerhard, listed as co-Count of Laurenburg in 1148, to be the son of Robert I's brother, Arnold I. However, Erich Brandenburg in his Die Nachkommen Karls des Großen states that it is most likely that Gerhard was Robert I's son, because Gerard was the name of Beatrix of Limburg's maternal grandfather.

Counts of Laurenburg (ca. 1093–1159)

• ca. 1060 – ca. 1123: Dudo-Henry
• 1123–1154: Robert (Ruprecht) I - son of Dudo-Henry
• 1123–1148: Arnold I - son of Dudo-Henry
• 1148: Gerhard - son (probably) of Robert I
• 1151–1154: Arnold II - son of Robert I
• 1154–1159: Robert II - son of Robert I

Counts of Nassau (1159–1255)

• 1154–1198: Walram I - son of Robert I
• 1158–1167: Henry (Heinrich) I - son of Arnold I, died in Rome during the August 1167 epidemic (after the Battle of Monte Porzio)
• 1160–1191: Robert III, the Bellicose - son of Arnold I
• 1198–1247: Henry II, the Rich - son of Walram I
• 1198–1230: Robert IV - son of Walram I; from 1230–1240: Knight of the Teutonic Order
• 1247–1255: Otto I; from 1255–1289: Count of Nassau in Dillenburg, Hadamar, Siegen, Herborn and Beilstein
• 1249–1255: Walram II; from 1255–1276: Count of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, and Weilburg

In 1255, Henry II's sons, Walram II and Otto I, split the Nassau possessions. The descendants of Walram became known as the Walram Line, which became important in the Countship of Nassau and Luxembourg. The descendants of Otto became known as the Ottonian Line, which would inherit parts of Nassau, France and the Netherlands. Both lines would often themselves be divided over the next few centuries. In 1783, the heads of various branches of the House of Nassau sealed the Nassau Family Pact (Erbverein) to regulate future succession in their states.

The Walram Line (1255–1985)

Arms and crest of the Walram line

Counts of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, and Weilburg (1255–1344)

• 1255–1276: Walram II
• 1276–1298: Adolf of Nassau, crowned King of Germany in 1292
• 1298–1304: Robert VI of Nassau
• 1298–1324: Walram III, Count of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, and Weilnau
• 1298–1344: Gerlach I, Count of Nassau in Wiesbaden, Idstein, Weilburg, and Weilnau

After Gerlach's death, the possessions of the Walram line were divided into Nassau-Weilburg and Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein.

Nassau-Weilburg (1344–1816)

Main article: House of Nassau-Weilburg

Flag of Nassau-Weilburg

Count Walram II began the Countship of Nassau-Weilburg, which existed to 1816. The sovereigns of this house afterwards ruled the Duchy of Nassau until 1866 and from 1890 the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The branch of Nassau-Weilburg ultimately became rulers of Luxembourg. The Walram line received the lordship of Merenberg in 1328 and Saarbrücken (by marriage) in 1353.

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  Weilburg

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  Weilburg Castle

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  East wing of the castle

Counts of Nassau-Weilburg (1344–1688)

• 1344–1371: John I
  

  Map of Nassau-Weilburg as of 1789
• 1371–1429: Philipp I of Nassau-Weilburg, and (from 1381) Count of Saarbrücken
• 1429–1492: Philip II
• 1492–1523: Louis I
• 1523–1559: Philip III
• 1559–1593: Albert
• 1559–1602: Philip IV
• 1593–1625: Louis II, Count of Nassau-Weilburg and in Ottweiler, Saarbrücken, Wiesbaden, and Idstein
• 1625–1629: William Louis, John IV and Ernest Casimir
• 1629–1655: Ernest Casimir
• 1655–1675: Frederick
• 1675–1688: John Ernst

Princely counts of Nassau-Weilburg (1688–1816)

• 1688–1719: John Ernst
• 1719–1753: Charles August
• 1753–1788: Charles Christian
• 1788–1816: Frederick William
• 1816: Wilhelm, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg and Duke of Nassau — Nassau-Weilburg merged into Duchy of Nassau

Dukes of Nassau (1816–1866)

• 1816–1839: Wilhelm
• 1839–1866: Adolf

In 1866, Prussia annexed the Duchy of Nassau as the duke had been an ally of Austria in the Second Austro-Prussian War. In 1890, Duke Adolf would become Grand Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg.

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  Biebrich Palace

Grand Dukes of Luxembourg (from the House of Nassau-Weilburg) - 1890–1912 and succession through a female onwards

Main article: Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg

• 1890–1905: Adolphe
• 1905–1912: William IV
• 1912–1919: Marie-Adélaïde
• 1919–1964: Charlotte
• 1964–2000: Jean
• 2000–present: Henri

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  Grand Ducal Palace, Luxembourg

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  Berg Castle, Luxembourg

From a morganatic marriage, contracted in 1868, descends a family, see Count of Merenberg, which in 1907 was declared non-dynastic. Had they not been excluded from the succession, they would have inherited the headship of the house in 1912.

Counts of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein (1344–1728)

• 1344–1370: Adolph I
• 1370–after 1386: Gerlach II, Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden
• 1370–1393: Walram IV, Count of Nassau-Idstein; inherited Wiesbaden when Gerlach II died
• 1393–1426: Adolph II
• 1426–1480: John II
• 1480–1509: Philip, Count of Nassau-Idstein
• 1480–1511: Adolf III, Count of Nassau-Wiesbaden; inherited Idstein in 1509
• 1511–1558: Philip I
• 1558–1566: Philip II
• 1566–1568: Balthasar
• 1568–1596: John Louis I
• 1596–1599: John Philip, jointly with his brother John Louis II
• 1596–1605: John Louis II
• 1605–1627: Louis II
• 1627–1629: William Louis
• 1629–1677: John, Count of Nassau-Idstein, and (from 1651) in Wiesbaden, Sonnenberg, Wehen, Burg-Schwalbach and Lahr
• 1677–1721: George August Samuel (1688–1721)
• 1721–1723: Charles Louis
• 1723–1728: Frederick Louis, Count of Nassau-Ottweiler (1680–1728), and in Rixingen (1703–28), and Idstein (1721–1728), and in Wiesbaden, etc. (1723–28)

After Frederick Louis's death, Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein fell to Charles, Prince of Nassau-Usingen

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  Wiesbaden City Palace

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  Idstein Castle

Counts of Nassau-Saarbrücken (1429–1797)

Main article: Nassau-Saarbrücken

• 1429–1472: John II
• 1472–1545: John Louis I
• 1545–1554: Philip II
• 1554–1574: John III
• 1574–1602: Philip IV, as Philip III of Nassau-Saarbrücken
• 1602–1625: Louis II, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken and Ottweiler
• 1629–1640: William Louis, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken and Ottweiler
• 1640–1642: Crato
• 1642–1659: John Louis II, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken and (1659–80) in Ottweiler, Jungenheim, and Wöllstein
• 1659–1677: Gustav Adolph
• 1677–1713: Louis Crato
• 1713–1723: Charles Louis
• 1723–1728: Frederick Louis
• 1728–1735: Charles
• 1735–1768: William Henry, first Prince of Nassau-Saarbrücken
• 1768–1794: Louis
• 1794–1797: Henry Louis

After Henry Louis's death, Nassau-Saarbrücken fell to Charles William, Prince of Nassau-Usingen

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  Saarbrücken Castle

Princes of Nassau-Usingen (1659–1816)

• 1659–1702: Walrad, elevated to Prince
• 1702–1718: William Henry
• 1718–1775: Charles
• 1775–1803: Charles William
• 1803–1816: Frederick Augustus

In 1816, Nassau-Usingen merged with Nassau-Weilburg to form the Duchy of Nassau. See "Dukes of Nassau" above. The princely titles continued to be used, however, evidenced by the carrying of the title Prince of Nassau-Weilburg by the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Following Frederick Augustus' death, the princely title was adopted (in pretense) by his half brother through an unequal marriage, Karl Philip. As head of the House in 1907, Wilhelm IV declared the Count of Merenberg non-dynastic; by extension, this would indicate that (according to Luxembourgish laws regarding the House of Nassau) this branch would assume the Salic headship of the house in 1965, following the death of the last male Count of Merenberg.

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  Usingen Castle

The Ottonian Line

Arms and crest of the Ottonian line (since the 13th century)

• 1255–1290: Otto I, Count of Nassau in Siegen, Dillenburg, Beilstein, and Ginsberg
• 1290–1303: Joint rule by Henry, John and Emicho I, sons of Otto I

In 1303, Otto's sons divided the possessions of the Ottonian line. Henry received Nassau-Siegen, John received Nassau-Dillenburg and Emicho I received Nassau-Hadamar. After John's death. Nassau-Dillenburg fell to Henry.

Counts of Nassau-Dillenburg

• 1303–1328: John in Dillenburg, Beilstein and Herborn, and (from 1320) in Katzenelnbogen
• 1328–1343: Henry, from 1303 in Siegen, Ginsberg, Haiger, and the Westerwald, and from 1328 in Dillenburg, Herborn, and Beilstein
• 1343–1350: Otto II
• 1350–1416: John I
• Tetrarchy
  • 1416–1420: Adolf
  • 1420–1429: John III
  • 1420–1442: Engelbert I
  • 1420–1443: John II
• 1442–1451: Henry II
• 1448–1475: John IV
• 1475–1504: Engelbert II
• 1504–1516: John V
• 1516–1538: Henry III
• 1538–1559: William I
• 1559–1606: John VI
• 1606–1620: William Louis
• 1620–1623: George
• 1623–1662: Louis Henry, Prince of Nassau-Dillenburg from 1654
• 1662–1701: Henry
• 1701–1724: William II
• 1724–1739: Christian

In 1739, Nassau-Dillenburg fell to Nassau-Dietz, a.k.a. Orange-Nassau.

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  Dillenburg Castle

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  Herborn Castle

Counts of Nassau-Beilstein

In 1343, Nassau-Beilstein was split off from Nassau-Dillenburg.

• 1343–1388: Henry I
• 1388–1410: Henry II, jointly with his brother Reinhard
• 1388–1412: Reinhard
• 1412–1473: John I, jointly with his brother Henry III
• 1412–1477: Henry III
• 1473–1499: Henry IV
• 1499–1513: John II
• 1513–1561: John III, jointly with his brother Henry V
• 1513–1525: Henry V

After John III's death, Nassau-Beilstein fell back to Nassau-Dillenburg. It was split off again in 1607 for George, who inherited the rest of Nassau-Dillenburg in 1620.

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  Beilstein Castle

Counts and Princes of Nassau-Hadamar

• 1303–1334: Emicho I, Count in Driedorf, Esterau, and Hadamar, married Anna of Nuremberg
• 1334–1364: John, married Elisabeth of Waldeck
• ?-1412: Elisabeth, daughter of John, Countess of Nassau-Hadamar
• 1334–1359: Emicho II, son of Emicho I, married Anna of Dietz
• 1364–1369: Henry, son of John, Count of Nassau-Hadamar
• 1369–1394: Emicho III, son of John

After Emicho III's death, Nassau-Hadamar fell back to Nassau-Dillenburg.

In 1620, the younger line of Nassau-Hadamar was split off from Nassau-Dillenburg

• 1620–1653: John Louis, son of John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg, Prince from 1650
• 1653–1679: Maurice Henry, son of John Louis
• 1679–1711: Francis Alexander, son of Maurice Henry

In 1711, Nassau-Hadamar was divided between Nassau-Dietz, Nassau-Dillenburg, and Nassau-Siegen.

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  Hadamar Castle

Nassau-Siegen

Main article: House of Nassau-Siegen

The branch of Nassau-Siegen was a collateral line of the House of Nassau, and ruled in Siegen. The first Count of Nassau in Siegen was Count Henry, Count of Nassau in Siegen (d. 1343), the elder son of Count Otto I of Nassau. His son Count Otto II of Nassau ruled also in Dillenburg.

• 1303–1343: Henry, Count of Nassau in Siegen, Ginsberg, Haiger, and the Westerwald, and (1328–1343) in Dillenburg, Herborn, and Beilstein

In 1328, John of Nassau-Dillenburg died unmarried and childless, and Dillenburg fell to Henry of Nassau-Siegen. For counts of Nassau-Siegen in between 1343 and 1606, see "Counts of Nassau-Dillenburg" above.

In 1606 the younger line of Nassau-Siegen was split off from the House of Nassau-Dillenburg. After the main line of the House became extinct in 1734, Emperor Charles VI transferred the county to the House of Orange-Nassau.

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  Siegen, Upper Castle

Counts and Princes of Nassau-Siegen

Gozdzki - de Nassau Palace in Warsaw that belonged to wealthy Karolina Gozdzka (1747–1807) and her husband Charles Henry de Nassau-Siegen (1745–1808).

• 1606–1623 John I
• 1623–1638 John II
• 1638–1674 George Frederick
• 1674–1679 John Maurice
• 1679–1691 William Maurice
• 1691–1699 John Francis Desideratus
• 1699–1707 William Hyacinth
• 1707–1722 Frederick William Adolf
• 1722–1734 Frederick William II

In 1734, Nassau-Siegen fell to Nassau-Dietz, a.k.a. Orange-Nassau.

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  Siegen, Lower Castle

Counts and Princes of Nassau-Dietz

Princes of the House of Nassau-Dietz from the Stadhouderlijk Hof of Paleis in Leeuwaarden, H.Prince of Nassau, Henry Casimir, Prince of Nassau, George, Prince of Nassau, and Willem Frederick, Prince of Nassau-Dietz

• 1606–1632: Ernst Casimir
• 1632–1640: Henry Casimir I
• 1640–1664: William Frederick, Prince from 1650
• 1664–1696: Henry Casimir II of Nassau-Dietz, Prince of Nassau-Dietz
• 1696–1711: John William Friso, Prince of Nassau-Dietz (after 1702 also Prince of Orange)

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  Diez Castle

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  Oranienstein Castle, Diez

Orange-Nassau

Main article: House of Orange-Nassau

The House of Orange-Nassau stems from the Ottonian Line. The connection was via Engelbert I, who offered his services to the Duke of Burgundy, married a Dutch noblewoman and inherited lands in the Netherlands, with the barony of Breda as the core of his Dutch possessions.

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  Breda Castle

William I. "the Silent" (1545–1584), founder of the Netherlands, statue at Wiesbaden

The importance of the Nassaus grew throughout the 15th and 16th century. Henry III of Nassau-Breda was appointed stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht by Emperor Charles V in the beginning of the 16th century. Henry was succeeded by his son, René of Châlon-Orange in 1538, who was, as can be inferred from his name, a Prince of Orange. When René died prematurely on the battlefield in 1544 his possessions and the princely title passed to his cousin, William the Silent, a Count of Nassau-Dillenburg. By dropping the suffix name "Dillenburg" (of the Orange-Nassau-Dillenburg), from then on the family members called themselves "Orange-Nassau."

With the death of William III, the legitimate direct male line of William the Silent became extinct and thereby the first House of Orange-Nassau. John William Friso, the senior agnatic descendant of William the Silent's brother and a cognatic descendant of Frederick Henry, grandfather of William III, inherited the princely title and all the possessions in the low countries and Germany, but not the Principality of Orange itself. The Principality was ceded to France under the Treaty of Utrecht that ended the wars with King Louis XIV. John William Friso, who also was the Prince of Nassau-Dietz, founded thereby the second House of Orange-Nassau (the suffix name "Dietz" was dropped of the combined name Orange-Nassau-Dietz).

After the post-Napoleonic reorganization of Europe, the head of House of Orange-Nassau gained the title "King/Queen of the Netherlands".

Princes of Orange

House of Orange-Nassau(-Dillenburg), first creation

• 1544–1584: William I, also Count of Katzenelnbogen, Vianden, Dietz, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
• 1584–1618: Philip William, also Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
• 1618–1625: Maurice, also Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
• 1625–1647: Frederick Henry, also Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
• 1647–1650: William II, also Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
• 1650–1702: William III, also Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam, Lord of IJsselstein and (from 1689) King of England, Scotland, and Ireland

In 1702, the Orange-Nassau-Dillenburg line died out and its possessions fell to the Nassau-Dietz line.

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  Vianden Castle, Luxembourg

House of Orange-Nassau(-Dietz), second creation

• 1702–1711: John William Friso, also Prince of Nassau-Dietz, Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
• 1711–1751: William IV, also Prince of Nassau-Dietz, Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
• 1751–1806: William V, also Prince of Nassau-Dietz, Count of Vianden, Buren and Leerdam and Lord of IJsselstein
• 1806–1815: William VI, also Prince of Fulda and Count of Corvey, Weingarten and Dortmund; in 1815 became King William I of the Netherlands

Royal Coat of Arms of the Netherlands

Kings and Queens of the Netherlands (from the House of Orange-Nassau-Dietz)

• 1815–1840: William I, also Duke and Grand Duke of Luxemburg and Duke of Limburg
• 1840–1849: William II, also Grand Duke of Luxemburg and Duke of Limburg
• 1849–1890: William III, also Grand Duke of Luxemburg and Duke of Limburg
• 1890–1948: Wilhelmina

Following German laws, the House of Orange-Nassau(-Dietz) has been extinct since the death of Wilhelmina (1962). Dutch laws and the Dutch nation do not consider it extinct.

• 1948–1980: Juliana
• 1980–2013: Beatrix
• 2013-present: Willem-Alexander

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  Royal Palace of Amsterdam

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  Noordeinde Palace, Den Haag

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  Huis ten Bosch, Den Haag

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  Het Loo Palace

Family Tree

The following family tree is compiled from Wikipedia and the reference cited in the note

House of Orange and Nassau

A summary family tree of the House of Orange-Nassau from the joining of the house of Nassau-Breda/Dillenburg and the House of Châlon-Arlay-Orange to the end of the Dutch Republic is shown below. The family spawned many famous statesmen and generals, including two of the acknowledged "first captains of their age", Maurice of Nassau and the Marshal de Turenne.

House of Nassau-Weilburg

Complied from Wikipedia and:

See also

• Kings of Germany family tree

Sources

• Genealogy of the Middle Ages - House of Nassau
• Nassau-info.de

External links

• Archives of the House of Nassau