County of Regenstein

This article is about the county. For its ruling family, see House of Regenstein. For the castle, see Regenstein Castle.
County of Regenstein
Grafschaft Regenstein
State of the Holy Roman Empire

1160–1599


Coat of arms

Capital Derenburg
Government County
Historical era Middle Ages
   Partitioned from
    County of Blankenburg
 
1160 1160
  County of
    Regenstein-Heimburg
 
1366
  Personal union
    with Blankenburg
 
1368
  Joined
    Lower Saxon Circle
1500
   Fell to
    Bishopric of Halberstadt
 
1599 1599
  Acquired by
    Brandenburg-Prussia
1648

The County of Regenstein was a mediaeval statelet of the Holy Roman Empire.

History

Ruins of Regenstein Castle

The counts of Regenstein Castle near Heimburg were first mentioned in an 1169 deed, with Count Conrad of Regenstein, son of Poppo I, Count of Blankenburg (1095–1164), himself a nephew of Count Reinhard, Bishop of Halberstadt from the Ripuarian House of Reginbodo.[1]

The most renowned Count of Regenstein was Albert II (1310–49),[2] who in the 1330s was frequently in dispute with the leaders of the surrounding estates like the Halberstadt bishops and the abbess of Quedlinburg. These tales were romanticised in the ballad The Robber Count (German: Der Raubgraf) by Gottfried August Bürger, melodized by Johann Philipp Kirnberger and the novel of the same name by Julius Wolff.[3]

In the 15th century the comital family relocated its seat to Blankenburg; Regenstein Castle lapsed and was left to ruin. The last scion of the comital family, Count John Ernest, died in 1599. With Blankenburg it fell back to the Bishopric of Halberstadt. Shortly thereafter Blankenburg and Regenstein were separated. Regenstein remained with Halberstadt, while Blankenburg was annexed and held by the Dukes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.

Counts of Regenstein

Notes

The following articles do not yet exist on the English Wikipedia, but do exist on the German Wikipedia:

Coordinates: 51°48′54″N 10°57′36″E / 51.815°N 10.960°E / 51.815; 10.960


  1. Reginbodonen (German)
  2. Albrecht II. von Regenstein (German)
  3. Julius Wolff (German)
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