Ulrich of East Frisia

Ulrich of East Frisia (1499 - 1531 in Hasselt) was the eldest son of Count Edzard I of East Frisia and Countess Elisabeth of Rietberg. As the firstborn son, he was originally designated to succeed his father as ruler of the County of East Frisia. However, after returning from Spain, Ulrich became mentally incapacitated and was declared unfit to govern. As a result, his younger brother Enno II was appointed heir to the county instead.

Life

Early life Ulrich was born as the eldest son of Edzard I, Count of East Frisia and Elisabeth of Rietberg, daughter of Count John I of Rietberg. As the eldest son, Ulrich was raised as the expected successor to the County of East Frisia.

Chamberlain of Charles V

In 1518 Ulrich accompanied his father, Count Edzard I, to the court of Charles II of Burgundy, the future Emperor Charles V. Charles appointed the young count as one of his chamberlains and granted him an annual pension of 1,000 guilders. When Edzard returned to East Frisia, Ulrich remained at the royal court and accompanied Charles to Spain. According to Eggerik Beninga, Edzard continued to send financial support to his son during his stay abroad.

Incapacity

The decisive turning point in Ulrich's life occurred after his return from Spain. Tileman Dothias Wiarda records that Ulrich "became mentally incapacitated" after returning from Spain. Because Ulrich was considered incapable of ruling, Count Edzard altered the succession. After consulting his councillors and the estates, Edzard reaffirmed the succession ordinance of 1512 and, on 6 December 1527, formally appointed his second son Enno as future ruler of East Frisia. Should Enno die without legitimate heirs, the succession was to pass to the youngest brother, Johan. In the official declaration, Edzard did not explicitly refer to Ulrich's mental condition. Instead, he diplomatically stated that Ulrich was not inclined to bear the burdens of government, thereby preserving the dignity of his eldest son.

Later life and death

After being passed over in the succession, Ulrich withdrew from public life. He resided at the monastery of Hasselt during the final years of his life. There is no indication in the contemporary chronicles that he exercised any further political influence after Count Edzard I had appointed his younger brother Enno as heir to the County of East Frisia. The exact date of Ulrich's death is uncertain.

Ancestors