John I, Count of Waldeck

Count John I 'the Pious' of Waldeck-Landau (1521 or 1522 – 9 April 1567), , was since 1539 Count of . He was the founder of the younger cadet branch of Waldeck-Landau.

Biography Philip was born in 1521 or 1522 as the second son of Count Philip III of Waldeck-Eisenberg and his second wife Duchess Anne of Cleves. Since 1537 John studied with his elder brother in Marburg.

With the cooperation of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse, the division of the County of Waldeck was arranged by treaty on 22 November 1538. One part was awarded to the two sons of the first marriage, and Wolrad II, the other to the sons of the second marriage, Philip V, John I and . A year later, after the death of his father, John succeeded him in Landau.

The two leaders of the Schmalkaldic League, Elector John Frederick I of Saxony and Landgrave Philip I of Hesse, formed an army in the middle of 1546. The Counts of Waldeck responded to the landgrave's call for support. Emperor Charles V emerged victorious from the Schmalkaldic War on 24 April 1547 at the Battle of Mühlberg. Of the Counts of Waldeck, only Count Samuel, son of Count Philip IV of Waldeck-Wildungen, had participated; but the other Counts of Waldeck also had to come to Kassel to sign the reconciliation treaty, which the Emperor presented on 16 July 1547 to the surrendering landgrave. The subjects and servants of Hesse were also ordered to sign the treaty. John had already signed it, his relatives followed. But the Emperor did not accept the reconciliation in the case of the Counts of Waldeck. For him they were not subjects of Hesse, but Imperial Counts and therefore immediately subordinate to him.

John travelled to Augsburg with his brother Philip V, who as a Catholic clergyman had been on the side of the Protestants, and his halfbrother Wolrad II, as well as with Samuel, who had not been summoned at all. Arriving in Augsburg on 14 April 1548, weeks passed by during which the Counts of Waldeck sought – and finally found – advocates. At the end of May, however, the Emperor declared that an apology was not enough for him. Philip and John had to pay him 5,000 guilders, Wolrad even 8,000, because he had turned against the Emperor in word and deed more than the other counts, so it was said. On 22 June 1548 the Emperor drew up the pardon charter. On 12 August the Emperor also issued a letter of protection for Countess Dowager Anne and for Wolrad, Philip and John. However, the counts did not give up Protestantism. After the Peace of Augsburg of 1555, John proposed to the other counts of Waldeck to hold a meeting with all ministers in the county to improve the Lutheran church. The counts were represented at the meeting by their councillors. Preachers from Lippe were also present; the goal was to draw up a uniform Church Order for both Lippe and Waldeck. The synod decided that visitors and superintendents should be appointed in each county. After the visitors had visited all churches, another synod was convened, where the results of the visitations were discussed and the church order was prepared. The church order was decided and was printed for the first time in 1557 in Marburg.

In 1561, Jobst Schaden, who was the governor of Volkmarsen, from the Electorate of Cologne, invaded John's part of Waldeck. John I requested the assistance of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse. Due to an inheritance dispute, he had a troubled relationship with his mother. Duke William of Jülich-Cleves-Berg and landgrave Philip I mediated and a compromise was reached in 1561. His mother would administer the district of Arolsen until her death; after her death, the district would fall back to Waldeck-Landau. Also in 1561, he added a new entrance gate and a chancellery office to . After Bernard VIII died, John I became the guardian of his children.

John died in on 9 April 1567 and was buried in the church in Mengeringhausen. Philip VI (4 October 1551 – Darmstadt, 9 November 1579), succeeded his father in 1567. (, 27 June 1553 – Landau Castle, 12 March 1597), succeeded his father in 1567. Married in Arolsen on 9 December 1582 to Countess Walpurgis of Plesse (15 June 1563 – Landau, 24 March 1602). Anastasia (5 January 1555 – 19 April 1583), married in Kassel on 2 March 1579 to Count Frederick of Diepholz and Bronkhorst, Lord of Borculo (? – Lemförde, 21 September 1585). Johannes (1557 – died young). Margaret (1559 – 20 October 1580), married in Altenwildungen on 15 December 1578 to Count (Altenwildungen, 29/30 June 1557 – Altenwildungen, 23 May 1585). (1561 – Iburg, 11 March 1591), was since 1586 Bishop of Osnabrück. Agnes (ca. 1563 – Landau, 13 May 1576).

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