Rinteln ( German: [ˈʁɪntl̩n] ) is a small town in Lower Saxony , Germany . It is located on the banks of the Weser river north of the Porta Westfalica . The town of Rinteln is in the broad valley between the hills of the Weserbergland and the North Lippe Bergland. In relation to some well known places, it is 60 kilometers west of Hanover , and just 20 kilometers from Hamelin of Pied Piper fame. Its population is about 28,500.
24-607: Gerhard III of Holstein-Rendsburg ( c. 1292 – 1 April 1340), sometimes called Gerhard the Great , and in Denmark also known as Count Gert or den kullede greve ("the bald count"), was a German prince from the Schauenburg family who ruled Holstein-Rendsburg and a large part of Denmark during the interregnum of 1332–40. His father was Henry I, Count of Holstein-Rendsburg (c. 1258 – 5 August 1304). Gerhard inherited his part of
48-515: A battle with Denmark, however, Adolf III became prisoner of the king Valdemar II , to whom he had to give Holstein in exchange for his freedom. In 1227 Adolf III's son, Adolf IV , recovered the lost lands from Denmark. Subsequently, the House of Schaumburg were also counts of Holstein and its partitions Holstein-Itzehoe , Holstein-Kiel , Holstein-Pinneberg (till 1640), Holstein-Plön , Holstein-Segeberg and Holstein-Rendsburg (till 1460) and through
72-586: A brutal warrior, yet deeply religious. Gerhard III married Sophia of Werle, the daughter of Nicholas II of Werle and Richeza, the daughter of Eric V of Denmark ; they had the following children: Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein The Counts of Schauenburg and Holstein were titles of the Holy Roman Empire . The dynastic family came from the County of Schauenburg near Rinteln (district Schaumburg ) on
96-565: Is traditionally regarded as a scoundrel and a “German tyrant” and his murder has been viewed as one of the highlights of Danish history, having inspired Danish poets and authors as late as during the German occupation of Denmark 1940–1945. In the Ditmarshes ( Dithmarschen ) which he ravaged, he also seems to be viewed unfavourably. In Holstein, however, he has been regarded as a national hero. From contemporary sources he appears to have been energetic and
120-610: The Weser in Germany. Together with its ancestral possessions in Bückeburg and Stadthagen , the House of Schauenburg ruled the County of Schauenburg and the County of Holstein . The comital titles of Holstein were subject to the liege lord , the Dukes of undivided Saxony until 1296, and thereafter the Dukes of Saxe-Lauenburg . The County of Schaumburg originated as a medieval county, which
144-616: The plague . The village grew to a fortified town, that served as a southern stronghold of the Counts of Schaumburg . From 1621 until its dissolution in 1810 during the Westphalian rule under Jérôme Bonaparte , Rinteln was the seat of Ernestina University. When the County of Schaumburg was divided in 1640, Rinteln became the capital of the eastern part which retained the name Grafschaft Schaumburg hessischen Anteils . The Eulenburg in Rinteln became
168-774: The Blind getting Holstein- Plön , and the fourth Henry I receiving Holstein- Rendsburg . The eldest brother John was Canon at the Hamburg Cathedral . After the death of Gerhard II his sons Gerhard IV and his younger half-brother John III the Mild inherited and ruled in Holstein-Plön together. In 1316 the brothers militarily seized the possessions of John II the One-Eyed (d. 1321) in Holstein-Kiel, whose sons had been killed. John III
192-628: The County of Holstein-Pinneberg. After the death in 1640 of Count Otto V without children, the rule of the House of Schaumburg ended in Holstein. The County of Holstein-Pinneberg was merged under Christian IV with his royal share in the Duchy of Holstein , which is now part of the state of Schleswig-Holstein . For Christian IV and his successors see List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein#House of Oldenburg (1640–1713) The Principality of Schaumburg proper, however,
216-538: The County of Schaumburg, the titling after Schaumburg started to prevail. In 1397 after the death of their uncle Nicholas (Claus) , with whom the nephews Albert II and the elder Gerhard VI had jointly ruled Holstein-Rendsburg, they partitioned Holstein-Segeberg (aka county of Stormarn) from Holstein-Rendsburg, with Albert receiving the new branch county in return for waiving his co-rule in Rendsburg. After Albert's death in 1403 Segeberg reverted to Rendsberg. In 1459, with
240-458: The Danish squire Niels Ebbesen who had entered his bedroom together with some of his men. His death meant the end of Holstein rule in Denmark. Gerhard's two sons gave up their right to Gerhard's titles in Denmark and Valdemar IV was subsequently placed on the Danish throne. Because of his influential role in Danish politics, Gerhard has been the subject of controversy as to his legacy. In Denmark he
264-464: The Duchy of Holstein see List of rulers of Schleswig-Holstein#House of Oldenburg (1460–1544) . The Schauenburg line in the Counties of Holstein-Pinneberg and Schaumburg persisted until its extinction in the male line in 1640. This line is also known as Holstein-Schauenburg . The Counts were elevated to Princes of Schaumburg in 1619/1620, however, the Dukes of Holstein opposed the transition of that title to
SECTION 10
#1733085854338288-689: The Mild , before a second-born co-ruling count in Plön, then received Kiel from the deposed John II the One-Eyed , a cousin of his father Gerhard II the Blind . Gerhard IV continued ruling Holstein-Plön as sole count. After the death of John III's nephew Gerhard V, Count of Holstein-Plön in 1350, who had succeeded Gerhard IV, the Plön line became extinct and John III re-inherited their possessions. In 1390 his son Adolphus IX (aka VII) ruling since 1359 Kiel including Plön, died without issue and thus Nicholas (Claus) of Holstein-Rendsburg and his nephews Albert II and Gerhard VI (jointly ruling till 1397) succeeded to
312-456: The North by taking over the guardianship for his minor nephew Duke Valdemar of Schleswig . This position made him a possible ally of the dissatisfied Danish magnates and 1326 he dethroned King Christopher II together with the Danish rebels. From then until his death, he had a major influence on Danish politics. He placed his nephew, Valdemar, on the Danish throne, was made the regent of Denmark and at
336-571: The Pomeranian then received Segeberg (aka County of Stormarn ). After the death of Adolphus V, Holstein-Segeberg was reincorporated into Holstein-Kiel. After Gerhard I's death in 1290 his three younger sons partitioned Holstein-Itzehoe and Schaumburg into three branches, with Adolph VI the Elder , the third brother, getting Holstein- Pinneberg and Schaumburg south of the Elbe, the second brother Gerhard II
360-519: The county of Holstein as a boy. While he was a young man, he enlarged his inheritance by manoeuvring out his relatives and by his conquest of other parts of Holstein. These actions made him a powerful local prince. In these years he also was employed as a paid condottiere for neighbouring kings including King Eric VI of Denmark . He often partnered with his Holstein cousin Count John III, Count of Holstein-Plön . In 1325 Gerhard began his career in
384-558: The death of Adolphus XI (aka VIII) , the Rendsburg branch was extinct in the male line and the nobility of Holstein-Rendburg and of Schleswig then assigned the succession to his sister's son King Christian I of Denmark , House of Oldenburg . After King Christian I of Denmark , House of Oldenburg had been chosen as heir to the County of Holstein-Rendsburg Christian ascended to the comital throne in 1460. In 1474 Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor , elevated Christian I from Count of Holstein-Rendsburg to Duke of Holstein. For his succession in
408-505: The family of Limburg Stirum . Gemen is in today's North Rhine-Westphalia . Rinteln It is accessed by the A2 autobahn (E30). The settlement of Rinteln was founded about 1150 on the northern bank of the Weser. Later, in 1235, the village of Neu-Rinteln ("New Rinteln") was founded on the southern bank. It is the origin of the modern town, since the northern village was abandoned in 1350 due to
432-506: The latter at times also the dukes of Schleswig . After 1261 the previously jointly ruling brothers Gerhard I and the elder John I divided the Counties of Holstein and Schauenburg (Schaumburg). Gerhard I received the Counties of Holstein-Itzehoe and Schaumburg, whereas John received the County of Holstein-Kiel . After the death of John I, his sons Adolphus V and John II reigned jointly in Holstein-Kiel. In 1273 they partitioned Holstein-Kiel and John II continued ruling over Kiel; Adolphus V
456-491: The same time he secured the separation of Schleswig from Denmark by the so-called Constitutio Valdemariana which formed the basis for the long-standing German influence on South Jutland. His inability to bring peace and order led to rebellions and a conflict with Count Johan. As a result, in 1329 Gerhard replaced Valdemar with Christopher II as the puppet king . After the death of Christopher in 1332, Gerhard effectively took over as ruler of Denmark. From 1332 to 1340 Count Gerhard
480-517: The territories of Holstein-Kiel and Holstein-Plön. In 1390 the Holstein-Rendsburg line had assembled the larger part of the partitioned Holstein counties, to wit Kiel, Plön and Segeberg, but not Holstein-Pinneberg , which existed until 1640. Members of the Rendsburg family branch were often also simply titled as Counts of Holstein after 1390. For the Pinneberg family branch, usually residing in
504-436: Was founded at the beginning of the 12th century. It was named after Schauenburg Castle , near Rinteln on the Weser , where the owners started calling themselves Lords (from 1295 Counts ) of Schauenburg. Adolf I probably became the first Lord of Schauenburg in 1106. In 1110, Adolf I, Lord of Schauenburg was appointed by Lothair, Duke of Saxony to hold Holstein and Stormarn , including Hamburg , as fiefs . In
SECTION 20
#1733085854338528-679: Was partitioned among the agnatic Schauenburg heirs into three parts, one incorporated into the Principality of Lüneburg of the Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg , the second becoming the County of Schaumburg-Lippe and the third continuing the name County of Schaumburg , ruled in personal union by Hesse-Cassel . All the three are now part of the state of Lower Saxony . The Sovereign Lordship of Gemen , in 1531 acquired for Schaumburg through marriage by Jobst I , and ruled by his second-born son of Jobst II (ca. 1520–1581, regnant since 1531), passed on to
552-475: Was put under pressure from the neighbouring German states which now supported Christopher's son Valdemar (afterwards to be king Valdemar IV ). Gerhard seems to have prepared to compromise in return for his outstanding debts being dealt with but before a solution was reached in the spring of 1340 he started a new campaign against rebels in North Jutland. During the campaign, he was slain in the town of Randers by
576-473: Was the real ruler of what had been Denmark, being the lord of both Jutland and Funen , leaving the rest of the country to Johan. However, his position was insecure because he had numerous creditors who had financed his armies and therefore were able to influence him. The result was a growing opposition against the foreign rule within the Danish gentry that had earlier supported Gerhard. Peasant rebellions and lawlessness at sea led to increasing chaos and Gerhard
#337662