| Balthasar of Werle | |
|---|---|
| Born | circa 1375 |
| Died | 5 April 1421 |
| Buried | Cathedral in Güstrow |
| Noble family | House of Mecklenburg |
| Father | Lorenz of Werle-Güstrow |
| Mother | Matilda of Werle-Goldberg |
Balthasar, Lord of Werle-Güstrow (c. 1375 – 5 April 1421) was Lord of Werle-Güstrow from 1393 or 1394 to 1421 and Prince of Wenden from 1418. He was the eldest son of Lorenz of Werle and Matilda of Werle-Goldberg (d. before 17 December 1402).
Güstrow is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is capital of the Rostock district.
Werle was a fiefdom in the Holy Roman Empire that was founded in 1235. In German it is known as a Herrschaft or Fürstentum (principality). It was created in the partition of territories in Mecklenburg that followed the death of Henry Borwin II of Mecklenburg.
Lorenz, Lord of Werle-Güstrow was Lord of Werle-Güstrow from 1360 to 1393. He was the eldest son of Nicholas III, Lord of Werle-Güstrow and Agnes of Mecklenburg.
After his father's death in 1393 or 1394, he initially ruled Werle-Güstrow alone, but probably together with his brother John VII from 11 December 1395 and from 1 May 1401 with his brother William. From 1 May 1418, the brothers called themselves Princes of Wenden after they found evidence of royal lineage in the chronicles of Bishop Otto of Havelberg.
John VII of Werle-Güstrow was from 1395 to 1414 Lord of Werle-Güstrow. He was the second eldest son of Lorenz, Lord of Werle-Güstrow, and Mechthild. After the death of his father Lorenz in 1393 or 1394, his brother Balthasar initially ruled alone, but from 11 December 1395 John and Balthasar ruled Werle together. From 1 May 1401, their brother William was co-ruler as well.
William of Werle, was co-regent of Werle from 1418 to 1425, then the sole ruler from 1425 until his death. After 1426, he called himself "Prince of the Wends". He was a son of Lorenz of Werle-Güstrow and his wife Matilda of Werle-Goldberg.
Baltasar died on 5 April 1421 and was buried in the Cathedral in Güstrow.
He had been engaged to Agnes, daughter of Duke Bogislaw VI of Pomerania, but they never married. He was first married on 18 October 1397 to Euphemia (d. 16 October 1417), daughter of Duke Magnus I of Mecklenburg. He later married Heilwig, daughter of Count Gerhard VI of Holstein-Rendsburg (d. before 1436). Heilwig later married Dietrich of Oldenburg.
Bogislaw VI, Duke of Pomerania was duke of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Magnus I, Duke of Mecklenburg was Duke of Mecklenburg from 1383 until his death. Magnus was the third son of Duke Albert II of Mecklenburg and his wife Euphemia of Sweden, the sister of the King Magnus IV of Sweden. Sometime after 1362, he married Elizabeth of Pomerania-Wolgast, daughter of Barnim IV, Duke of Pomerania.
Holstein-Rendsburg is the name of a county that existed from 1290 to 1459, ruled by a line of the Schauenburg family.
No children of Balthasar are known.
