Individual Details
Count Philipp III Hanau-Lichtenberg
(18 Oct 1482 - 15 May 1538)
Philipp III was born on 18 October 1482, the son of Philipp II, Graf von Hanau-Lichtenberg, and Gräfin Anna von Isenburg-Büdingen. He had a university education.
Still in his father's lifetime, Philipp III had become involved in the Landshut war of succession (1503-1505) between Philipp 'der Aufrichtige', Kurfürst von der Pfalz, and Bavaria, which Kurfürst Philipp had precipitated with his attack on Landshut. Philipp III sided with Kurfürst Philipp, in contrast to his father who remained neutral. Wilhelm II, Landgraf von Hessen, was charged by Emperor Maximilian I to enforce outlawry in the Emperor's name against Kurfürst Philipp and his allies, who were branded as peace breakers.
The countryside of the province of Babenhausen was already laid waste before Philipp II succeeded in calling a halt to the campaign against his own estates with the help of Emperor Maximilian; fortunately Babenhausen, as a Bohemian fief, belonged indirectly to the Habsburgs. However the emperor took offense that Philipp III had fought on the 'wrong' side.
On 24 January 1505 in Baden, Philipp married Markgräfin Sibylla von Baden, daughter of Christoph I, Markgraf von Baden, and Gräfin Ottilie von Katzenelnbogen. She brought a dowry of 5000 fl. to the marriage. They had a son Philipp IV who would have progeny, and five daughters of whom only Johanna would have progeny.
Because of his involvement on the side of the Palatinate in the Landshut war of succession, Philipp III started his rule under the decree of outlawry in the emperor's name. In accordance with the terms of settlement of the war at the Diet of Cologne of 1505 he had to resign his interest in Gross-Umstadt and the castle of Otzxberg to the landgraviate of Hessen, as compenwsation for its war costs. With this his position was normalised and in 1506 the province of Babenhausen was returned to him as a fief of Emperor Maximilian I, and subsequently he was made an imperial counsellor. In 1521, nearly two decades after the end of the Landshut war of succession, he was partly compensated for his losses in the war by the Palatinate and Hessen with the cession to him of authority in Kleestadt and Langstadt as well as a payment of 16,000 fl. All in all Philipp had come rather lightly out of the matter.
He was finally able to compensate his younger brothers Ludwig and Reinhard without having to divide the land. In 1513 Ludwig had at first received the province of Buchsweiler, but he later received a pension instead at the rate of 500 fl. and the right to use the court of Hanau-Lichtenberg in Strassbourg. Reinhard did receive land, but this later reverted to Philipp.
The long dispute with the house of Zweibrücken-Bitsch over the Lichtenberg inheritance was finally resolved through the division of the jointly managed towns of Willstätt and Brumath. The former went to Philipp, the latter to Zweibrücken-Bitsch.
The Peasants' War broke out during his rule. By order of the Palatinate he took action against the peasants in the Hettgau, as well as against his own subjects. At the same time he used the riots to attack and loot the Abbey of Neuweiler. However he later lost control of the situation when the peasants looted the castle in Buchsweiler on 6 May 1525. He now had to turn to Duc Antoine II de Lorraine for help. After his victory over the peasants, 18 municipalitikes of the province of Buchsweiler again submitted to Philipp. High fines were imposed, a new oath of allegiance was demanded, the peasants had to renounce future use of arms, and a ban was pronounced on gatherings.
Philipp was not overly squeamish over the murder of one of his officials, Albrecht von Berwangen, who had withdrawn his services over backpayment of salary owed to him, he had to justify himself before the imperial court council and imperial chamber court. Philipp pleaded self-defense - not very plausible given the mutilated state of the body. In the end he had to pay a penalty of 500 fl. However this was not sufficient for the brother of the murdered man. He attacked Philipp in alliance with Franz von Sickingen and looted the Hanau-Lichtenberg village of Dunzenheim.
Philipp was also in a longstanding dispute with the city of Strassbourg, a conflict fed by conflicting interests over finances, religion and policy.
Philipp took part in the imperial Diets at Worms in 1521, Speyer in 1526 and Regensburg in 1532. He was also an imperial counsellor to Emperor Charles V as well as to Archduke Ferdinand, the elector of the Palatinate and the duke of Württemberg.
In 1528 Philipp donated a hospital in Buchsweiler, and for its maintenance he started a 'donation fund'. From it a bank developed over the years, the biggest in the county.
Under Philipp's rule the Reformation slowly took hold in the county from 1525. Masses for the dead were forbidden. On the other hand he expelled Johannes Anglicus who was spreading the new teaching in his county. Here Philipp was very mindful of political consequences. Factors he had to balance included the potential for revolt by the peasants, a need for care in foreign policy in relation to the archbishopric of Mainz, his aversion to middle-class, Protestant Strassbourg, and the uncompromising devotion of his wife to the new religion.
Some years before his death Philipp fell ill and handed over the rule to his successor Philipp IV. He died on 15 May 1538 in Buchsweiler and was buried in the family crypt in the town church of Sankt Nikolaus in Babenhausen.
Sources: Leo van de Pas
Still in his father's lifetime, Philipp III had become involved in the Landshut war of succession (1503-1505) between Philipp 'der Aufrichtige', Kurfürst von der Pfalz, and Bavaria, which Kurfürst Philipp had precipitated with his attack on Landshut. Philipp III sided with Kurfürst Philipp, in contrast to his father who remained neutral. Wilhelm II, Landgraf von Hessen, was charged by Emperor Maximilian I to enforce outlawry in the Emperor's name against Kurfürst Philipp and his allies, who were branded as peace breakers.
The countryside of the province of Babenhausen was already laid waste before Philipp II succeeded in calling a halt to the campaign against his own estates with the help of Emperor Maximilian; fortunately Babenhausen, as a Bohemian fief, belonged indirectly to the Habsburgs. However the emperor took offense that Philipp III had fought on the 'wrong' side.
On 24 January 1505 in Baden, Philipp married Markgräfin Sibylla von Baden, daughter of Christoph I, Markgraf von Baden, and Gräfin Ottilie von Katzenelnbogen. She brought a dowry of 5000 fl. to the marriage. They had a son Philipp IV who would have progeny, and five daughters of whom only Johanna would have progeny.
Because of his involvement on the side of the Palatinate in the Landshut war of succession, Philipp III started his rule under the decree of outlawry in the emperor's name. In accordance with the terms of settlement of the war at the Diet of Cologne of 1505 he had to resign his interest in Gross-Umstadt and the castle of Otzxberg to the landgraviate of Hessen, as compenwsation for its war costs. With this his position was normalised and in 1506 the province of Babenhausen was returned to him as a fief of Emperor Maximilian I, and subsequently he was made an imperial counsellor. In 1521, nearly two decades after the end of the Landshut war of succession, he was partly compensated for his losses in the war by the Palatinate and Hessen with the cession to him of authority in Kleestadt and Langstadt as well as a payment of 16,000 fl. All in all Philipp had come rather lightly out of the matter.
He was finally able to compensate his younger brothers Ludwig and Reinhard without having to divide the land. In 1513 Ludwig had at first received the province of Buchsweiler, but he later received a pension instead at the rate of 500 fl. and the right to use the court of Hanau-Lichtenberg in Strassbourg. Reinhard did receive land, but this later reverted to Philipp.
The long dispute with the house of Zweibrücken-Bitsch over the Lichtenberg inheritance was finally resolved through the division of the jointly managed towns of Willstätt and Brumath. The former went to Philipp, the latter to Zweibrücken-Bitsch.
The Peasants' War broke out during his rule. By order of the Palatinate he took action against the peasants in the Hettgau, as well as against his own subjects. At the same time he used the riots to attack and loot the Abbey of Neuweiler. However he later lost control of the situation when the peasants looted the castle in Buchsweiler on 6 May 1525. He now had to turn to Duc Antoine II de Lorraine for help. After his victory over the peasants, 18 municipalitikes of the province of Buchsweiler again submitted to Philipp. High fines were imposed, a new oath of allegiance was demanded, the peasants had to renounce future use of arms, and a ban was pronounced on gatherings.
Philipp was not overly squeamish over the murder of one of his officials, Albrecht von Berwangen, who had withdrawn his services over backpayment of salary owed to him, he had to justify himself before the imperial court council and imperial chamber court. Philipp pleaded self-defense - not very plausible given the mutilated state of the body. In the end he had to pay a penalty of 500 fl. However this was not sufficient for the brother of the murdered man. He attacked Philipp in alliance with Franz von Sickingen and looted the Hanau-Lichtenberg village of Dunzenheim.
Philipp was also in a longstanding dispute with the city of Strassbourg, a conflict fed by conflicting interests over finances, religion and policy.
Philipp took part in the imperial Diets at Worms in 1521, Speyer in 1526 and Regensburg in 1532. He was also an imperial counsellor to Emperor Charles V as well as to Archduke Ferdinand, the elector of the Palatinate and the duke of Württemberg.
In 1528 Philipp donated a hospital in Buchsweiler, and for its maintenance he started a 'donation fund'. From it a bank developed over the years, the biggest in the county.
Under Philipp's rule the Reformation slowly took hold in the county from 1525. Masses for the dead were forbidden. On the other hand he expelled Johannes Anglicus who was spreading the new teaching in his county. Here Philipp was very mindful of political consequences. Factors he had to balance included the potential for revolt by the peasants, a need for care in foreign policy in relation to the archbishopric of Mainz, his aversion to middle-class, Protestant Strassbourg, and the uncompromising devotion of his wife to the new religion.
Some years before his death Philipp fell ill and handed over the rule to his successor Philipp IV. He died on 15 May 1538 in Buchsweiler and was buried in the family crypt in the town church of Sankt Nikolaus in Babenhausen.
Sources: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | 18 Oct 1482 | ||||
| Marriage | 24 Jan 1505 | Baden - Marquise Sibylla von Baden | |||
| Death | 15 May 1538 | Buchsweiler | |||
| Burial | Sankt Nikolaus, Babenhausen |
Families
| Spouse | Marquise Sibylla von Baden (1485 - 1518) |
| Child | Countess Johanna von Hanau-Lichtenberg (1507 - 1572) |
| Father | Count Philipp II Hanau-Lichtenberg (1462 - 1505) |
| Mother | Countess Anna von Isenburg-Büdingen (1460 - 1522) |