The Grafen von Falkenstein was a dynasty of German nobility descending from the Ministeriales of Bolanden, who held land and a castle at Falkenstein in the Palatinate region.
Philipp IV of Bolanden, a treasurer to the Emperor and guardian of the Imperial Regalia at Trifels Castle, was the founder of the Falkenstein line. He married Isengard, heiress of the County of Hagen-Münzenberg in the Wetterau, in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region, and took his residence at Falkenstein Castle. Philipp henceforth became known as Philipp I of Falkenstein, his family bore the name Bolanden-Falkenstein. In 1255 they became titular counts of the land inherited by marriage from the Counts of Hagen-Münzenberg.
At Königstein im Taunus they built their new castle Neufalkenstein. The Falkensteins also inherited the town of Offenbach am Main from the Counts of Münzenberg, which they pledged to the neighbouring Imperial city of Frankfurt am Main for the sum of 1,000 Gulden in 1372.
The last Count Werner III of Falkenstein was Archbishop of Trier from 1388 until his death in 1418. He is remembered for his provocation against the citizens of Frankfurt by developing rivalry with that town and Offenbach. Upon his death the Falkenstein male line became extinct. Their landed estates were inherited by the Lords of Eppstein as well as the Counts of Solms.
Falkenstein or Falckenstein may refer to:
Königstein im Taunus is a health spa and lies on the thickly wooded slopes of the Taunus in Hesse, Germany. The town is part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area. Owing to its advantageous location for both scenery and transport on the edge of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region, Königstein is a favourite residential town. Neighbouring places are Kronberg im Taunus, Glashütten, Schwalbach am Taunus, Bad Soden am Taunus and Kelkheim.
The Wetterau is a fertile undulating tract, watered by the Wetter, a tributary of the Nidda River, in the western German state of Hesse, between the hilly province Oberhessen and the north-western Taunus mountains.
Dreieich is a town in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany. The town is part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area and is located roughly 10 km (6.2 mi) south of downtown Frankfurt am Main. With a population of more than 40,000 it is the district’s second largest town.
Langen is a town of roughly 39,000 in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. The town is between Darmstadt and Frankfurt am Main and part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area. Langen is headquarters to Deutsche Flugsicherung, and is also home to the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, a Federal institute for the evaluation and supervision of sera and vaccines in Germany.
The County of Hanau was a territory within the Holy Roman Empire, evolved out of the Lordship of Hanau in 1429. From 1456 to 1642 and from 1685 to 1712 it was divided into the County of Hanau-Münzenberg and the County of Hanau-Lichtenberg. After both lines became extinct the County of Hanau-Münzenberg was inherited by the Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, the County of Hanau-Lichtenberg by the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1736.
The Wheel of Mainz or Mainzer Rad, in German, was the coat of arms of the Archbishopric of Mainz and thus also of the Electorate of Mainz (Kurmainz), in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It consists of a silver wheel with six spokes on a red background. The wheel can also be found in stonemasons' carvings and similar objects. Currently, the City of Mainz uses a double wheel connected by a silver cross.
Egelsbach is a community of 11,000 in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.
Falkenstein is a municipality in the Donnersbergkreis district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The castle was the seat of the Counts of Falkenstein.
Reipoltskirchen is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Kusel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde Lauterecken-Wolfstein.
Münzenberg Castle is a ruined hill castle in the town of the same name in the Wetteraukreis, Hesse, Germany. It dates from the 12th century. It is one of the best preserved castles from the High Middle Ages in Germany.
Philipp Ludwig I, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg succeeded his father in the government of the County of Hanau-Münzenberg in 1561.
Philipp IV of Hanau-Lichtenberg was from 1538 to 1590 the reigning Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg. Before his accession he had already conducted government business on behalf of his father, Count Philipp III. He was very interested in alchemy.
The Lordship of Hanau was a territory within the Holy Roman Empire. In 1429 it was promoted to become a county.
Lord Ulrich III of Hanau was Lord of Hanau from 1346 until his death. He was also governor in the Wetterau.
Ulrich I, Lord of Hanau was the ruling Lord of Hanau from 1281 until his death.
The County of Hanau-Münzenberg was a territory within the Holy Roman Empire. It emerged when the County of Hanau was divided in 1458, the other part being the county of Hanau-Lichtenberg. Due to common heirs, both counties were merged from 1642 to 1685 and from 1712 to 1736. In 1736 the last member of the House of Hanau died and the Landgrave of Hessen-Kassel inherited the county.
Falkenstein Castle, also called New Falkenstein (Neu-Falkenstein), is a ruined hill castle at 450 m above sea level (NHN) in the eponymous climatic spa of Falkenstein, a quarter of Königstein im Taunus in the county of Hochtaunuskreis in the German state of Hesse.
Philip III of Falkenstein, Lord of Falkenstein, Münzenberg and Lich, Hesse was a member of the Lich line of the Falkenstein dynasty, son of Werner I of Falkenstein, Lord of Münzenberg and Falkenstein, who founded the Lich line, and his wife Mechtild of Diez.
Falkenstein Castle is a ruined hill castle dating to the Middle Ages. It is situated above the eponymous village of Falkenstein on the Donnersberg, the highest point in the Palatinate region, which rises within the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.