Principality of Nassau-Diez

The Principality of Nassau-Diez (Fürstentum Nassau-Diez) was a former county, later principality of the Holy Roman Empire part of the Lower Rhenish–Westphalian Circle of the empire towards the end of its history. The county was created in 1606 when the former Count of Nassau-Dillenburg's sons divided their father's lands, creating new smaller counties. In 1702, after the Glorious Revolution saw Prince William of Orange become King of England, the county was merged with others to form the new, larger, Principality of Orange-Nassau.

Principality of Nassau-Diez
Fürstentum Nassau-Diez
1606–1702
Coat of arms of Nassau-Dietz
Coat of arms
CapitalDiez
History
Government
 • TypeCounty, later Principality
Count of Nassau-Dietz 
• 1606–1632
Ernest Casimir I
• 1696–1702
John William
History 
• County formed
1606
• County merged
1702
Preceded by		Succeeded by
County of Nassau-Dillenburg
Principality of Orange-Nassau
Today part of Germany

History

Nassau-Diez was created in 1386 when the former County of Diez was dissolved and taken over by the House of Nassau, though it was ruled by the Counts of Nassau-Dillenburg until 1606 when it became independent. After the creation of the county in 1606, the separate line of Nassau-Dietz was formed through inheritance. This line included not just the counts, but also served as Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe through the senior House of Orange-Nassau. When the senior line of the branch died out in 1702, the older House of Orange-Nassau inherited the lands of Nassau-Diez.[1]

Nassau-Dillenburg

In 1386, the last Count of Diez, Gerhard VII died, the county fell to his son-in-law, Count Adolf von Nassau-Dillenburg via his daughter Jutta. From this point, the county was now controlled by a member of the House of Nassau, creating the County of Nassau-Dillenburg. In 1530, the Counts of Nassau-Dillenburg acquired the remainder of the county and in 1564 took complete possession of Dietz Castle. This led to a renaming of the county, becoming the County of Nassau-Dietz.[1]

Nassau-Dietz

From 1516 to 1559, William the Rich was the reigning Count of Nassau-Dillenberg, Siegen, Vianden, and Dietz. His eldest son Wilhelm "den Schweiger", who was originally a Lutheran, raised as a Roman Catholic from the age of 11, had inherited the county. When the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V away the new Principality of Orange to his cousin René of Chalon, who inherited the county the principality in 1530, William the Silent became Prince of Orange. It was then when William founded the senior House of Orange-Nassau which continues to rule the Netherlands. In 1606 however Wilhelm the Rich died and his sons divided the counties between themselves, including his fifth son Ernest Casimir, who also served as Governor (Stadtholder) of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe. In 1631, he also inherited the County of Spiegelberg an der Weser.[1][2]

In 1655, Nassau-Dietz was raised to the status of a principality, becoming the Principality of Nassau-Dietz. From this point, the lord of the area became the 'Prince of Nassau-Dietz'.[1][3][4]

The counties of Nassau-Dietz and Spiegelberg along with the Frisian governorship were then successively taken over by his sons Heinrich Casimir I and Wilhelm Friedrich. When Prince William of Orange became King of England, Scotland, and Ireland (etc.) in February 1689, he declared Prince John William Friso as titular Prince of Orange. In 1702, Prince John William merged three of his titles into one: Prince of Orange, Prince of Nassau-Dietz, and Stadtholder of Friesland and Groningen into the Prince of Orange-Nassau.[1][5][6][7]

Rulers

The Counts, later Princes of Nassau-Dietz included:[4]

NameLifespanReign startReign endNotesFamilyImage
Ernest Casimir I(1573-12-22)22 December 1573 – 2 June 1632(1632-06-02) (aged 58)8 October 16062 June 1632Stadtholder, son of John VINassau
Henry Casimir I(1612-01-21)21 January 1612 – 13 July 1640(1640-07-13) (aged 28)2 June 163113 July 1640Stadtholder, son of Ernest Casimir INassau-Dietz
William Frederick(1613-08-07)7 August 1613 – 31 October 1664(1664-10-31) (aged 51)31 October 166413 July 1640Stadtholder, son of Ernest Casimir INassau
Henry Casimir II(1657-01-18)18 January 1657 – 25 March 1696(1696-03-25) (aged 39)18 January 166425 March 1696Hereditary Stadtholder, son of William FrederickNassau-Dietz
John William Friso(1687-08-04)4 August 1687 – 14 July 1711(1711-07-14) (aged 23)25 March 169619 March 1702Hereditary Stadtholder, son of Henry Casimir II, succeeded by his son William IV of Orange-Nassau, Hereditary Stadtholder of the United Netherlands (-> Stadtholderate under the House of Orange-Nassau)Nassau-Dietz, Orange-Nassau

Footnotes
  1. "Fürstentum Nassau-Diez/Nassau-Oranien". www.hoeckmann.de. Retrieved 2022-10-23.
  2. Boetticher, Jac Gottlieb Isaak (1800). A Geographical, Historical and Political Description of the Empire of Germany, Holland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Prussia, Italy, Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia: With a Gazetteer of Reference to the Principal Places in Those Countries. John Stockdale.
  3. Render, Wilhelm (1801). A Tour Through Germany: Particularly Along the Banks of the Rhine, Mayne ... and that Part of the Palatinate, Rhingaw, ... Usually Termed the Garden of Germany ; in Two Volumes. 2. Longman.
  4. Miller, Manfred (2020-11-15). Die Münzen und Medaillen des Hauses Nassau (in German). BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3-7526-4885-0.
  5. Köbler, Gerhard (2007). Historisches Lexikon der Deutschen Länder: die deutschen Territorien vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart (in German). C.H.Beck. ISBN 978-3-406-54986-1.
  6. Coy, Jason Philip; Marschke, Benjamin; Sabean, David Warren (2010-10-01). The Holy Roman Empire, Reconsidered. Berghahn Books. ISBN 978-1-84545-992-5.
  7. HOHLER, Emerich Theodor (1844). Breve prospetto della Storia universale per servire all'intelligenza del Torrente dei Tempi. Opera originale Tedesca tradotta, ampliata e ridotta a completo compendio di Storia sino all'anno 1844 (in Italian).

References
  • Taddey, Gerhard (1983). Lexikon der Deutschen Geschichte: Personen, Ereignisse, Institutionen von der Zeitwende bis zum Ausgang des 2. Weltkrieges. Translated by Bruns, Alfred. Stuttgart, Germany: Kröner. ISBN 978-3520813022. OCLC 11212859.
  • Köbler, Gerhard (1992). Nassau. In: Historisches Lexikon der deutschen Länder. Die deutschen Territorien vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart [Nassau . In: Historical Encyclopedia of the German States. The German territories from the Middle Ages to the present] (in German). München, Germany. ISBN 3406358659.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Köbler, Gerhard (1992). Nassau-Dillenburg. In: Historisches Lexikon der deutschen Länder. Die deutschen Territorien vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart [Nassau-Dillenburg . In: Historical Encyclopedia of the German States. The German territories from the Middle Ages to the present] (in German). München, Bavaria. ISBN 3406358659.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Jürgensmeier, Friedhelm; Groenveld, Simon (2012). Nassau-Diez und die Niederlande. Dynastie und Oranierstadt Diez in der Neuzeit [Nassau-Diez and the Netherlands. Dynasty and Orange City of Diez in modern times] (in German). Wiesbaden, Germany: Historical Commission for Nassau. ISBN 978-3930221271.

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