Individual Details
Landgraf Heinrich I von Hessen, das King von Hessen
(24 Jun 1244 - 21 Dec 1308)
Heinrich was born 24 June 1244. He was the first landgrave of Hessen and founder of the House of the princes of Hessen. Heinrich, also called 'das Kind von Hessen', was the son of Hendrik II, duke of Brabant and his second wife Sophia von Thüringen, the daughter of Ludwig IV 'der Heilige', landgrave of Thüringen and St. Elisabeth of Hungary.
In 1247, as Heinrich Raspe, landgrave of Thüringen, died without male issue, conflict arose about the future of Thüringen and Hessen. The succession was disputed between Heinrich Raspe's nephew and his niece. Sophia as the daughter of Heinrich Raspe's brother Ludwig IV, claimed the territories on behalf of her son Heinrich, while Heinrich 'der Erlauchte', Markgraf von Meissen, claimed them as son of Heinrich Raspe's sister Jutta. Another competitor was the archbishop of Mainz, who could claim that Hessen was a fiefdom of the archbishopric, and after the extinction of the male line of the Ludowigians he demanded its return. Sophia, supported by the Hessen nobility, succeeded in retaining Hessen against her cousin, who in 1264 accepted the division of the Ludowigian inheritance: Heinrich of Meissen received Thüringen, while Sophia's son Heinrich would inherit Hessen. In the following year the Archbishop, Werner von Eppstein, acceded to this outcome in the Treaty of Langsdorf, accepting Heinrich as his liege-man and landgrave of Hessen.
At this time, the landgraviate of Hessen consisted of the region between Wolfhagen, Zierenberg, Eschwege, Alsfeld, Grünberg, Frankenberg and Biedenkopf. In the same year, Heinrich acquired a part of the county of Gleiberg, together with Giessen, from the Counts Palatine of Tübingen. The landgraviate was centred around the towns of Kassel, where Heinrich took up his residence since 1277, and Marburg, where his grandmother Saint Elisabeth was buried and where Heinrich built the castle of Marburg.
Heinrich again came into conflict with his liege-lord, the archbishop, over the possession of Naumburg. On behalf of the archbishop, Heinrich was outlawed in 1274 by King Rudolf I von Habsburg, but after Heinrich had supported Rudolf in the war against Ottokar II of Bohemia and had helped to conquer Vienna in 1276, Rudolf reinstated Heinrich. In 1290 Heinrich defeated the archbishop in the battle of Fritzlar and could henceforth maintain his territory.
Though Heinrich never relinquished his own claim on Brabant, he supported his nephew Jan I, duke of Brabant against Gelre and Luxembourg in the Limburg succession war.
On 12 May 1292 Heinrich was made a Reichsfürst (prince of the realm) by King Adolf of Nassau, freeing Hessen of the supremacy of the archbishop of Mainz. Heinrich was bestowed with Eschwege and the Boyneburg (with Sontra), strengthening his position in Hessen. By skilful diplomacy he gained the cities of Sooden-Allendorf, Kaufungen, Witzenhausen, Immenhausen, Grebenstein, Wanfried, Staufenberg, Trendelburg and Reinhardswald.
About 10 September 1263 Heinrich had married Adelheid of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the daughter of Otto I 'das Kind', duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Matilde von Brandenburg. Adelheid bore him four daughters and the sons Heinrich ('the Younger') and Otto, all of whom would have progeny. After the death of Adelheid, in 1274 Heinrich married Mechtild von Kleef, daughter of Dietrich VII, Graf von Kleef, and Aleidis von Heinsberg. Mechtild bore him another four daughters and the sons Johann and Ludwig. Johann and Elisabeth would have progeny.
In 1292 internal conflict arose about the question of Heinrich's successor. Mechtild von Kleef demanded that her sons receive a share of the inheritance, while Heinrich the Younger and Otto, Heinrich's sons by his first wife, insisted on excluding their half-brothers from the inheritance. This led to civil war lasting throughout the rest of Heinrich's lifetime. After his death on 21 December 1308 the inheritance was divided between Otto, who received Lower Hessen centred around Kassel, and Johann, who received Upper Hessen around Marburg. Heinrich the Younger had died during the conflict, while Johann's younger brother Ludwig had entered the clergy and became bishop of Münster in 1310.
Heinrich was buried in St. Elisabeth's church in Marburg, which became the burial site of the succeeding landgraves.
Source: Leo van de Pas
In 1247, as Heinrich Raspe, landgrave of Thüringen, died without male issue, conflict arose about the future of Thüringen and Hessen. The succession was disputed between Heinrich Raspe's nephew and his niece. Sophia as the daughter of Heinrich Raspe's brother Ludwig IV, claimed the territories on behalf of her son Heinrich, while Heinrich 'der Erlauchte', Markgraf von Meissen, claimed them as son of Heinrich Raspe's sister Jutta. Another competitor was the archbishop of Mainz, who could claim that Hessen was a fiefdom of the archbishopric, and after the extinction of the male line of the Ludowigians he demanded its return. Sophia, supported by the Hessen nobility, succeeded in retaining Hessen against her cousin, who in 1264 accepted the division of the Ludowigian inheritance: Heinrich of Meissen received Thüringen, while Sophia's son Heinrich would inherit Hessen. In the following year the Archbishop, Werner von Eppstein, acceded to this outcome in the Treaty of Langsdorf, accepting Heinrich as his liege-man and landgrave of Hessen.
At this time, the landgraviate of Hessen consisted of the region between Wolfhagen, Zierenberg, Eschwege, Alsfeld, Grünberg, Frankenberg and Biedenkopf. In the same year, Heinrich acquired a part of the county of Gleiberg, together with Giessen, from the Counts Palatine of Tübingen. The landgraviate was centred around the towns of Kassel, where Heinrich took up his residence since 1277, and Marburg, where his grandmother Saint Elisabeth was buried and where Heinrich built the castle of Marburg.
Heinrich again came into conflict with his liege-lord, the archbishop, over the possession of Naumburg. On behalf of the archbishop, Heinrich was outlawed in 1274 by King Rudolf I von Habsburg, but after Heinrich had supported Rudolf in the war against Ottokar II of Bohemia and had helped to conquer Vienna in 1276, Rudolf reinstated Heinrich. In 1290 Heinrich defeated the archbishop in the battle of Fritzlar and could henceforth maintain his territory.
Though Heinrich never relinquished his own claim on Brabant, he supported his nephew Jan I, duke of Brabant against Gelre and Luxembourg in the Limburg succession war.
On 12 May 1292 Heinrich was made a Reichsfürst (prince of the realm) by King Adolf of Nassau, freeing Hessen of the supremacy of the archbishop of Mainz. Heinrich was bestowed with Eschwege and the Boyneburg (with Sontra), strengthening his position in Hessen. By skilful diplomacy he gained the cities of Sooden-Allendorf, Kaufungen, Witzenhausen, Immenhausen, Grebenstein, Wanfried, Staufenberg, Trendelburg and Reinhardswald.
About 10 September 1263 Heinrich had married Adelheid of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the daughter of Otto I 'das Kind', duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Matilde von Brandenburg. Adelheid bore him four daughters and the sons Heinrich ('the Younger') and Otto, all of whom would have progeny. After the death of Adelheid, in 1274 Heinrich married Mechtild von Kleef, daughter of Dietrich VII, Graf von Kleef, and Aleidis von Heinsberg. Mechtild bore him another four daughters and the sons Johann and Ludwig. Johann and Elisabeth would have progeny.
In 1292 internal conflict arose about the question of Heinrich's successor. Mechtild von Kleef demanded that her sons receive a share of the inheritance, while Heinrich the Younger and Otto, Heinrich's sons by his first wife, insisted on excluding their half-brothers from the inheritance. This led to civil war lasting throughout the rest of Heinrich's lifetime. After his death on 21 December 1308 the inheritance was divided between Otto, who received Lower Hessen centred around Kassel, and Johann, who received Upper Hessen around Marburg. Heinrich the Younger had died during the conflict, while Johann's younger brother Ludwig had entered the clergy and became bishop of Münster in 1310.
Heinrich was buried in St. Elisabeth's church in Marburg, which became the burial site of the succeeding landgraves.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | 24 Jun 1244 | ||||
| Marriage | Bef 10 Sep 1263 | Adelheid of Brunswick-Lüneburg | |||
| Death | 21 Dec 1308 |
Families
| Spouse | Adelheid of Brunswick-Lüneburg ( - 1274) |
| Child | Heinrich von Hessen ( - 1298) |
| Father | Hendrik II Duke of Brabant ( - 1248) |
| Mother | Sophia von Thüringen (1224 - 1275) |