List of counts of East Frisia

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East Frisian coat of arms Arms of the house of Cirksena (2).svg
East Frisian coat of arms

The counts and princes of East Frisia from the noble East Frisian family 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.

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The most important ruler from the House of Cirksena was Edzard the Great (1462–1528), under whose leadership the Imperial County of East Frisia reached its greatest extent. During his reign the Reformation spread throughout East Frisia.

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.

Medieval chieftains in East Frisia

Broke / Marienhafe

Tom Brok family

Dornum / Nesse

Attena family

Emden

Faldern

Greetsiel / Norden

Cirksena family

  •  ?-1430: Liudward
  • 1430-1450: Enno Edzardisna, son-in-law
  • 1450-1466: Ulrich, son, in 1464 was raised to Count.

Innhausen / Östringen

Langwarden / Innhausen / Knyphausen

Lütetsburg / Pewsum

Neermoor / Leer

Ukena  [ de ] family

Osterhusen

Allena family

Rüstringen / Bant

Wirdum

Counts of East Frisia

House of Cirksena

Table of rulers

RulerBornReignDeathRuling partConsortNotes
Ulrich I UllrichI.jpg 14081464-146626 September 1466 East Frisia A first wife
no children

Theda Ukena
1455
six children		First Count of East Frisia. Emperor Frederick III raised Ulrich to the status of Imperial Count in 1464.
Regency of Theda Ukena (1466-1480)Had no descendants. The county went to his brother.
Enno I Enno I (graf Vostochnoi Frislandii).png 1 June 14601466-149119 February 1491 East Frisia Unmarried
Edzard I the Great Jacob Cornelisz van Amsterdam.jpg 15 January 14621491-152814 February 1528 East Frisia Elisabeth of Rietberg
(1470-1512)
1498
three children		Second son of Ulrich I and Theda Ukena.
Enno II Enno II Ostfriesland msu-0036.jpg 15051528-154024 September 1540 East Frisia Anna of Oldenburg
1530
six children		Eldest son of the previous. He had a brother:
  • 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.
Regency of Anna of Oldenburg (1540-1561)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.
Edzard II Edzardii.jpg 24 June 15321540-15991 March 1599 East Frisia Catherine of Sweden
1 October 1559
Stockholm
ten children
Johan II 29 September 15381540-159129 September 1591 East Frisia Unmarried
Catherine of Sweden Katarinawasaofl.jpg 6 June 15391599-161021 December 1610 East Frisia
(at Berum and Norden)		 Edzard II
1 October 1559
Stockholm
ten children		Inherited from her husband some towns in East Frisia, which she ruled autonomously. After her death, her domains were reabsorbed in the county.
Enno III Ennoeastfrisia-optimiert.jpg 30 September 15631586-1600

1599-1625		19 August 1625 Rietberg


East Frisia 		Walburgis, Countess of Rietberg
28 January 1581
three children

Anna of Holstein-Gottorp
28 January 1598
three children		Probably inherited Rietberg from his first wife. The Treaty of Berum (1600) formally divided the inheritance of Walburga between her daughters, and Sabina Catharina got the County of Rietberg.
Sabina Catharina 11 August 15821600-161831 May 1618 Rietberg John III, Count of Rietberg
3 March 1601
eleven children		Daughter of Walburgis and Enno III, inherited Rietberg from her mother. Married her paternal uncle, so the county stayed in the family.
John III 15661618-162531 May 1618 Rietberg Sabina Catharina, Countess of Rietberg
3 March 1601
eleven children		Brother of Enno III, ruled Rietberg after the death of his wife and niece.
Rudolph Christian Rudolf Christian-k.jpg 2 June 16021625-162817 April 1628 East Frisia UnmarriedSon of Enno III, and half-brother of Sabina Catharina. Left no descendants. The county passed to his brother.
Ernest Christopher 1 April 16061625-164031 December 1640 Rietberg Albertine Marie of St. Martin
10 November 1626
no children		Son of Sabina Catharina and John III. Left no descendants. The county passed to his brother.
Ulrich II Ulrichiiostf.jpg 6 July 16051628-16481 November 1648 East Frisia Juliana of Hesse-Darmstadt
5 March 1631
three children		Brother of Rudolph Christian.
John IV 31 May 16181640-16607 August 1660 Rietberg Anna Catharina Ernestine of Salm-Reiferscheid
1647
five children		Brother of Ernest Christopher.
Regency of Juliana of Hesse-Darmstadt (1648-1651)In 1654, the county was raised to a principality. Had no male descendants, and the principality passed to his brother.
Enno Louis Ennoludwig.jpg 29 October 16321648-16604 April 1660 East Frisia Juliana Sophia of Barby-Mühlingen
(14 April 1636 - 12 August 1677)
7 November 1656
two children
Regency of Anna Catharina Ernestine of Salm-Reiferscheid (1660-1666)Left no descendants. The county passed to his brother.
Frederick William 16 September 16501660-16777 October 1677 Rietberg Unmarried
George Christian Georgchristian.jpg 6 February 16341660-16656 June 1665 East Frisia Christine Charlotte of Württemberg
14 May 1662
three children		Brother of Enno Louis.
Regency of Christine Charlotte of Württemberg (1665-1690)
Christian Everhard the Peaceable Christianeberhard.jpg 1 October 16651665-170830 June 1708 East Frisia Eberhadine Sophie of Oettingen-Oettingen
(16 August 1666-30 October 1700)
7 November 1656
ten children

Anna Juliana of Kleinau
(1674-1727)
1701
one child
Francis Adolph William 13 November 16511677-168015 March 1690 Rietberg UnmarriedBrother 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.
Regency of Canon Francis Adolph William, Count of Rietberg (1680-1685)
Ferdinand Maximilian 8 May 16531680-168710 June 1687 Rietberg Johannetta Elizabeth Franziska of Manderscheid-Blankenheim
(26 September 1663-29 April 1704)
4 October 1685
Blankenheim
one child
Regencies of Canon Francis Adolph William, Count of Rietberg (1687-1690) and Friedrich Christian von Plettenberg and Hermann Werner von Wolff-Metternich zur Gracht (1690-1702, imperial appointment)Daughter of Ferdinand Maximilian, after her death the county was inherited by the Kaunitz family.
Maria Ernestina Franziska Maria Ernestine Francisca von Rietberg.jpg 1 August 16861687-17581 January 1758 Rietberg Maximilian Ulrich von Kaunitz
6 August 1699
sixteen children
George Albert Georg Albrecht Cirksena, by Johann Conrad Eichler (1680-1748).jpg 13 June 16901708-173412 June 1734 East Frisia Christine Louise of Nassau-Idstein
(31 March 1691 – 13 April 1723)
24 September 1709
Idstein
five children

Sophie Caroline of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
8 December 1723
Berum
no children
Charles Edzard Carledzard.jpg 18 June 17161734-174425 May 1744 East Frisia Sophie Wilhelmine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth
(8 July 1714 - 7 September 1749)
25 June 1734
one child		The son of Georg Albrecht and the last Fürst of East Frisia of the House of Cirksena. He died without issue.After the death of the last Prince of East Frisia, the state was conquered by King Frederick II of Prussia.
East Frisia annexed to Prussia

See also

Literature

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