George III, Count of Erbach (15 July 1548 – 26 February 1605), was Count of Erbach in Lauterbach and Breuberg.
George III, Count of Erbach | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 July 1548 Erbach |
| Died | 26 February 1605 (aged 56) Erbach |
| Buried | City Church in Michelstadt |
| Noble family | House of Erbach |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Amalia of Sayn Anna of Solms-Laubach Dorothea of Reuss-Obergreiz Maria of Barby-Mühlingen |
| Father | Eberhard XII, Count of Erbach-Freienstein |
| Mother | Margareta of Dhaun |
Born in Erbach, he was the fifth and youngest child but only son of Eberhard XII, Count of Erbach-Freienstein and Margareta, a daughter of Count Philipp of Salm, Wild- and Rhinegrave of Dhaun.
Life
editAround 1560, the Elector Palatine enfeoffed George III (jointly with his father and his uncle Valentin II, Count of Erbach-Schönberg) with the district of Wildenstein.
After the death of his uncle George II, Count of Erbach-Reichenberg in 1569, George III reunited all the Erbach family possessions. Among the properties that he inherited was noted Reichenberg Castle, which he converted into a Renaissance-style fortress.
Between 1588 and 1590 he expanded Fürstenau Castle, which became the seat of his government.
George III died in Erbach aged 56 and was buried in the Stadtkirche of Michelstadt, where in 1678 a family tomb for the counts of Erbach would be constructed.
After his death, his sons divided the territory:
- Frederick Magnus (1575–1618) inherited Fürstenau and Reichenberg.[citation needed]
- John Casimir (1584–1627) inherited Breuberg and Wildenstein.[citation needed]
- Louis I (1579–1643) inherited parts of Erbach and Freienstein.[citation needed]
- George Albert I (1597–1647), inherited Schönberg and Seeheim.[citation needed]
After Frederick Magnus's died without surviving male issue, in 1623 his brothers divided his share among themselves: John Casimir received Fürstenau, Louis received Michelstadt and Bad König, and George Albert received Reichenberg.
When John Casimir died unmarried in 1627, Louis received Wildenstein and George Albert received Fürstenau. When Louis died in 1643 without surviving male issue, George Albert inherited his possessions, thereby reuniting the Erbach possessions once again.
Family
editOn 27 July 1567, George III married, firstly, Anna Amalia (c. 1551 – 13 July 1571), a daughter of Count Johann IX of Sayn and his second wife Anna of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg.[citation needed] This marriage remained childless.[citation needed]
On 15 July 1572, George III married, secondly, Anna (11 April 1557 – 8 December 1586), a daughter of Frederick Magnus, Count of Solms-Laubach-Sonnenwalde and his wife Agnes of Wied.[citation needed]They had twelve children.[citation needed]
In Greiz on 11 November 1587, George III married, thirdly, Dorothea (28 October 1566 – 26 October 1591), a daughter of Heinrich XV Reuss, Lord of Greiz-Obergreiz and his wife Marie Salome of Oettingen.[citation needed] They had three children.[citation needed]
In Korbach on 2 August 1592, George III married, fourthly, Maria (8 April 1563 – 29 December 1619), widow of Count Josias I of Waldeck-Eisenberg and a daughter of Count Albert X of Barby-Mühlingen and his wife Maria of Anhalt-Zerbst (1 December 1538 – 25 April 1563), herself a daughter of John V of Anhalt-Zerbst and Margaret of Brandenburg, Duchess of Pomerania. They had six children.[citation needed]