The Arnstein family was a noble family from the Saxony-Anhalt region in Germany.
The Lords (or Counts) of Arnstein descended from the Swabian von Steusslingen family; their first known member was Walter of Steusslingen (died 1056).[1] Walter was the father of Adalbero,[2] who was in turn father of Werner, Bishop of Münster, and also of Walter I, the first lord of Arnstein in Saxony. Their family name was originally spelled Arnstedt, but were later called Arnstein,[3] [4] this last name possibly deriving from the castle they owned, or the land they ruled.
In 1135 they moved to Saxony and built their first known residence: Arnstein Castle, near Aschersleben on the Eastern Harz river.[5] The use of the title Count of Arnstein goes back to the end of the 12th century. In 1289, Walter von Arnstein was burgrave of Freckleben.
The Arnstein dynasty owned land in Mühlingen, in the County of Mansfeld, in the Archbishopric of Magdeburg and in Quedlinburg Abbey (of which they were sub-bailiffs). The Counts of Mühlingen and probably also the Counts of Falkenstein are said to have descended from the family.
See also: Lordship of Ruppin. In 1196, the three children of Walter III (1150–1196) and his wife Gertrude of Ballenstedt (granddaughter of Albert the Bear, divided their patrimony:
This line was the last to be extinct. After the death of August Louis in 1659, the family's main possessions were inherited by Saxe-Weissenfels[10] and Anhalt-Zerbst.
The coat of arms of the main line of the family shows a silver, gold-armored eagle in black or red.
< | ---Arnstein---> | |
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Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin (1196–1524) | Lordship of Arnstein (1107–1296) | Lordship of Barby-Mühlingen (1196–1497) Raised to: County of Barby-Mühlingen (1497–1659) |
Annexed to Falkenstein | ||
Annexed to Brandenburg | ||
Annexed to Saxe-Weissenfels and Anhalt | ||
(Note: The rulers in the table follow a single counting (as costumary in sources that call Albert X to the count of Barby who died in 1588), in spite of the different parts from where they ruled. This is not, however, a unanimous point of view; some authors choose to individualize the numberings according to the part; that's why, for example, Albert VII of Barby can be also called by some as Albert III).
Ruler | Born | Reign | Ruling part | Consort | Death | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
c.1060? Son of Adalbero of Steusslingen and Judith | c.1090 – 16 February 1126 | County of Arnstein | Unknown at least one child | 16 February 1126 Kulm aged 65–66? | Probably the founder of the family. | ||
c.1110? Son of Walter I | 16 February 1126 – 18 April 1176 | County of Arnstein | Irmgard of Plotzkau (d.1 September 1161) at least one child | 18 April 1176 aged 65–66? | |||
c.1140? Son of Walter II and Irmgard of Plotzkau | 18 April 1176 – 1196 | County of Arnstein | Gertrude of Ballenstedt (d.1194) seven children | 1196 aged 55–56? | |||
c.1180? First son of Walter III and Gertrude of Ballenstedt | 1196 – 1240 | County of Arnstein | Matilda of Blankenburg-Regenstein (d.1267) seven children | 1240 aged 59–60? | Sons of Walter III, divided their inheritance. | ||
c.1180? Second son of Walter III and Gertrude of Ballenstedt | 1196 – 9 March 1256 | Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin | Hedwig of Hirscher-Siebenburgen (1225–1271) 1211 three children | 9 March 1256 aged 75–76? | |||
c.1180? Third son of Walter III and Gertrude of Ballenstedt | 18 April 1176 – 1259 | Lordship of Barby-Mühlingen | Luitgard of Querfurt-Magdeburg (d.6 May 1293) seven children | c.1255 aged 74–75? | |||
1219 Son of Albert I and Matilda of Blankenburg-Regenstein | 1240 – 27 October 1268 | County of Arnstein | Margaret of Kranichfeld (d.1290) three children | 27 October 1268 aged 48–49 | |||
1212[11] First son of Gebhard and Hedwig of Hirscher-Siebenburgen | 9 March 1256 – 1284 | Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin | Euphemia of Rügen (1216-?) three children | 1284 aged 71–72 | Children of Gebhard, ruled jointly. | ||
c.1215? Second son of Gebhard and Hedwig of Hirscher-Siebenburgen | 9 March 1256 – 1279 | Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin | Unmarried | 1279 aged 63–64? | |||
c.1220? First son of Walter IV and Luitgard of Querfurt-Magdeburg | 1259 – 1271 | Lordship of Barby-Mühlingen | Unknown three children | 1271 aged 50–51? | Children of Walter IV, ruled jointly. | ||
c.1220? Second son of Walter IV and Luitgard of Querfurt-Magdeburg | 1259 – 6 November 1285 | Unmarried | 6 November 1285 aged 64–65? | ||||
c.1220? Third son of Walter IV and Luitgard of Querfurt-Magdeburg | 1259 – 24 November 1271 | Sophia of Woldenburg four children | 24 November 1271 aged 50–51? | ||||
c.1220? Fourth son of Walter IV and Luitgard of Querfurt-Magdeburg | 1259 – 1285 | Luitgard of Werberg (d.23 October ?) no children | 1285 aged 64–65? | ||||
1240 Son of Walter V and Margaret of Kranichfeld | 27 October 1268 – 1279 | County of Arnstein | Matilda of Mansfeld-Querfurt (1235–1289) seven children | 1279 aged 38–39 | |||
c.1260? First son of Albert II and Matilda of Mansfeld-Querfurt | 1279 – 1296 | County of Arnstein | Unmarried | 1310 aged 49–50? | Children of Albert II, ruled jointly. In 1296, Walter abdicated to join the Teutonic Order. | ||
c.1260? Second son of Albert II and Matilda of Mansfeld-Querfurt | 1279 – 1284 | 1284 aged 23–24? | |||||
1260 First son of Günther I and Euphemia of Rügen | 1284 – 1316 | Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin | Adelaide of Schladen (d.1322) four children | 1316 aged 55–56 | Children of Günther I, ruled jointly. | ||
c.1260 Second son of Günther I and Euphemia of Rügen | 1284 – 1311 | Elisabeth of Holstein[12] (d.1318) c.1305 three children | 1311 aged 50–51 | ||||
c.1250? Son of Walter VII | 6 November 1285 – 1312 | Lordship of Barby-Mühlingen | Luitgard of Hohnstein (d.1279) four children | 1312 aged 50–51? | Cousins, ruled jointly. | ||
Burkhard III[13] | c.1250? First son of Burkhard II and Sophia of Woldenburg | 6 Novembre 1285 – 10 December 1308 | Clementia of Dassel-Ninofer (d.1321) four children | 10 DEcember 1308 aged 34–35? | |||
c.1250? Second son of Burkhard II and Sophia of Woldenburg | 6 November 1285 – 19 September 1313 | Elisabeth of Henneberg-Coburg (1291–1307) 1303 Coburg no children | 19 September 1313 aged 50–51? | ||||
c.1260? Daughter of Albert II and Matilda of Mansfeld-Querfurt | 1296 – 1332 | County of Arnstein | Otto IV, Count of Falkenstein (d.1328) 29 June 1281 six children | 1332 aged 71–72? | Through her marriage, her inheritance fell to the House of Falkenstein. | ||
Arnstein annexed to Falkenstein | |||||||
1271 Son of Albert IV and Luitgard of Hohnstein | 19 September 1313 – August 1332 | Lordship of Barby-Mühlingen | Judith of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg (1306-11 September 1352) four children | 18 July[14] or August 1332 aged 61–62 | |||
1315 First son of Ulrich I and Adelaide of Schladen | 1316 – 3 February 1356 | Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin | Agnes of Anhalt-Zerbst (d.1352) 1324 five children | 3 February 1356 aged 40–41 | Children of Ulrich I, ruled jointly. It's possible that Burkhard IV's son, Burkhard, ascended with his cousins as Burkhard V, and then abdicated when he became Bishop of Havelberg. Proving this is the fact that, as Bishop, he was still titled Count of Lindow-Ruppin, which opens the possibility that he kept the co-rulership even after becoming Bishop. | ||
c.1315? Second son of Ulrich I and Adelaide of Schladen | 1316 – 1343 | Luitgard of Mecklenburg 1318 no children | 1343 aged 27–28? | ||||
c.1310? Son of Burkhard IV and Elisabeth of Holstein | 1316 – 1348 | Unmarried | 30 January 1370 aged 59–60? | ||||
Albert VII[15] | 20 January 1320 First son of Albert V and Judith of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg | August 1332 – 16 February 1358 | Lordship of Barby-Mühlingen | Judith of Anhalt-Zerbst (d.11 September 1352) four children | 16 February 1358 aged 38 | Children of Albert V, ruled jointly. | |
c.1320? Second son of Albert V and Judith of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg | August 1332 – 18 August 1404 | Constance (d.25 April 1372) two children Dorothea of Gleichen (d.13 December 1385) 4 August 1393 one child | 18 August 1404 aged 83–84? | ||||
1330 [16] First son of Ulrich II and Agnes of Anhalt-Zerbst | 3 February 1356 – 29 April 1391 | Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin | Sophia of Werle-Goldberg (1333–1384) 1324 five children | 29 April 1391 aged 60–61 | Children of Ulrich I, ruled jointly. | ||
c.1330? Second son of Ulrich I and Adelaide of Schladen | 3 February 1356 – 2 April 1359 | Unmarried | 2 April 1359 aged 28–29? | ||||
c.1330? [17] Third son of Ulrich I and Adelaide of Schladen | 3 February 1356 – 1356 | 1356 aged 25–26? | |||||
c.1330? Fourth son of Ulrich I and Adelaide of Schladen | 3 February 1356 – 1358 | 1358 aged 27–28? | |||||
c.1370? First son of Albert VI and Sophia of Werle-Goldberg | 29 April 1391 – 7 September 1416 | Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin | Cordula of Wernigerode (1386-11 September 1419) one child | 7 September 1416 aged 45–46? | Children of Albert VI, ruled jointly. | ||
c.1370? Second son of Albert VI and Sophia of Werle-Goldberg | 29 April 1391 – c.1400? | Unmarried | c.1400? aged 29–30? | ||||
c.1370? Third son of Albert VI and Sophia of Werle-Goldberg | c.1400? aged 29–30? | ||||||
John II | c.1380 Son of Günther IV and Constance | 18 August 1404 – 1407 | Lordship of Barby-Mühlingen | Judith of Anhalt-Zerbst (d.11 September 1352) four children | 1407 aged 38 | Children of Günther IV, ruled jointly. | |
c.1395 Second son of Günther IV and Dorothea of Gleichen | 18 August 1404 – 1 April 1420 | Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst (d.1419) 1415 one child | 1 April 1420 near Magdeburg aged 24–25 | ||||
Regency of Cordula of Wernigerode (1416-1420) | |||||||
1406 Son of Günther V and Cordula of Wernigerode | 7 September 1416 – June 1460 | Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin | Catharina of Lubin (1400-11 JUne 1424) 1 August 1423 no children Anna of Zagan (1408-4 November 1437) 1424/34 five children Margaret of Pomerania-Stettin 26 May 1439 one child | June 1460 aged 53–54 | |||
Regency of George I, Prince of Anhalt-Dessau (1420-1435) | Ascended as a minor. From 1460, he associated his sons in co-rulership. | ||||||
1417 Son of Burkhard VI and Sophia of Anhalt-Zerbst[18] | 1 April 1420 – 19 November 1493 | Lordship of Barby-Mühlingen | Catharina of Regenstein-Blankenburg (d.20 January 1455) 1441 five children Sophia of Anhalt-Köthen (c.1420-after 1470) c.1455 seven children | 19 November 1493 aged 75–76 | |||
John IV[19] | 1444 Second son of Günther VI and Catharina of Regenstein-Blankenburg | 1460 – 1481 | Unmarried | 1481 Vienna aged 36–37 | |||
1446 Third son of Günther VI and Catharina of Regenstein-Blankenburg | 1460 – 7 November 1481 | 7 November 1481 aged 34–35 | |||||
c.1440? First son of Albert VIII and Anna of Zagan | June 1460 – 1 May 1499 | Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin | Anna of Stolberg (21 August 1458 – 26 October 1526) no children | 7 September 1416 aged 45–46? | Children of Albert VIII, ruled jointly. | ||
c.1445? Second son of Albert VIII and Anna of Zagan | June 1460 – 14 June 1500 | Ursula of Barby-Mühlingen (1457–1484) 1472 two children Anna of Saxe-Lauenburg (d. 9 August 1504) February 1490 no children | 14 June 1500 aged 54–55? | ||||
Burkhard VII | 1442 First son of Günther VI and Catharina of Regenstein-Blankenburg | 19 November 1493 – 3 November 1505 | Lordship of Barby-Mühlingen (until 1497) County of Barby-Mühlingen (from 1497) | Magdalena of Mecklenburg-Stargard 14 July 1482 twelve children | 3 November 1505 aged 75–76 | Ruled with his father and brothers probably since c.1460. | |
1474 [20] Son of John II and Ursula of Barby-Mühlingen | 14 June 1500 – 14 February 1507 | Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin | Margaret of Hohnstein (d.15 October 1508) one child | 14 February 1507 aged 26–27 | |||
1484 First son of Burkhard V and Magdalena of Mecklenburg-Stargard | 3 November 1505 –3 December 1515 | County of Barby-Mühlingen | Unmarried | 3 December 1515 aged 30–31 | Children of Burkhard V, ruled jointly. | ||
1486 Second son of Burkhard V and Magdalena of Mecklenburg-Stargard | 3 November 1505 – 27 October 1535 | 27 October 1535 aged 48–49 | |||||
1496 Seventh son of Burkhard V and Magdalena of Mecklenburg-Stargard | 3 November 1505 – 13 April 1523 | 13 April 1523 Magdeburg aged 38–39 | |||||
Wolfgang I | 1502 Barby Tenth son of Burkhard V and Magdalena of Mecklenburg-Stargard | 3 November 1505 – 24 January 1564 | Agnes of Mansfeld-Mittelort 23/27 January 1526 Seeburg sixteen children | 24 January 1564 Barby aged 61–62 | |||
Regency of Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg (1507-1520) | Left no descendants. After his death, his inheritance was absorbed by the Margraviate of Brandenburg. | ||||||
c.1500 [21] Son of Joachim and Margaret of Hohnstein | 14 February 1507 – 28 March 1524 | Lordship of Lindow-Ruppin | Unmarried | 28 March 1524 aged 23–24 | |||
Lindow-Ruppin annexed to Brandenburg | |||||||
Wolfgang II | 21 December 1531 Barby Second son of Wolfgang I and Agnes of Mansfeld-Mittelort | 24 January 1564 – 23 March 1615 | County of Barby-Mühlingen | Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst 19 July 1570 Bernburg one child Anna of Mansfeld-Hinterort (1555-30 July 1575) 1 July 1575 Schleiz no children Marie Jacqueline of Baden-Durlach (October 1514 – 1592) 9 February 1577 Weimar no children Elisabeth of Kummerstedt (d.21 June 1621) 25 March 1593 no children | 23 March 1615 Barby aged 83 | Children of Wolfgang I, ruled jointly. | |
Albert X | 15 February 1534 Barby Fourth son of Wolfgang I and Agnes of Mansfeld-Mittelort | 24 January 1564 – 28 May 1588 | Maria of Anhalt-Zerbst 25 August 1559 two children | 28 May 1588 Barby aged 54 | |||
7 February 1536 Barby Fifth son of Wolfgang I and Agnes of Mansfeld-Mittelort | 24 January 1564 – 28 May 1588 | Unmarried | 2 June 1586 Barby aged 50 | ||||
Günther VII | 17 October 1541 Barby Eighth son of Wolfgang I and Agnes of Mansfeld-Mittelort | 24 January 1564 – 25 September 1572 | 25 September 1572 Copenhagen aged 30 | ||||
Jobst II | 8 May 1544 Barby Tenth son of Wolfgang I and Agnes of Mansfeld-Mittelort | 24 January 1564 – 9 August 1609 | Anna of Pomerania-Stettin 23 September 1576 no children Anna of Pomerania-Stettin 23 September 1576 no children Sophia of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 30 March 1595 Rudolstadt three children | 9 August 1609 Rosenburg aged 65 | |||
Albert Frederick | 28 February 1597 Rosenburg First son of Jobst II and Sophia of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt | 23 March 1615 – 7 December 1641 | County of Barby-Mühlingen (at Rosenburg and Mühlingen) | Sophia Ursula of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst 17 March 1633 five children | 7 December 1641 Rosenburg aged 44 | Children of Jobst II, divided their inheritance. | |
Jobst Günther | 15 October 1598 Mühlingen Second son of Jobst II and Sophia of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt | 23 March 1615 – 19 April 1651 | County of Barby-Mühlingen (at Barby) | Unmarried | 19 April 1651 Walternienburg aged 52 | ||
Barby reattached to Mühlingen | |||||||
August Louis | 5 August 1639 Rosenburg Son of Albert Frederick and Sophia Ursula of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst | 7 December 1641 – 17 October 1659 | County of Barby-Mühlingen (at Rosenburg and Mühlingen) | Unmarried | 17 October 1659 Wolfenbüttel aged 20 | ||
Barby-Mühlingen divided between Anhalt-Zerbst and Saxe-Weissenfels | |||||||