Ulrich I | |
---|---|
Counts of East Frisia | |
Reign | 1464–1466 |
Predecessor | new creation |
Successor | Enno I |
Born | 1408 Norden, Lower Saxony, Germany |
Died | 25 or 26 september, 1466 Emden, East Frisia, Germany |
Spouse | Theda Ukena |
House | Cirksena |
Father | Enno Edzardisna |
Mother | Gela of Manslagt |
Ulrich I of East Frisia was the first count of East Frisia, from 1408 in Norden to 25 or 26 September 1466, in Emden. He was a son of the chieftain Enno Edzardisna of Norden and Greetsiel, and Gela of Manslagt.
His father Enno had inherited Norden's Attena, and had become headling of Norden, leaving Ulrich a large inheritance. Ulrich also received the inheritance of the respected family Cirksena through his mother Gela, daughter of Affo Beninga, headling of Pilsum and Manslagt, and Tiadeka Siartze of Berum. Gela and her cousin Frauwa Cirksena ("Sydzena") were the only heirs of the Cirksenas of Berum. Ulrich's father Enno had used the opportunity to arrange a marriage between his son from his first marriage, Ulrich's stepbrother Edzard, and Frauwe. Ulrich and Edzard took their wives' family name and arms. When Edzard and Frauwa died childless in 1441 from the plague, Ulrich inherited the holdings of the Cirksenas of Berum as well. In 1430, together with his father and eldest stepbrother Edzard, Ulrich concluded the Freiheitsbund der Sieben Ostfrieslande (Freedom-alliance of the seven East Frisian lands).
This alliance was aimed against the ruling Focko Ukena. Edzard, together with his brother Ulrich, managed to put an end to the rule of the Ukena-faction. Ulrich Cirksena also followed an advantageous marriage strategy. His first wife was Folka, only daughter and heir of headling Wibet van Esens. She transferred the lordship Esens to Ulrich in 1440. After Ulrich Cirksena's marriage to Theda, granddaughter of his opponent, in 1455, the majority of the East Frisian lands were united for the first time. Only the lordships of Jever and Friedeburg remained independent. Sibet Attena, a nephew and ally of Ulrich, received the Lordships of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund, which together formed the Harlingerland. The Harlingerland did remain under the authority of the Cirksena family.
Because Ocko I tom Brok had loaned East Frisia to the Count of Holland in 1381, the status of the ruler of East Frisia was unclear. Ulrich decided to improve his status by turning directly to the emperor. Emperor Frederick III subsequently raised Ulrich to the status of Imperial Count in 1464. The emperor granted Ulrich the imperial county in Norden, Emden, Emisgonien in East Frisia, though in return Ulrich was required to pay a large sum of money to the chancellery of the emperor, who suffered from near-constant financial troubles.
Ulrich and his second wife, Theda, had the following children:
Wittmund is a town and capital of the district of Wittmund, in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Enno III of Ostfriesland or Enno III of East Frisia was a Count of Ostfriesland from 1599 to 1625 from the Cirksena family. He was the elder son of Count Edzard II of Ostfriesland and his wife Princess Katarina of Sweden, eldest daughter of King Gustav I of Sweden.
Edzard II was Count of East Frisia from 1561 to 1599. He was the son of Enno II of East Frisia and Anna of Oldenburg.
The County of East Frisia was a county in the region of East Frisia in the northwest of the present-day German state of Lower Saxony.
Edzard I, also Edzard the Great was count of East Frisia from 1491 until his death in 1528.
Enno II of East Frisia was the son of Edzard I of East Frisia. In 1528 he became count of East Frisia. For most of his life he ruled together with Johan I of East Frisia, who remained Catholic, while Enno was Lutheran.
Anna of Oldenburg was a Countess consort of East Frisia as the spouse of Count Enno II of East Frisia. She was the Regent of East Frisia in 1542–1561 as the guardian for her minor sons, Johan II and Edzard II. Her reign lasted until 1561 and was generally supported by the Estates.
Rudolf Christian of Ostfriesland, Count of East Frisia, was count of East Frisia, and the second son of Enno III, Count of East Frisia and Anna of Holstein-Gottorp. During his reign, foreign troops participating in the Thirty Years' War began retreating into and quartering in East Frisia. Also during his reign, fen exploitation in East Frisia begins.
The House of Cirksena was the ruling family of East Frisia. They descended from a line of East Frisian chieftains from Greetsiel.
Theda Ukena was from 1466 to about 1480 regent of the County of East Frisia.
Prince Christian Everhard of East Frisia was a Prince of East Frisia from the House of Cirksena from the day he was born in 1665, but remained under guardianship until 1690.
Uko Fockena was an East Frisian chieftain of Moormerland and Emsigerland.
The Treaty of Berum was a treaty concluded on 28 January 1600 at Berum Castle, Berum, between the Count Enno III of East Frisia and the County of Rietberg, which regulated the sale of the Lordships of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund to East Frisia.
Enno Edzardisna was a chieftain of Norden, Greetsiel, Berum and Pilsum in East Frisia. He was the son of the chieftain Edzard II of Appingen-Greetsiel and his wife Doda tom Brok. Enno was a pioneer of the claim of the house Cirksena to the rule over all of East Frisia, which his son finally Ulrich I formally achieved when he was made an Imperial Count in 1464.
Enno Rudolph Brenneysen was Chancellor of East Friesland under Prince George Albert.
Berum Castle is located in the Berum district the East Frisian town of Hage in Germany. It is one of the most important sites in East Frisian history.
Sibet Attena was an East Frisian chieftain. He was a son of Sibet of Dornum and Frouwa of Manslagt, a daughter of Enno Cirksena.
The Saxon feud was a military conflict in the years 1514–1517 between the East Frisian Count Edzard I, 'West Frisian' rebels, the city of Groningen, and Charles II, Duke of Guelders on the one hand and the Imperial Frisian hereditary governor George, Duke of Saxony – replaced by Charles V of Habsburg in 1515 – and 24 German princes. The war took place predominantly on East Frisian soil and destroyed large parts of the region.
Edzard Cirksena was an East Frisian chieftain at Greetsiel, Norden, Emden and Brokmerland.