The counts and princes of East Frisia from the East Frisian noble House of Cirksena descended from a line of East Frisian chieftains from Greetsiel. The county came into existence when Emperor Frederick III raised Ulrich I the son of a local chieftain to the status of Imperial Count in 1464.
In 1654 the Cirksena were elevated to princes by the emperor. Charles Edzard, the last ruler from the House of Cirksena, died without issue during the night of 25/26 May 1744 (reportedly from a glass of buttermilk, which is said to have drunk after a hunt). Immediately thereafter, the county passed to King Frederick II of Prussia.
Johan I of East Frisia: their father, Edzard I had introduced primogeniture in the county of East Frisia, so that Enno II inherited the county alone. Johan had to hold back. Despite his ambitions, he always acknowledged his brother's rights and did not dispute the inheritance. Despite this, Johan is counted as I.
Sons of Enno II, ruled together, until 1561 under regency of their mother. This coregency implies that the primogenture law issued by their grandfather, Edzard the Great, may have been revoked.
Probably inherited Rietberg from his first wife, or ruled it in name of his daughter. The Treaty of Berum (1600) formally divided the inheritance of Walburga between her daughters, and Sabina Catharina got the County of Rietberg.
Inherited Rietberg from her mother, and ruled it apparently in name only (she was a minor by the time of her mother's death) until 1600. The county was only awarded to her by the Treaty of Berum (1600).
Brother of Frederick William, abdicated to become a canon, but remained regent for his younger brother (despite he was already an adult), and would return for the regency if his niece.
Tielke, Dr. Martin (Hrsg.): Biographisches Lexikon für East Frisia, Bd. 1 ISBN3-925365-75-3 (1993), Bd. 2 ISBN3-932206-00-2 (1997), Bd. 3 ISBN3-932206-22-3 (2001) Ostfries. Landschaftliche Verl.- u. Vertriebsges. Aurich
Martin Jhering: Hofleben in East Frisia. Die Fürstenresidenz Aurich im Jahre 1728, Hannover 2005
Heinrich Reimers: East Frisia bis zum Aussterben seines Fürstenhauses, Bremen 1925
Ernst Esselborn: Das Geschlecht Cirksena, Berlin 1945
F. Wachter: Das Erbe der Cirksena. Ein Stück ostfriesischer Geschichte und des Kampfes um die Vorherrschaft in Norddeutschland., Aurich 1921
↑ Counted II after his uncle Johan I, who didn't reign.
↑ Nominally ruling since the death of her mother in 1586.
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