Individual Details
Count Gerlach von Nassau
( - 7 Jan 1361)
Gerlach was born about 1285, the younger son of Graf Adolf von Nassau, emperor-elect, and Gräfin Imagina von Limburg a.d.Lahn. From 1305 to 1344 Gerlach was Graf von Nassau of the Walram line, named after his grandfather Walram II, Graf von Nassau. Until 1361 he was Graf von Nassau-Sonnenberg.
On 24 December 1306 he married Agnes von Hessen, daughter of Heinrich von Hessen and Agnes of Bavaria. They had three sons and two daughters, of whom two sons and both daughters would have progeny. Agnes died in 1332, and about 1337 Gerlach married Irmengard von Hohenlohe-Weikersheim, daughter of Kraft II von Hohenlohe-Weikersheim and Adelheid Mechtild von Württemberg. Their two sons Kraft and Rupert did not have progeny.
In 1309 Gerlach was able to transport the body of his father to the Cathedral of Speyer. He was close to the house of Luxembourg and to Heinrich VII, and in 1312 he accompanied Heinrich to Italy for his coronation as emperor. In 1310 he had accompanied Heinrich's son Johann 'the Blind', king of Bohemia, to Prague. After Heinrich's death he supported Friedrich II 'der Schöne' of Austria, the emperor-elect, son of Duke Albrecht I of Austria, his father's former enemy. In 1318 he defended Wiesbaden against the siege by Ludwig 'der Bayer', for which he received his own coinage. Only in 1322, after the Battle of Mühldorf, did Gerlach recognise Friedrich's opponent Ludwig as King of the Germans. In the Bavarian Brothers' War he had supported Ludwig's brother Rudolf I, but had pressed hard for a peace treaty.
In 1322 he reconciled himself with Emperor Ludwig. In 1326 he became imperial governor of the Wetterau and acquired half of the county of Weilnau with its castle of Neuweilnau. In 1328 he acquired the estate of Merenberg, in 1336 he received Biebrich as an imperial fief, and in 1338 he was imperial envoy to the pope in Avignon.
In disputes he supported the electorates of Mainz and Trier and the counts of Katzenelnbogen. With the latter there was a blood tie (his grandmother was a sister of Diether V, Graf von Katzenelnbogen).
In 1338 Emperor Ludwig visited him at Burg Sonnenberg. In 1344 Gerlach abdicated in favour of his sons Adolf I and Johann, but remained lord of Sonnenberg. As a follower of Emperor Karl IV he appeared in his entourage. In 1351 his second wife Irmengard von Hohenlohe-Weikersheim petitioned Emperor Karl IV to grant town rights to Sonnenberg, which he did.
In 1355 the Walram line of the house of Nassau was split into Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein (for Gerlach's son Adolf I from his first marriage), and Nassau-Sonnenberg (for his son Kraft from his second marriage). When Kraft fell the following year at the Battle of Maupertuis, Gerlach's youngest son Rupert followed Kraft as Graf von Nassau-Sonnenberg. Gerlach died on 7 January 1361, and was buried at the Abbey of Klarenthal which had been founded by his father.
Source: Leo van de Pas
On 24 December 1306 he married Agnes von Hessen, daughter of Heinrich von Hessen and Agnes of Bavaria. They had three sons and two daughters, of whom two sons and both daughters would have progeny. Agnes died in 1332, and about 1337 Gerlach married Irmengard von Hohenlohe-Weikersheim, daughter of Kraft II von Hohenlohe-Weikersheim and Adelheid Mechtild von Württemberg. Their two sons Kraft and Rupert did not have progeny.
In 1309 Gerlach was able to transport the body of his father to the Cathedral of Speyer. He was close to the house of Luxembourg and to Heinrich VII, and in 1312 he accompanied Heinrich to Italy for his coronation as emperor. In 1310 he had accompanied Heinrich's son Johann 'the Blind', king of Bohemia, to Prague. After Heinrich's death he supported Friedrich II 'der Schöne' of Austria, the emperor-elect, son of Duke Albrecht I of Austria, his father's former enemy. In 1318 he defended Wiesbaden against the siege by Ludwig 'der Bayer', for which he received his own coinage. Only in 1322, after the Battle of Mühldorf, did Gerlach recognise Friedrich's opponent Ludwig as King of the Germans. In the Bavarian Brothers' War he had supported Ludwig's brother Rudolf I, but had pressed hard for a peace treaty.
In 1322 he reconciled himself with Emperor Ludwig. In 1326 he became imperial governor of the Wetterau and acquired half of the county of Weilnau with its castle of Neuweilnau. In 1328 he acquired the estate of Merenberg, in 1336 he received Biebrich as an imperial fief, and in 1338 he was imperial envoy to the pope in Avignon.
In disputes he supported the electorates of Mainz and Trier and the counts of Katzenelnbogen. With the latter there was a blood tie (his grandmother was a sister of Diether V, Graf von Katzenelnbogen).
In 1338 Emperor Ludwig visited him at Burg Sonnenberg. In 1344 Gerlach abdicated in favour of his sons Adolf I and Johann, but remained lord of Sonnenberg. As a follower of Emperor Karl IV he appeared in his entourage. In 1351 his second wife Irmengard von Hohenlohe-Weikersheim petitioned Emperor Karl IV to grant town rights to Sonnenberg, which he did.
In 1355 the Walram line of the house of Nassau was split into Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein (for Gerlach's son Adolf I from his first marriage), and Nassau-Sonnenberg (for his son Kraft from his second marriage). When Kraft fell the following year at the Battle of Maupertuis, Gerlach's youngest son Rupert followed Kraft as Graf von Nassau-Sonnenberg. Gerlach died on 7 January 1361, and was buried at the Abbey of Klarenthal which had been founded by his father.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Marriage | 24 Dec 1306 | Countess Agnes von Hessen | |||
| Death | 7 Jan 1361 |
Families
| Spouse | Countess Agnes von Hessen ( - 1332) |
| Child | Countess Adelheid von Nassau ( - 1345) |