Individual Details
Ulrich I von Hanau
(Est 1255 - Abt 17 Sep 1305)
Ulrich was the son of Reinhard II, Herr von Hanau, and Adelheid von Münzenberg, heiress of Münzenberg. His mother Adelheid was a sister of Ulrich II von Hagen-Münzenberg. He was named after his maternal grandfather Ulrich I, Herr von Münzenberg. He was probably born between 1255 and 1260, but there is no firm information on his year of birth. The first documentary reference to him dates from the year 1272. From 1275 Ulrich is referred to in documents in conjunction with his father, the first independent reference to him dates from 1276, and from 1277 he is mentioned regularly in documents concerning Hanau.
As his mother's family of Hagen-Münzenberg was then 'only' a family of 'Ministerialen', officials of the emperor responsible for governing imperial lands, this seems to have raised some doubts concerning Ulrich's rank. In any case, the king conferred noble status on Ulrich and his mother.
By contract of 2 October 1272, Ulrich was betrothed to the heiress Elisabeth von Rieneck, daughter of Ludwig, Graf von Rieneck zu Rothenfels, and Adelheid von Grumbach. They were both still in their teens, so their marriage was set for six years later. They had three children of whom Ulrich II and Adelheid would have progeny. Their brother Konrad is recorded as a prebend of the Abbey of Fulda. An older reference also gives a daughter Margaretha, married to Graf Gerhard von Katzenelnbogen. This is now seen as incorrect, and it is accepted that Gerhard's wife was Gräfin Margarethe von der Mark.
Ulrich's father Reinhard II had had to give the Bachgau to the archbishop of Mainz. After the death of Archbishop Werner von Eppstein in 1284, King Rudolf took back the Bachgau along with the Abbey of Seligenstadt and handed them over to Ulrich to manage.
With the death of his father in 1281 Ulrich took over the rule of Hanau. He was able to extend his territory considerably during his reign. Through his mother he acquired a one sixth interest in the rich Münzenberg inheritance. This included a substantial interest in Münzenberg, both the castle and the province, Assenheim, Heuchelheim, Dudenhofen, Münster, Werlachen, the castle of Hayn in the Dreieich and the hunting rights in Dreieich. Through his mother's dowry the province of Babenhausen, with parts of the Bachgau and half of Umstadt, had already come under the rule of Hanau. Adelheid's inheritance also brought Vilbel and a quarter of Praunheim to Hanau. The dispute among the heirs naturally arising from such an inheritance - which affected Hanau - was largely settled by 1288.
The economic position of the house of Hanau was quite strong as a result of the inheritance. Using this wealth Ulrich acquired as pledges the castle and village of Ortenberg, the castle of Birstein, Orb and Kassel. Thereby a land bridge was created from Hanau to the previously isolated Hanau town of Steinau an der Strasse, and Hanau's sphere of interest was pushed forward into the upper Kinzigtal.
The inheritance received by his wife Elisabeth after the death of her father in 1289, as well as her dowry, further strengthened Ulrich's position. The precise dimension of the inheritance can be ascertained as the documents about it are not lost. However, the main interest in the Rieneck inheritance evidently only came to Hanau in 1333, after Ulrich's death. It included a part of the county of Rieneck.
Ulrich was active as a guardian of Ludwig von Rieneck-Rothenfels and could thereby mount a claim on his Mainz fief. He was probably also guardian for his nephews Reinhard and Heinrich von Weinsberg. Ulrich also protected his rule through agreements with neighbouring lords. He settled a longstanding dispute with the bishopric of Würzburg to 1290 and in 1303 he concluded an alliance agreement with Frankfurt am Main, with which he had been in dispute. An alliance with Pfalzgraf Rudolf I followed in 1304.
Ulrich was very close to Rudolf von Habsburg, the emperor-elect, and involved in numerous of his campaigns: in 1277 in the campaign against Przemysl Ottokar II, king of Bohemia; in 1286/87 against Graf Eberhard von Württemberg; in 1288 against Graf Reinald von Mömpelgard-Burgund; in 1289 in Erfurt; and in 1294 in Thüringen.
In 1298 he sided with King Adolf von Nassau, the emperor-elect, against Rudolf's son Duke Albrecht I of Austria. However Albrecht won that war when he defeated Adolf at the Battle of Göllheim, in which Adolf was killed and Ulrich was captured. Thereupon Ulrich seems to have swung as soon as possible to the side of the victor, because from 1300 at the latest he is recorded in the entourage of the new king Albrecht I.
In 1292 King Adolf von Nassau had awarded the Bachgau to the archbishop of Mainz, probably in return for his vote in the election for King of the Germans, which Ulrich evidently ignored. The dispute over the Bachgau between Ulrich and Mainz archbishop Gerhard II von Eppstein - probably in 1298 - seems to have been very violent. Ulrich was defeated militarily and was captured by the archbishop in Bingen. However Ulrich was soon free again, though the Bachgau was largely lost by Hanau. Only the villages of Langstadt, Schlierbach and Schaafheim, as well as numerous isolated rights in the Bachgau, remained for Hanau.
In 1294 King Adolf had transferred the rule over the Abbey of Fulda to Ulrich, after its Abbot Heinrich V had been forced to resign following considerable mismanagement. The rule by Ulrich seems to have been very successful, as he even succeeded in resolving various debts of the abbey.
In 1300 Ulrich was appointed by King Albrecht as governor ('advocatus generalis et rector') in the Wetterau. This was intended to strengthen the king's position in his dispute with the Rhenish prince-electors. Their leader was again the archbishop of Mainz. On behalf of the king, Ulrich conquered and destroyed the Eppstein castle of Steinheim, in which Siegfried von Eppstein, a nephew of the archbishop, had entrenched himself. Significant cities such as Oppenheim, Boppard, Wesel, Frankfurt, Friedberg and Gelnhausen belonged to the administrative territory of the governor. His appointment as governor opened up a regional influence for Ulrich beyond the borders of his territory. The most striking example of this fact is that Ulrich, in his function as governor, was the first lord of Hanau to be responsible for the area of the Bornheimerberg, an area that would later belong to the territory of Hanau and formed a semicircle around the city of Frankfurt. However there is little information about Ulrich's tenure as governor. His main duty was administration of the imperial estates. He held the position until his death.
His proximity to the king also brought him other advantages for his own rule. Thus he obtained town rights for four places under his rule: on 5 August 1288 King Rudolf I gave the Hanau town of Windecken the same rights and freedoms as Frankfurt; on 4 July 1290 Steinau an der Strasse received the same town rights as Gelnhausen; on 29 March 1295 Babenhausen received from King Adolf the same town rights as Frankfurt; and on 2 February 1303 the town of Hanau was given the same town rights as Frankfurt by King Albrecht. These rights included the right to hold markets, to choose a council with two mayors, as well as freedom from bondage. At this time construction of the first town wall around Hanau was begun. The town of Hanau soon replaced in importance the neighbouring and older town of Kinzdorf.
At short notice Ulrich pledged parts of the Münzenberg inheritance to the Münzenberg co-heirs, the lords of Falkenstein, namely his interests in Münzenberg and Assenheim, and in 1303 also the Jews in both these places and in Nidda, whom he himself had held as security from the king. Later a long dispute arose with Falkenstein over the re-acquisition of these properties by Hanau.
In 1301/1302 he took part in King Albrecht's campaign against the archbishop of Mainz. The king's victory brought to Ulrich the imperial fiefs and pledges of Gerlach von Breuberg which lay in and near the imperial cities of Frankfurt and Gelnhausen, so that Ulrich gained a foothold in them. He also received the jurisdiction of Gründau and Selbold. In 1305 he again fought in the king's campaign against Bohemia, and once more against Graf Eberhard von Württemberg.
Ulrich died between 17 September 1305 and 6 March 1306. He was buried in the Abbey of Arnsburg.
Source: Leo van de Pas
As his mother's family of Hagen-Münzenberg was then 'only' a family of 'Ministerialen', officials of the emperor responsible for governing imperial lands, this seems to have raised some doubts concerning Ulrich's rank. In any case, the king conferred noble status on Ulrich and his mother.
By contract of 2 October 1272, Ulrich was betrothed to the heiress Elisabeth von Rieneck, daughter of Ludwig, Graf von Rieneck zu Rothenfels, and Adelheid von Grumbach. They were both still in their teens, so their marriage was set for six years later. They had three children of whom Ulrich II and Adelheid would have progeny. Their brother Konrad is recorded as a prebend of the Abbey of Fulda. An older reference also gives a daughter Margaretha, married to Graf Gerhard von Katzenelnbogen. This is now seen as incorrect, and it is accepted that Gerhard's wife was Gräfin Margarethe von der Mark.
Ulrich's father Reinhard II had had to give the Bachgau to the archbishop of Mainz. After the death of Archbishop Werner von Eppstein in 1284, King Rudolf took back the Bachgau along with the Abbey of Seligenstadt and handed them over to Ulrich to manage.
With the death of his father in 1281 Ulrich took over the rule of Hanau. He was able to extend his territory considerably during his reign. Through his mother he acquired a one sixth interest in the rich Münzenberg inheritance. This included a substantial interest in Münzenberg, both the castle and the province, Assenheim, Heuchelheim, Dudenhofen, Münster, Werlachen, the castle of Hayn in the Dreieich and the hunting rights in Dreieich. Through his mother's dowry the province of Babenhausen, with parts of the Bachgau and half of Umstadt, had already come under the rule of Hanau. Adelheid's inheritance also brought Vilbel and a quarter of Praunheim to Hanau. The dispute among the heirs naturally arising from such an inheritance - which affected Hanau - was largely settled by 1288.
The economic position of the house of Hanau was quite strong as a result of the inheritance. Using this wealth Ulrich acquired as pledges the castle and village of Ortenberg, the castle of Birstein, Orb and Kassel. Thereby a land bridge was created from Hanau to the previously isolated Hanau town of Steinau an der Strasse, and Hanau's sphere of interest was pushed forward into the upper Kinzigtal.
The inheritance received by his wife Elisabeth after the death of her father in 1289, as well as her dowry, further strengthened Ulrich's position. The precise dimension of the inheritance can be ascertained as the documents about it are not lost. However, the main interest in the Rieneck inheritance evidently only came to Hanau in 1333, after Ulrich's death. It included a part of the county of Rieneck.
Ulrich was active as a guardian of Ludwig von Rieneck-Rothenfels and could thereby mount a claim on his Mainz fief. He was probably also guardian for his nephews Reinhard and Heinrich von Weinsberg. Ulrich also protected his rule through agreements with neighbouring lords. He settled a longstanding dispute with the bishopric of Würzburg to 1290 and in 1303 he concluded an alliance agreement with Frankfurt am Main, with which he had been in dispute. An alliance with Pfalzgraf Rudolf I followed in 1304.
Ulrich was very close to Rudolf von Habsburg, the emperor-elect, and involved in numerous of his campaigns: in 1277 in the campaign against Przemysl Ottokar II, king of Bohemia; in 1286/87 against Graf Eberhard von Württemberg; in 1288 against Graf Reinald von Mömpelgard-Burgund; in 1289 in Erfurt; and in 1294 in Thüringen.
In 1298 he sided with King Adolf von Nassau, the emperor-elect, against Rudolf's son Duke Albrecht I of Austria. However Albrecht won that war when he defeated Adolf at the Battle of Göllheim, in which Adolf was killed and Ulrich was captured. Thereupon Ulrich seems to have swung as soon as possible to the side of the victor, because from 1300 at the latest he is recorded in the entourage of the new king Albrecht I.
In 1292 King Adolf von Nassau had awarded the Bachgau to the archbishop of Mainz, probably in return for his vote in the election for King of the Germans, which Ulrich evidently ignored. The dispute over the Bachgau between Ulrich and Mainz archbishop Gerhard II von Eppstein - probably in 1298 - seems to have been very violent. Ulrich was defeated militarily and was captured by the archbishop in Bingen. However Ulrich was soon free again, though the Bachgau was largely lost by Hanau. Only the villages of Langstadt, Schlierbach and Schaafheim, as well as numerous isolated rights in the Bachgau, remained for Hanau.
In 1294 King Adolf had transferred the rule over the Abbey of Fulda to Ulrich, after its Abbot Heinrich V had been forced to resign following considerable mismanagement. The rule by Ulrich seems to have been very successful, as he even succeeded in resolving various debts of the abbey.
In 1300 Ulrich was appointed by King Albrecht as governor ('advocatus generalis et rector') in the Wetterau. This was intended to strengthen the king's position in his dispute with the Rhenish prince-electors. Their leader was again the archbishop of Mainz. On behalf of the king, Ulrich conquered and destroyed the Eppstein castle of Steinheim, in which Siegfried von Eppstein, a nephew of the archbishop, had entrenched himself. Significant cities such as Oppenheim, Boppard, Wesel, Frankfurt, Friedberg and Gelnhausen belonged to the administrative territory of the governor. His appointment as governor opened up a regional influence for Ulrich beyond the borders of his territory. The most striking example of this fact is that Ulrich, in his function as governor, was the first lord of Hanau to be responsible for the area of the Bornheimerberg, an area that would later belong to the territory of Hanau and formed a semicircle around the city of Frankfurt. However there is little information about Ulrich's tenure as governor. His main duty was administration of the imperial estates. He held the position until his death.
His proximity to the king also brought him other advantages for his own rule. Thus he obtained town rights for four places under his rule: on 5 August 1288 King Rudolf I gave the Hanau town of Windecken the same rights and freedoms as Frankfurt; on 4 July 1290 Steinau an der Strasse received the same town rights as Gelnhausen; on 29 March 1295 Babenhausen received from King Adolf the same town rights as Frankfurt; and on 2 February 1303 the town of Hanau was given the same town rights as Frankfurt by King Albrecht. These rights included the right to hold markets, to choose a council with two mayors, as well as freedom from bondage. At this time construction of the first town wall around Hanau was begun. The town of Hanau soon replaced in importance the neighbouring and older town of Kinzdorf.
At short notice Ulrich pledged parts of the Münzenberg inheritance to the Münzenberg co-heirs, the lords of Falkenstein, namely his interests in Münzenberg and Assenheim, and in 1303 also the Jews in both these places and in Nidda, whom he himself had held as security from the king. Later a long dispute arose with Falkenstein over the re-acquisition of these properties by Hanau.
In 1301/1302 he took part in King Albrecht's campaign against the archbishop of Mainz. The king's victory brought to Ulrich the imperial fiefs and pledges of Gerlach von Breuberg which lay in and near the imperial cities of Frankfurt and Gelnhausen, so that Ulrich gained a foothold in them. He also received the jurisdiction of Gründau and Selbold. In 1305 he again fought in the king's campaign against Bohemia, and once more against Graf Eberhard von Württemberg.
Ulrich died between 17 September 1305 and 6 March 1306. He was buried in the Abbey of Arnsburg.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | Est 1255 | ||||
| Marriage | 2 Oct 1272 | Elisabeth von Rieneck | |||
| Death | Abt 17 Sep 1305 |
Families
| Spouse | Elisabeth von Rieneck (1260 - 1300) |
| Child | Ulrich II von Hanau (1280 - 1346) |