Biography.guide
Home › People › Count › William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen
Portrait of William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen

William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen

1478 – 1559

Count of Henneberg

Count
Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen

Lived 1478 – 1559 (aged 80). William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen was a count.

Princely count William IV of Henneberg-Schleusingen (29 January 1478 – 24 January 1559), a member of the House of Henneberg, was a ruler of the Principality of Henneberg, within the Holy Roman Empire.

The son of William III of Henneberg, William inherited the Principality of Henneberg on 26 May 1480, when his father died, and reigned until his own death nearly eighty years later, on 24 January 1559.

William married Anastasia of Brandenburg, a daughter of Albrecht III Achilles, Elector of Brandenburg.

In 1543–1544, William embraced the Protestant Reformation. In 1554, he signed a treaty of inheritance with John Frederick II, Duke of Saxony. William died in Salorno five years later. However, when his successor George Ernest, the last Prince of Henneberg, died, both the Ernestine and the Albertine branches of the Wettin dynasty claimed his estates. In 1660, they were finally divided between the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Gotha and the Albertine Maurice of Saxe-Zeitz, while the lordship of Schmalkalden went to William IV, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, honouring an inheritance treaty of 1360.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Count
Also known as
Wilhelm IV, Graf von Henneberg-Schleusingen 1480-1559, Wilhelm IV Graf von Henneberg

Family & relationships

Parent
Henry the Peaceful, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Parent
William III, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen's

Frequently asked questions

Who was William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen?

Count of Henneberg (1480-1559)

When was William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen born?

William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen was born on 29 January 1478.

When did William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen die?

William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen died on 24 January 1559 in Salorno sulla Strada del Vino.

What was William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen's occupation?

William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen was a count.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen

· Wikidata: Q16854422

· DBpedia: William IV, Princely count of Henneberg-Schleusingen

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen. https://biography.guide/william-iv-count-of-henneberg-schleusingen/

MLA: "William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-iv-count-of-henneberg-schleusingen/.

Chicago: "William IV, Count of Henneberg-Schleusingen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-iv-count-of-henneberg-schleusingen/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:07 UTC