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The High Nobility and the Imperial Constitution

The Last years of the Holy Roman Empire

The Napoleonic Germany


Copyright © V. Rozn 1999-2009
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Last updated: Nov 5, 2008



Bentheim

The House of Bentheim descended from the ancient noble family of Götterswick [4: tome III; p.342-343] [10: Band IV; t.1-3] [9: 1919; p.115-117].

In 1421, Everwin / Eberwin of Götterswick (+1454), inherited the Imperial immediate County of Bentheim.
Everwin of Götterswick, Count of Bentheim, acquired the Imperial immediate Lordship of Steinfurt through his marriage to Mechtild of Steinfurt (+1420).

In 1495, the Roman Emperor elevated Steinfurt to the rank of County.

Everwin III (+1562), Count of Bentheim & Steinfurt, acquired the Imperial immediate County of Tecklenburg and the Lordship of Rheda through his marriage to Anna of Tecklenburg (+1582).

Arnold III (+1606), Count of Bentheim, Tecklenburg & Steinfurt, acquired the Imperial immediate County of the Lower Limburg / Hohenlimburg and other possessions of the House of Neuenahr through his marriage to Magdalena of Neuenahr (+1626).

Adolf (+1623) and Arnold-Jobst (+1643), the sons of Count Arnold III and Magdalena of Neuenahr, divided the family possessions and founded, respectively, the branches of Bentheim-Tecklenburg and Bentheim-Steinfurt.




1. Bentheim-Tecklenburg -1808]

By the division of the family possessions Count Adolf (+1623), who founded the branch of Bentheim-Tecklenburg, received Tecklenburg, the Lower Limburg and Rheda.

In 1699, the Count of Bentheim-Tecklenburg ceded some portions of Tecklenburg and of Rheda to the Count of Solms-Braunfels.
In 1707, the Count of Solms-Braunfels ceded his rights to the King of Prussia [1].

In 1729, by "the Accord of Tecklenburg" / "Tecklenburger Vergleich" Count of Bentheim-Tecklenburg sold his rights in Tecklenburg to the King of Prussia. The Count of Bentheim-Tecklenburg retained Rheda and the Lower Limburg. The King of Prussia ceded his rights of Territorial Supremacy over the County of the Lower Limburg.

In Aug 1806, with the abdication of the Roman Emperor, the suzerainty of the Holy Roman Empire over the Count of Bentheim-Tecklenburg's possessions ended.

In 1808, the Count of Bentheim-Tecklenburg lost his status of territorial ruler when the Grand Duchy of Berg mediatized Rheda [12: Band 1; p.38, 40].

In 1817, the King of Prussia granted Count Emil-Friedrich-Karl (+1837) and all of his descendents the title of Prince of Bentheim-Tecklenburg.

Notes:
1. "That the county of Tecklenburg, after the death of Count Conrad, came by his daughter and heiress Anna to the Counts of Bentheim, and in the division of 1591 fell to Count Adolphus, has been related above under the county of Bentheim. In this place we are only further to add that the brothers and sisters of the said Count Conrad, and in particular his sister Anna, who was married to Count Philip of Solms, laid claim to the allodial county of Tecklenburg, and that her son Conrad, Count of Solms, in the year 1577 commenced a suit with Bentheim on this account, which was succeeded by an advantageous sentence of the chamber-indicatory in 1686 in favor of Solms-Braunfels, by which three eighths of the county of Tecklenburg, and the seigniory of Rheda, together with all the incomes thereof, which had been enjoyed since the carrying on the process were adjudged to him; to the actual possession of which three eighths he also arrived in the year 1698. In 1699 it was stipulated between Johann Adolphus, Count of Bentheim-Tecklenburg, and William Maurice, Count of Solms and Tecklenburg, at Lengerich, that the latter on account of the incomes of the county which had been adjudged to him from the commencement of the process till the year 1698 would now have the whole citadel of Tecklenburg, together with three fourths of the county of Tecklenburg, and one fourth of the citadel and seigniory of Rheda, but that Bentheim-Tecklenburg would retain one fourth of the county of Tecklenburg, and three fourths of the citadel and seigniory of Rheda. This stipulation was confirmed, moreover, in the same year by both parties at Braunfels, as also by the Emperor. But the only son of the above-mentioned Count John Adolphus, by name Johann Augustus and to whom the father, on account of his advanced age ceded the county in the year 1700, dying in the following year 1701, and thus Frederick Maurice of Bentheim-Hohen-Limburg and brother to Johann Adolphus, arriving to the government of Tecklenburg and Rheda; the latter, who had nothing to do with the above-mentioned stipulation, commenced the process a-new at the aulic-council of the Empire; upon which Solms-Braunfels in 1707 disposed of its right to the King of Prussia, who upon this took possession of the whole county" [14: volume IV; p.463].




List of the Rulers

Moritz-Kasimir II (1735-1805) [1768-1805]
Moritz-Kasimir III (1764-Apr 1806) [1805-1806]
Emil-Friedrich-Karl (1765-1837) [1806-1808]




Titles [1: Theil III; p.936]

>-1808

Count of Bentheim, Tecklenburg, Steinfurt & Limburg,
Lord of Rheda, Wevelinghoven, Hoya, Alpen, Helpenstein,
Baron of Lennep,
Hereditary Advocate / Erbvogt of Köln;




Territorial Possessions in 1789 [2: p.31, 44]

The Imperial Circle of the Lower Rhine-Westphalia:
- the Lower Limburg / Hohenlimburg / Limburg an der Lenne;

Outside Imperial Circles:
- Rheda;




Territorial Acquisitions and Losses since 1789

- In 1806, the French army occupied Hohenlimburg.

- In 1808, Hohenlimburg was mediatized by the Grand Duchy of Berg.








2. Bentheim-Steinfurt

By the division of the family possessions Count Arnold-Jobst (+1643), who founded the branch of Bentheim-Steinfurt, received Bentheim and Steinfurt.

In 1643, Ernst-Wilhelm (+1693) and Philipp-Konrad (+1668), the sons of Count Arnold-Jobst, divided the family possessions, and founded, respectively, the branches of Bentheim-Steinfurt and Bentheim-Bentheim.




2.1. Bentheim-Steinfurt -1806]

Count Ernst-Wilhelm (+1693), received Bentheim and continued the direct branch of Bentheim-Steinfurt.

In 1693, Ernst (+1713), a son of Ernst-Wilhelm, exchanged Bentheim for Steinfurt with his first cousin Arnold-Moritz-Wilhelm.

In July 1806, the Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt lost his status of Imperial immediate ruler when his possessions were mediatized by the Confederation of the Rhine Act.

In Jan 1817, the King of Prussia granted Count Ludwig (+1817) and all of his descendents the title of Prince of Bentheim & Steinfurt.




List of the Rulers

Ludwig (1756- Aug 1817) [1780-1806]




Titles [1: Theil III; p.936]

>-1808

Count of Bentheim, Tecklenburg, Steinfurt & Limburg,
Lord of Rheda, Wevelinghoven, Hoya, Alpen, Helpenstein,
Baron of Lennep,
Hereditary Advocate / Erbvogt of Köln;




Voices in the Imperial Circle assemblies in 1789 [2: p.14] [1: Theil III; p.941]

The Imperial Circle of the Lower Rhine-Westphalia:
- Bentheim-Steinfurt;




Voices in the Imperial Assembly in 1789 [1: Theil III; p.941] [2: p.44] [6: p.702]

Curial voices in the Council of Princes:
= the Counts of Westphalia =
- Bentheim-Steinfurt;




Territorial Possessions in 1789 [2: p.14] [6: p.702] [11: Heft II; p.146]

The Imperial Circle of the Lower Rhine-Westphalia:
- Steinfurt;




Territorial Acquisitions and Losses since 1789

- In Feb 1803, the Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt inherited the rights of the extinct branch of Bentheim-Bentheim.

- In 1803, the French army occupied Bentheim that was mortgaged to the Elector of Hanover (who was also King of Great Britain).
In 1804, the Count of Bentheim-Steinfurt made a bargain with the Government of France. He paid a fraction of the old debt of the Count of Bentheim-Bentheim to Hanover and obtained the possession of the County of Bentheim despite the protest of the Elector of Hanover [13: vol. LXVI (1804); p.791].








2.2. Bentheim-Bentheim +1803

Philipp-Konrad (+1668), a son of Count Arnold-Jobst, received Steinfurt and founded the branch of Bentheim-Bentheim.
In 1693, his son Arnold-Moritz-Wilhelm (+1701) exchanged Steinfurt for Bentheim with his first cousin Ernst.

In 1753, Count Friedrich-Karl-Philip mortgaged the County of Bentheim to the Elector of Hanover [13: vol. LXVI (1804); p.791].

In 1803, with the death of Friedrich-Karl-Philip, the Bentheim-Bentheim branch became extinct.




List of the Rulers

Friedrich-Karl-Philipp (1725-1803) [1731-1753]




Titles [1: Theil III; p.936]

>-1808

Count of Bentheim, Tecklenburg, Steinfurt & Limburg,
Lord of Rheda, Wevelinghoven, Hoya, Alpen, Helpenstein,
Baron of Lennep,
Hereditary Advocate / Erbvogt of Köln;




Voices in the Imperial Circle assemblies in 1789 [2: p.14] [1: Theil III; p.936-937]

The Imperial Circle of the Lower Rhine-Westphalia:
- Bentheim-Bentheim (-);




Voices in the Imperial Assembly in 1789 [1: Theil III; p.936-937][2: p.44] [6: p.702]

Curial voices in the Council of Princes:
= the Counts of Westphalia =
- Bentheim-Bentheim;




Territorial Possessions in 1789 [2: p.14] [6: p.702]

The Imperial Circle of the Lower Rhine-Westphalia:
- (mortgaged to Hanover) Bentheim;




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