John I of Nassau-Siegen

Count John I of Nassau-Siegen ( – 4 September 1416), , was since 1362 Count of Nassau-Siegen (a part of the County of Nassau). He descended from the Ottonian Line of the House of Nassau.

John was involved in numerous feuds throughout his life. The chivalric spirit of that time created a multitude of unions and alliances. John was a co-founder or at least an active member of several of these alliances, always ready for quarrels and knightly combat. Through negotiations, and when necessary also through skilfully conducted feuds, he secured his country many kinds of benefits, for example income from old, hitherto little-used Rhine tolls. In this way, the courageous count not only kept his father's inheritance unbroken and even debt-free during difficult times and a long life, but also triumphed over his opponents, who wanted to shorten and challenge it, sometimes in the open field, sometimes before courts of arbitration.

During his long, mostly restless reign, he not only made lucrative acquisitions of various kinds, but also expanded the possessions of his house, John amply compensated the losses his unfortunate father had inflicted by overcoming great obstacles.

Biography John was born as the eldest son of Count Otto II of Nassau-Siegen and Countess Adelaide of Vianden.

When John's father was killed in action between 6 December 1350 and 25 January 1351, John succeeded him as Count of Nassau-Siegen. As John was still a minor, his mother assumed regency over the county. This clever and energetic woman, endeavoured to gradually settle the numerous feuds inherited by her and her son with the local noble families, the powerful lords of , Walderdorff and , although she herself did not disdain to take up the gauntlet forced upon her on one occasion or another. On the other hand, she also resolved many of the pledges entered into by her husband. The conflict with sword and lance was followed by a legal dispute, before a settlement was concluded in 1357 The beneficial consequences of peace and tranquillity became apparent in the next few years. Adelaide and her son, as it seems, sought satisfaction for the aforementioned debt of Emperor Charles IV to the toll of the Electorate of Mainz at Oberlahnstein, which was closest to them. In any case, they had even older claims on the Electorate of Mainz, probably dating back to Roman King Louis IV's time. As usual, a feud ensued. In the autumn of 1362, Archbishop , invaded Nassau-Siegen with 500 horsemen, each of whom, according to the custom of the time, were accompanied by a few armed footmen. The long known belligerent peasants of the Rheingau scorched, looted and devastated the county, but had to retreat across the Rhine when the floods came, to prevent being cut off. Furthermore, Landgrave Henry had obtained the feudal lordship over Driedorf in 1348 and now, after the death of Count , took occasion from the idiocy of Count to treat this district as an open fief and to seize a part of it for himself. There was also a dispute between them about the of Nassau, a fief acquired by purchase by Hesse, and which John wanted to obtain as forfeited.

In another feud, against Lord John of Westerburg, John was captured with 44 horsemen near in 1370 and only released after paying a ransom of 10,000 guilders. Meanwhile, the war with Hesse lasted until around 1373 and was conducted according to the custom of the time. The Sterners invaded Hesse several times, devastated and plundered as much as they could and then retreated with the booty to their castles. In all this, the first and main purpose of the Sternerbund was not achieved. Landgrave Herman remained in possession of the co-regency and was Landgrave Henry's only successor after his death. John achieved just as little of his original intention. The Sterners were unable to assert his right to Driedorf.

Roman King Wenceslaus. Detail from the Wenceslas Bible, 1390s. John was invested with the by imperial vicar Wenceslaus of Bohemia on 27 July 1369. The Electorate of Cologne, however, was and remained in possession of the county, and was able to effect the enfeoffment over it from Emperor Charles IV in 1371. John, involved in several disputes around this time, had to let his claims based on an earlier enfeoffment rest for the time being. The archbishop, however, retained his right to Siegen as well as John did with his right to Arnsberg. This very honourable prerogative carried with it the authority to ensure the preservation of the land peace and public safety in the name of the Emperor, to execute the imperial ban on disobedient persons and, finally, to assemble an armed force under the imperial banner against disturbers of the peace or outlaws. It is unknown how this right came to John, probably it was due to his claim to Arnsberg. What is certain, is that from 1392 onwards John granted his vassals, the , the right to fly this storm flag in the event that he did not go into the field in person.

John exchanged inheritance claims for toll concessions for the city of Siegen with Duke William II of Jülich, thus promoting Siegen's already brisk trade with the Netherlands. William was related to King Edward III of England. Probably through William's mediation, the English royal decrees came about that allowed Siegen's citizens to trade in England undisturbed and with many privileges, and to live according to their own morals and customs. They were exempt from taxes for fortification and city gate tolls. In the Hundred Years' War, noblemen from the Siegerland also fought on the English side. For the time being, John was inaugurated in the name of his son in the entire County of Diez, and the administration of Kirberg, Camberg, and Wehrheim was transferred to him for eight years in such a way that, if after the expiry of this period the debts paid by John would exceed the income from these districts and lordships, the administration would continue even longer. Nothing remained for Gerhard but de facto sovereignty and the assignment of ecclesiastical and secular fiefdoms. John had to seek dispensation from the Pope for this marriage, because the betrothed were related in the fourth degree, great-grandchildren of the brothers Henry I of Nassau-Siegen and Emicho I of Nassau-Hadamar.

John used the feud with Count John III of Sayn-Wittgenstein to extend his feudal rights over parts of the County of Wittgenstein to its entire territory. John III had incurred the enmity of all his neighbours through devastating invasions of the surrounding lands. In 1390, Landgrave Herman of Hesse and John I united with several of the nobility, the lords of and Hatzfeld, against John III, in order to finally put a stop to his mischief, which had been encouraged by the almost uninterrupted war unrest in Hesse, Nassau and the entire region for a long time. His impassable, mountainous and wooded country, however, provided John III with such safe havens that he could only be defeated after two years. He was taken to Dillenburg Castle as a prisoner and, through the intercession of his friends, was released for a short time, but had to take an oath to surrender himself again at this castle after the expiry of the time limit, Friday after Easter 1392. He had to swear to the whole treaty and had to renounce all claims from his ancestors and pay a ransom of 1000 gold guilders to avoid a new imprisonment. In addition, he had to abandon all his serfs in Nassau-Siegen and to waive the consequence in respect of the future overdrafts, cede to Nassau-Siegen free hunting and fishing in the County of Wittgenstein with the right to redeem all Wittgenstein pledges, and also open all of his castles to John I.

Disagreements with the counts of Solms over Greifenstein eventually led in 1395 to the purchase of this lordship from Count Engelbert of Sayn-Wittgenstein with the permission of the feudal lord, the Bishop of Worms; but for the time being, there was no real takeover. John gained territorial expansion through the succession dispute over the County of Nassau-Hadamar, which were feuds with Count Rupert of Nassau-Sonnenberg and the counts Diether VIII and John IV of Katzenelnbogen. the Esterau and Dietkirchen. on 4 September 1416. He was buried in near Hilchenbach. who had already agreed on a joint continuation of the government However, the intended division did not take place: Adolf had no male offspring, the elder John was not married, the younger of the same name was a clergyman; it was to be expected that a division would not last long. to Countess (

From the marriage of John and Margaret the following children were born: Count Adolf I (1362 – 12 June 1420), succeeded his father as Count of Nassau-Siegen. He married: (marriage contract 30 November 1376 ) to Countess Jutta of Diez (after 1367 – 14 August 1397). in 1402 to Kunigonda of Isenburg-Limburg . Count John II with the Helmet , succeeded his father as Count of Nassau-Siegen. Count Engelbert I (Dillenburg (?), – Breda, 3 May 1442), succeeded his father as Count of Nassau-Siegen. He married in Breda on 1 August 1403 to Lady Joanne of Polanen (10 January 1392 – 15 May 1445). Henry, mentioned in 1389 as student in Cologne, in 1399 as provost in Xanten; last mentioned in 1401. Count John III the Younger , succeeded his father as Count of Nassau-Siegen.

Ancestors