Walram II, Count of Nassau

Walram II of Nassau (ca. 1220-1276) was Count of Nassau between ca. 1249 and 1276.

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. Sometime between 1249 and 1251, Walram began to share the reign as Co-Count of Nassau.

Because of continuing disputes with Otto, Walram II divided the inheritance with him on December 17, 1255, beginning a centuries-long political and geographical separation between the two lines of the House of Nassau. The present-day Grand Dukes of Luxemburg are descended from Walram. Walram received all of his father's lands south the Lahn River including Wiesbaden, Idstein, Weilburg and Sonnenberg.

Walram was chief cavalry officer and a secret advisor of Rudolph I, King of Germany.

Walram lost several towns, including Nieder-Lahnstein, Pfaffenhofen and Vallendar to the Archbishop of Trier. He also continued the Dernbacher Feud against Hesse. He died on January 24, 1276), allegedly in mental derangement.

Family and children

Walram was married before 1250 to Adelheid of Katzenelnbogen (died February 22, 1288 in Mainz), daughter of Count Diether IV of Katzenelnbogen. The union produced the following children:

1. Matilda, died young.
2. Imagina (died before 1276), may have married Frederick of Lichtenberg.
3. Diether (died November 23, 1307), Archbishop and Elector of Trier, 1300-1307.
4. Adolf (ca. 1255-1298), King of Germany from 1292 until 1298.
5. Robert (died ca. 1305)
6. Walram (died ca. 1324)
7. Richardis (died July 28, 1311), a nun in Klarenthal Abbey and Mainz.

Preceded by Henry II

Count of Nassau 1249-1276

Succeeded by Adolf

Sources

• . Table 60.

External links

• Genealogies of the Middle Ages

This article is based on translations of the corresponding articles from the German and Dutch Wikipedia.