County of Rantzau

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Imperial County of Rantzau
Reichsgrafschaft Rantzau
1650–1864
COA-family-da-Rantzau.svg
Coat of arms
StatusImperial county
Capital Barmstedt
History 
 Established
1650
 Acquired by Denmark-Norway
9 April 1726
 Mediatised to Prussia
1864
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Sin escudo.svg Holstein-Gottorp
Kingdom of Prussia Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg

The Imperial County of Rantzau (German : Reichsgrafschaft Rantzau) was an immediate state of the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from 1650 to 1864. Its territory is more or less congruent with the present Amt Rantzau.

Contents

History

Map of the County of Rantzau (c. 1860) Karte der Grafschaft Rantzau.tif
Map of the County of Rantzau (c.1860)

In 1650, Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, sold his part of the Lordship of Pinneberg, which had formerly belonged to the County of Schauenburg, to Count Christian zu Rantzau  [ de ] (1614–1663), royal Danish governor of Holstein. In 1650 or 1651, Rantzau became an immediate county and state of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1726, it was annexed by the Danish rulers, after Wilhelm Adolf, Count of Rantzau  [ de ] (1688-1734), had murdered his brothers and was imprisoned. Wilhelm Adolf died in 1733 and Rantzau was inherited by the Duchy of Holstein, which was reigned by the Danish kings and its secundogenitures.

Origin in the House of Holstein

Holstein
Holstein-Kiel
(1261–1390)
Holstein-Itzehoe
(1261–1300)
Holstein-Segeberg
(1273-1308)
Holstein-Plön
(1300–1390)
Holstein-Rendsburg
(1300–1459)
Holstein-Pinneberg
(1300–1640)
Duchy of
Holstein
(from 1474)
Imperial County of Rantzau
(1650–1726)

References