William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen

In the course of the dispute, armed raids on Dillenburg Castle were repeatedly planned. Shortly after the Tübingen verdict was announced, in June 1523 William had to fear that Philip "gegen ihn mobil gemacht habe, um ihn zu überziehen und zu verjagen" ("had mobilised against him in order to overrun him and drive him out"). On 1 September of the same year, he wrote to his brother Henry: "der lantgraf rüst sich ernstlich, thut ein Aufgebot über das andere und lest sich oeffentlich hoeren, er wolle mich verjagen" ("the landgrave is seriously arming himself, issuing one summons after another and is publicly announcing that he wants to expel me"). At the same time, William asked for at least 2,000 guilders, which he urgently needed for defence. A similar situation arose in 1525 and again in 1528, when Philip again took up arms with Saxony to get the County of Katzenelnbogen permanently in his hands. Then, too, William expected a surprise attack on Dillenburg.^[35] William not only had Heunstein Castle [de] and the Eschenburg occupied with his countrymen to protect his border against Hesse, but also, from about 1525, had Dillenburg Castle put in the strongest state of defence.^[65] He had new bastions built and equipped with cannons. In any case, major fortifications had been under construction since 1525, as a letter from Henry dated 2 February 1526 shows:

"Mir hat E.L. bot angezeigt, wie ir den thorn in Dillenburg oben im schloß und fast anders habt abwerfen, abgraben, verendern, bessern und stark machen lassen und des noch täglich im Werk seid. Dweil ich nu der vorigen gestalt und gelegenheit des schloß wol wissen hab, so bit ich E.L. wull mir das schloß wie ir das nu gemacht habt und zu machen fürhabt, mit den jetzigen veranderungen und befestigungen, sovil muglich, thun entwerfen und zuschreiben, damit ich das auch sehen und versteen muge." ("I have been shown by E.L.'s messenger how you have had the tower in Dillenburg at the top of the castle and almost everything else removed, excavated, repaired, improved and reinforced, and how it is still in progress daily. As I am only well acquainted with the former form of the castle, I request E.L. to design and describe to me the castle, as you have now made it and intend to make it, with the present alterations and fortifications, as far as possible, so that I may also see and understand it.").^[35]

At that time, construction of the Hohen Mauer (high wall) began under the leadership of Utz or Ulrich von Anspach, who had been Burgrave of Ginsburg Castle [de] since 1516.^[19][66] Given the slowness of work at the time, it must have taken years to complete such a colossal structure, 300m long and 20m high, which still looks like a marvel of fortress construction today. In December 1531, the construction of the wall was still in full swing, as William wrote to his brother that he had "den schweren Grundbau zur Vest erst angefangen, der noch gantz ungeendet und große Vorsehung erheischt" ("only just begun the heavy foundation work for the fortress, which is still entirely unfinished and requires great foresight"). On 24 May 1533, he again described to him his difficult situation: because the landgrave "allenthalben an ihn stoße, könnte er nit wohl sicher aus seinem Haus reiten oder gehn" ("collided with him everywhere, he could not safely ride or go out of his house") and was therefore "zu einem bau und festung höchlich verursacht" ("compelled to a construction and fortification in a high degree").^[66] How justified William's fears were is particularly evident at this time from the landgrave's attitude towards him as a member of the Schmalkaldic League, which the Protestant Imperial Estates had established to protect their faith from the Catholic party. Philip regarded William as his "ergsten und hochsten feind und widerwertigen" ("worst and greatest enemy and adversary") and in 1535 called him a "papistischen Diener" ("papist servant"), who, like his brother Henry, was "dem huse zu Burgundi anhengig" ("subservient to the House of Burgundy") and wanted to deprive him of "dem mehrsten und besten teil seines ererbten fürstentums lande und leute" ("the largest and best part of his inherited princely land and people").^[66] Meanwhile, the protracted court case had consumed a fortune, and there was no end in sight to the resulting expenditure. Defences and constant preparedness against Hesse's threats were also eroding the county's capital strength. William must have regarded his nickname the Rich as scorn in those years.^[36] For the continuation of the massive construction work money was always lacking. Even on 27 March 1536, William asked for an allowance of 20,000 guilders to purchase gunsmiths, guns, gunpowder, bullets and a sufficient garrison in the castle. The construction, which was very difficult for him, had to be completed, otherwise all other armament would be in vain. Henry promised his brother 10,000 guilders, but could only give the messenger 1,600-2,000 guilders for now, which could only "zur munition und bau und nit an andere Dinge verschwendet oder angelegt werden dürfen" ("be spent or invested on munitions and construction and not on other things"). From 1539, alongside Ulrich von Anspach was artillery master Johann Opferkampf, who at that time not only supervised all the artillery at the castle, but also cast his own cannons from models he had made in the count's carpentry workshop.^[66] In 1547, a cistern was also constructed as a precaution for a siege. As early as 1529, a fountain stood in the centre of the castle's courtyard.^[67]

In the autumn of 1551, when threatening news reached Dillenburg again and a new invasion was to be feared, especially since, as William wrote to his son Prince William of Orange on 6 December 1551, "man aus dem land zu Hessen in einem tag vor Dillenburg rucken könne" ("one could get from the land of Hesse to Dillenburg in one day"), Johann Opferkampf was hastily sent to the Netherlands "um 50–60 guter Kriegsleute auf das Haus zu bestellen und anzuwerben" ("to order and recruit 50–60 good soldiers for the castle") and at the same time urgently requesting money, gunpowder and a gunsmith. His recruitment was successful, as from early 1552 there were 60 Dutch soldiers at Dillenburg Castle, some of whom stayed there until July. At this time, the city church was also included in the fortification system of the castle and, as can still be clearly seen in the oldest images of the city, the cemetery wall was equipped with firing holes.^[66] Precautions were also taken for the security of the city at this time. The city account of 1550/51 mentions not only the conclusion of a contract with masons for the extension of the city gate, but also the expenses for four masons who worked on this gate for 74 days, in addition to about 20 residents who broke stones, threw sand and made food, and for wagoners, who brought stones and wood to the construction site with an escort crew of 52 men.^[67]

However successful William was in his role as mediator, in his own case he could not easily obtain his rights and his inheritance.^[56] Several times the opponents met to agree on an amicable settlement, but time and again Philip of Hesse broke his word. When Philip returned home after six years of imprisonment in Mechelen and asked for free passage through the County of Nassau, William, despite everything that had preceded it, granted him hospitality at Siegen Castle [de] (10 September 1552), whereby Philip "viel und hoch zur Güte erboten hatte" ("had offered much and high to goodness"). But he did not keep this promise either.^[56][65] Often the weapons threatened to speak. That is why William could never stop arming himself.^[56] The fact that there was never a Hessian attack on Dillenburg was mainly due to the extremely strong fortification of the castle, whose impregnable high wall made it unassailable at the time.^[67]

After years of fruitless negotiations, an agreement with Hesse was finally reached in Frankfurt on 30 June 1557 through the mediation of Electors Otto Henry of the Palatinate and Augustus of Saxony and the Dukes Christoph of Württemberg and William V of Jülich. Hesse paid 600,000 guilders^{[note 15]} to Nassau^[10][65] (which was less than 10% of Nassau's claims from 1555, recognised by several imperial judgements^[68]), but ceded for 150.000 guilders to Nassau:^[65] the Hessian share of the County of Diez (¼)^{[10][13][26][65]} (which had been sold by the Lords of Eppstein to the Counts of Katzenelnbogen^[13]), the districts of Camberg (¼), Altweilnau, Wehrheim (¼), Ellar [de], Driedorf, as well as half of Hadamar^[10][26][65] (i.e. Niederhadamar, or Dehrn [de]^{[note 16]}) and the Esterau [de].^[26] Castle, city and district of Herborn were freed from the ancient Hessian fealty and came entirely to Nassau.^[65][70] 450,000 guilders was to be paid by Hesse in cash and paid in such a way that 150,000 guilders was due on 28 December 1557, the remaining 300,000 guilders from 1559 to 1564 in annual payments of 45,000 guilders, the remainder of 30,000 guilders in 1565, payable in Wetzlar on Wednesday after Pentecost each time. Hesse fulfilled its payment obligations.^[65] It was significant, and it meant recognition of the legal claims of the Counts of Nassau, that they were allowed to use the title Count of Katzenelnbogen and the county's coat of arms,^[43][44][70] which area, however, definitively came to Hesse.^[44] The agreement was signed by Philip of Hesse and William, and also by William's eldest son Prince William of Orange. It was a provisional agreement; various details continued to be discussed for almost another year. In March 1558, the final agreement was signed at the Imperial Diet in Frankfurt.^[71] In April of that year, the ceded districts of Driedorf, Ellar, Hadamar and Camberg were transferred by Hesse to Nassau.^[65] This ended a dispute that had lasted more than half a century and had cost large sums of money. This can be roughly measured by the fact that Nassau had consulted 54 lawyers for the lawsuits alone.^[65][70] The greatest burden rested on William's shoulders, who was assisted in the final years by his eldest son. Nevertheless, for William the settlement brought with it a considerable enlargement of his territory, giving the area to the right of the River Lahn a considerably greater unity and completion and, with the acquisition of Altweilnau, Camberg and Wehrheim across the Lahn, his territory was now bordering the territory of the Walramian Line of the House of Nassau.^[65]

The dispute over the County of Katzenelnbogen, however, the Counts of Nassau had not only fought because of the inheritance, but also as a representative of the Imperial Estates and as an advocate of a rule of law against the emerging power states of absolute princes, of which the Landgraves of Hesse proved to be the typical representatives.^[72] The preservation of the Imperial Estates became a life task for the House of Nassau, and it may not be an exaggeration to say that without the stronghold Nassau, princely power would have removed the influence of the imperial immediate nobility, clergy and perhaps even the free imperial cities on the fate of the nation. With that, the Holy Roman Empire would have irrevocably disintegrated, but at the same time social forms of development would have emerged, as in France, for example, which were eventually to lead to a popular revolt. In the dispute over the County of Katzenelnbogen with a much stronger opponent, the Counts of Nassau acquired the strength that later enabled them to withstand the great test in the Netherlands. Although it cannot be denied that the idea of the Empire, of which the counts and other Imperial Estates were the bearers, had become bloodless in the 16th century, by opposing a princely policy that neglected the Emperor and the Empire, they saved both. The leaders of the counts and lords in this struggle were almost without exception Counts of Nassau, as if destined to do so. To show the world that they were entitled to this resistance, William's counsellor Wilhelm Knüttel, who held office in Siegen, compiled a work on the genealogy of the House of Nassau. Although it does not hold up to modern-day scrutiny, it did have an impact at the time, mainly due to his appeal to the charisma (royal salvation) that had come to Nassau through Roman King Adolf. The Counts of Nassau were helped by similar ideas in a writing prepared by the imperial counsellor Lazarus von Schwendi. Especially impressed were the counts from around the County of Nassau, namely those who had united in the Wetterauer Grafenverein.^[34]

Final years, death, burial and succession

The settlement of the dispute over the County of Katzenelnbogen and the fact that Landgrave Philip of Hesse, living in notorious bigamy, decreed the partition of Hesse at the insistence of his second wife, thereby renouncing the previously envisaged great state of Hesse that he had hitherto pursued, removed all obstacles to a settlement between Hesse and Nassau.^[34] Fact is that since then the relationship between Nassau and Hesse developed increasingly favourably.^[73] But fact also remains that the County of Nassau was financially ruined after this dispute. Against the annual income of 50,000 guilders, there were debts of 512,576 guilders. Annual interest of 25,684 guilders constituted half of the total income. Although the settlement of Frankfurt required Hesse to pay Nassau a large sum in instalments for the County of Katzenelnbogen, these payments were nowhere near enough to cover the debts.^[57]

Despite all debts, William continued to give celebrations at court. All these celebrations, however glorious, were surpassed by a feast that the castle and the city of Dillenburg have hardly experienced to this day, the triple wedding celebrations on 6 June 1559.

William outlived the Friedensschluß with Hesse by only two years.^[70] He died in Dillenburg on 6 October 1559.^{[4][11][12][13][14][15][62][70][75][note 19]} One day before his death, in his last will, signed at Dillenburg, he recorded that he wished to be buried "in der Kirchen eine, Siegen oder Dillenburg" ("in the church of Siegen or Dillenburg"), according to the wishes of his wife Juliane and his sons John, Louis, Adolf and Henry, without pomp and circumstance, but with a Leichenpredigt. The date of his funeral has remained unknown. His biography states that his burial took place in the choir of the Dillenburg parish church, i.e. the Fürstengruft [nl] in the Evangelische Stadtkirche [de].^[76] His eldest son could not attend the funeral.^[77] William was succeeded by his sons John, Louis, Adolf and Henry. Already in 1560, they divided the county, but John exercised the administration on behalf of his younger brothers.^[78] On the extinction of the House of Nassau-Beilstein [nl] with the death of Count John III in 1561, the four brothers inherited the County of Nassau-Beilstein [de].^[26] Their father had signed a house treaty with John III for this purpose in 1554.^[75]

Explanation of the nicknames

The Elder

In the time that William lived, it was not yet customary for reigning counts to be numbered, as was the case with kings. When father and son had the same given name, it was necessary to distinguish both. In this case, the father was referred to as Wilhelm der Ältere and the son as Wilhelm der Jüngere. This is similar to the still-used custom that, when father and son bear the same given name and surname, they are distinguished by the addition of the respective abbreviations Sr. (senior) and Jr. (junior) after the surname. The younger William later became known as William the Silent, Prince of Orange.

The Rich

It cannot be said with certainty what the nickname the Rich refers to,^[19][79] nor when William became known by this name.^[79] Dutch historian Reinildis van Ditzhuyzen [nl] gives as explanation for the nickname: "possibly because of his richness of children, for he was by no means wealthy".^[4] The Dutch hagiographies about William the Silent have no doubt, according to them the nickname refers "to his richness of children, for his financial prosperity was by no means remarkable".^{[note 20]} However, this explanation can easily be debunked, as German historian Alfred Lück [de] shows quite clearly that William was already called der Reiche Nassau at the time of the German Peasants' War in 1524–1525.^[36] And at that time, William had only one daughter, which can hardly be called a richness of children.
German historian Richard Kolb offers another explanation: "His contemporaries, perhaps after the Katzenelnbogen inheritance, called him the Rich".^[75] One could add that with an annual income of 50,000 guilders, as well as his possession of many iron smelters, farmsteads, meadows and arable land, William would certainly have been considered rich by his subjects.

Marriages and issue

First marriage

William married in Koblenz on 29 May 1506^{[4][12][13][note 21]} to Countess Walburga of Egmont^{[note 22]} (c. 1489^[12][13][14] – 7 March 1529^{[12][13][14][43]}), the eldest daughter of Count John III of Egmont and Countess Magdalene of Werdenberg.^[12][13][14]

From the marriage of William and Walburga, the following children were born:^{[12][13][14][43][note 23]}

1. Elisabeth (Siegen, October 1515 – Siegen (?), January 1523).
2. Magdalene (Siegen, 6 October 1522 – 18 August 1567), married on 16 July 1538 to Count Herman of Neuenahr and Moers [de] (1514 – 4 December 1578).

Second marriage

William remarried in Siegen on 20 September 1531^{[12][13][14][36][43][80][note 24]} to Countess Juliane of Stolberg-Wernigerode^{[note 25]} (Stolberg, 15 February 1506^{[11][12][13][14][80]} – Dillenburg, 18 June 1580^{[11][12][13][14][43][80]}), daughter of Count Bodo III of Stolberg-Wernigerode and Countess Anne of Eppstein-Königstein.^{[12][13][14][43][80]} Juliane previously married on 9 June 1523 to Count Philip II of Hanau-Münzenberg (17 August 1501 – 28 March 1529).^[13][14]

From the marriage of William and Juliane, the following children were born:^{[81][82][83][84]}

1. Prince
   Count of Vianden, Baron of Breda [nl
   ], etc. He married:
   1. in
      Lingen
      , etc.
   2. in Leipzig on 24 August 1561^{[note 29]} to Duchess Anne of Saxony (Dresden, 23 December 1544^{[note 30]} – Dresden, 18 December 1577). The marriage was dissolved in early 1571.
   3. in Den Briel on 12 June 1575^{[note 31]} to Duchess Charlotte de Bourbon-Montpensier (1546/47 – Antwerp, 5 May 1582).
   4. in Antwerp on 12 April 1583
      Châtillon-sur-Loing, 23 September 1555^{[note 33]} – Fontainebleau, 13 November 1620^{[note 34]}
      ).
2. Hermanna (9 August 1534 – died young).
3. Count John VI the Elder (Dillenburg, 22 November 1536^{[note 35]} – Dillenburg, 8 October 1606), succeeded his father in 1559 and inherited the County of Nassau-Beilstein in 1561. He married:
   1. in Dillenburg on 6 or 16 June 1559
      Landgravine Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg
      (March 1537 – Dillenburg, 6 July 1579).
   2. in Dillenburg on 13 September 1580 to Countess palatine
      Simmern, 9 October 1556^{[note 37]}
      – Dillenburg, 26 January 1586).
   3. in
      Berleburg on 14 June 1586 to Countess Johannette of Sayn-Wittgenstein (15 February 1561 – Hadamar,^{[11][note 38]}
      13 April 1622).
4. Count Louis (Dillenburg, 10 January 1538 – killed in action in the Battle of Mookerheyde, 14 April 1574), succeeded his father in 1559 and inherited the County of Nassau-Beilstein in 1561.
5. Mary (Dillenburg, 18 March 1539 – Ulft Castle [nl], 18/28 May 1599^{[note 39]}), married in Moers on 11 November 1556 to Count Willem IV van den Bergh ('s-Heerenberg, 24 December 1537 – Ulft Castle, 6 November 1586).
6. Count Adolf (Siegen,^{[note 40]} 11 July 1540 – killed in action in the Battle of Heiligerlee, 23 May 1568), succeeded his father in 1559 and inherited the County of Nassau-Beilstein in 1561.
7. Anne (Dillenburg, 21 September 1541 – Weilburg, 12 February 1616), married in Dillenburg on 6 or 16 June 1559^{[note 41]} to Count Albert of Nassau-Weilburg (26 December 1537 – Ottweiler, 11 November 1593).
8. Konrad of Solms-Braunfels (17 June 1540^{[note 43]} – 27 December 1592^{[note 44]}
   ).
9. Catherine (Dillenburg, 29 December 1543 – 25 December 1624), married in Arnstadt on 17 November 1560^{[note 45]} to Count Günther XLI 'Bellicosus' of Schwarzburg-Arnstadt (Arnstadt, 25 September 1529 – Antwerp, 23 May 1583).
10. Juliane (Dillenburg, 10 August 1546^{[note 46]} – 31 August 1588), married on 14 June 1575 to Count Albert VII of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (16 January 1537 – 10 April 1605).
11. Magdalene (Dillenburg, 15 December 1547 – Öhringen, 16 May 1633), married on 27 January 1567^{[note 47]} to Count Wolfgang of Hohenlohe-Weikersheim (14 June 1546 – Weikersheim, 28 March 1610).
12. Count Henry (Dillenburg, 15 October 1550 – killed in action in the Battle of Mookerheyde, 14 April 1574), succeeded his father in 1559 and inherited the County of Nassau-Beilstein in 1561.

• 
  Prince William I of Orange (1533–1584). Portrait by

  Adriaen Thomasz. Key

  , 1579. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
• 
  Count John VI of Nassau-Siegen (1536–1606). Anonymous portrait, 1610–1620. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
• 
  Count Louis of Nassau-Siegen (1538–1574). Portrait by Adriaen Thomasz. Key, 1570–1574. Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona.
• 
  Count Adolf of Nassau-Siegen (1540–1568). Anonymous portrait, 1633–1635. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
• 
  Elisabeth of Nassau-Siegen (1542–1603). Photo of an anonymous portrait. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
• 
  Juliane of Nassau-Siegen (1546–1588). Anonymous portrait. Heidecksburg.
• 
  Magdalene of Nassau-Siegen (1547–1633). Anonymous portrait.

  Weikersheim Castle

  .
• 
  Count Henry of Nassau-Siegen (1550–1574). Anonymous portrait, 1633–1635. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Illegitimate child

William had one illegitimate son:^[14][85]

1. Gottfried von Nassau (d. Kirberg [de], Good Friday 1582), Lord of Löhnberg and Camberg, commander at Beilstein 1561–1564, Hofmeister at Dillenburg 1566–1567. He married:
   1. to Anna von Wied.
   2. in 1557 to Irmgard Schlaun.
   3. c. 1577 to Ursula von Bergen genannt Kessel (d. c. 1611).

Progenitor of the Dutch royal house

William is considered to be the progenitor of the Dutch royal house. Through his eldest son, the stadtholders Maurice, Frederick Henry, William II and William III of the Dutch Republic are descendants in male line from William. And through his second son, the same applies to the stadtholders William IV and William V and the Kings William I, William II, William III and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.^{[38][86][87][88][89]}

Ancestors

Notes

References

1. ^ Becker (1983), pp. 59–61.
2. ^ Lück (1981), pp. 43–44.
3. ^ Kolb (1898), pp. 129–130.
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m} Van Ditzhuyzen (2004), p. 249.
5. ^ Becker (1983), pp. 57–58, 64–66.
6. ^ Lück (1981), pp. 43–48, 58–59.
7. ^ ^{a b c d e} Becker (1983), p. 59.
8. ^ ^{a b c} Becker (1983), p. 78.
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Lück (1981), p. 44.
10. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Kolb (1898), p. 129.
11. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Menk (1994), p. 120.
12. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Schutte (1979), p. 43.
13. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q} Dek (1970), p. 72.
14. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Dek (1968), p. 228.
15. ^ ^{a b c} Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 97.
16. ^ ^{a b c} Schutte (1979), p. 42.
17. ^ ^{a b c} Dek (1970), p. 70.
18. ^ ^{a b} Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 95.
19. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} Lück (1981), p. 41.
20. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Becker (1983), p. 55.
21. ^ Van Ditzhuyzen (2004), p. 95.
22. ^ ^{a b c} Van Ditzhuyzen (2004), p. 120.
23. ^ Van Stipriaan (2021), p. 23.
24. ^ Becker (1983), p. 13.
25. ^ Becker (1983), p. 54.
26. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Huberty, et al. (1981), p. 219.
27. ^ Lück (1981), p. 27.
28. ^ Jansen (1979), p. 37.
29. ^ Becker (1983), p. 36.
30. ^ Becker (1983), p. 31.
31. ^ Lück (1981), p. 58.
32. ^ Lück (1981), p. 61.
33. ^ Huberty, et al. (1981), p. 224.
34. ^ ^{a b c} Lück (1981), p. 59.
35. ^ ^{a b c d e} Becker (1983), p. 64.
36. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} Lück (1981), p. 43.
37. ^ ^{a b c d} Becker (1983), p. 77.
38. ^ ^{a b c} Schwennicke, Detlev (1978–1995). Europäische Stammtafeln. Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten. Neue Folge (in German). Marburg: J.A. Stargardt.
39. ^ ^{a b} Van Stipriaan (2021), p. 31.
40. ^ Aßmann & Menk (1996).
41. ^ Van Stipriaan (2021), p. 33.
42. ^ Van Stipriaan (2021), p. 21.
43. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 98.
44. ^ ^{a b c} Van Ditzhuyzen (2004), p. 250.
45. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Kolb (1898), p. 130.
46. ^ ^{a b} Becker (1983), p. 76.
47. ^ Becker (1983), pp. 76–77.
48. ^ ^{a b} Becker (1983), p. 56.
49. ^ ^{a b} Van Stipriaan (2021), p. 42.
50. ^ ^{a b c d} Van Ditzhuyzen (2004), p. 232.
51. ^ ^{a b} Lück (1981), p. 49.
52. ^ Van Stipriaan (2021), p. 43.
53. ^ Swart (1979), p. 48.
54. ^ Van Stipriaan (2021), p. 47.
55. ^ Lück (1981), pp. 44–47.
56. ^ ^{a b c d e} Lück (1981), p. 47.
57. ^ ^{a b} Lück (1981), p. 60.
58. ^ Becker (1983), pp. 59–60.
59. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Becker (1983), p. 60.
60. ^ Becker (1983), p. 61.
61. ^ Lück (1981), p. 32.
62. ^ ^{a b c d} Becker (1983), p. 57.
63. ^ Joachim, Ernst (1881). "Johann V. von Nassau-Dillenburg". Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German). Vol. Band 14. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot. p. 252.
64. ^ Becker (1983), pp. 57–58.
65. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Becker (1983), p. 58.
66. ^ ^{a b c d e} Becker (1983), p. 65.
67. ^ ^{a b c d} Becker (1983), p. 66.
68. ^ Lück (1981), pp. 47–48.
69. ^ Huberty, et al. (1981), p. 223.
70. ^ ^{a b c d e} Lück (1981), p. 48.
71. ^ Van Stipriaan (2021), p. 121.
72. ^ Lück (1981), pp. 58–59.
73. ^ Lück (1981), pp. 59–60.
74. ^ Becker (1983), pp. 56–57.
75. ^ ^{a b c} Kolb (1898), p. 131.
76. ^ Menk (1994), p. 119.
77. ^ Van Stipriaan (2021), p. 158.
78. ^ Lück (1981), p. 87.
79. ^ ^{a b} Van Stipriaan (2021), p. 722, note 3.
80. ^ ^{a b c d} Van Ditzhuyzen (2004), p. 162.
81. ^ Schutte (1979), pp. 43–44.
82. ^ Dek (1970), pp. 72–74.
83. ^ Dek (1968), pp. 228–231.
84. ^ Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), pp. 98–101.
85. ^ Dek (1970), p. 74.
86. ^ Huberty, et al. (1981).
87. ^ Schutte (1979).
88. ^ Dek (1970).
89. ^ Vorsterman van Oyen (1882).
90. ^ Schutte (1979), pp. 40–42.
91. ISBN 2-901138-01-2
    .
92. ^ Dek (1970), pp. 66–72.
93. ^ "Kwartierstaat Willem van Oranje". In: B.C. de Savornin Lohman, et al. (eds.) (1933), Prins Willem van Oranje 1533-1933 (in Dutch). Haarlem: H.D. Tjeenk Willink & Zoon N.V. between pp. 16–17.
94. ^ von Ehrenkrook, Hans Friedrich; Förster, Karl & Marchtaler, Kurt Erhard (1928). Ahnenreihen aus allen deutschen Gauen. Beilage zum Archiv für Sippenforschung und allen verwandten Gebieten (in German). Görlitz: Verlag für Sippenforschung und Wappenkunde C.A. Starke.
95. ^ Knetsch, Carl (1917). Das Haus Brabant. Genealogie der Herzoge von Brabant und der Landgrafen von Hessen (in German). Vol. I. Teil: Vom 9. Jahrhundert bis zu Philipp dem Grossmütigen. Darmstadt: Historischer Verein für das Großherzogtum Hessen.
96. ^ Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), pp. 89–97.
97. ^ von Behr, Kamill (1870) [1854]. Genealogie der in Europa regierenden Fürstenhäuser (in German) (Zweite verbesserte und ergänzte Auflage ed.). Leipzig: Verlag von Bernhard Tauchnitz.
98. ^ Textor von Haiger (1617), p. 93.

Sources

• Aßmann, Helmut & Menk, Friedhelm (1996). Auf den Spuren von Nassau und Oranien in Siegen (in German). Siegen: Gesellschaft für Stadtmarketing Siegen e.V.
• Becker, E. (1983) [1950]. Schloss und Stadt Dillenburg. Ein Gang durch ihre Geschichte in Mittelalter und Neuzeit. Zur Gedenkfeier aus Anlaß der Verleihung der Stadtrechte am 20. September 1344 herausgegeben (in German) (Neuauflage ed.). Dillenburg: Der Magistrat der Stadt Dillenburg.
• Dek, A.W.E. (1968). "De afstammelingen van Juliana van Stolberg tot aan het jaar van de Vrede van Münster". Spiegel der Historie. Maandblad voor de geschiedenis der Nederlanden (in Dutch). 1968 (7/8): 228–303.
• Dek, A.W.E. (1970). Genealogie van het Vorstenhuis Nassau (in Dutch). Zaltbommel: Europese Bibliotheek.
• Van Ditzhuyzen, Reinildis (2004) [1992]. Oranje-Nassau. Een biografisch woordenboek (in Dutch) (3rd ed.).
  ISBN 90-230-1124-4
  .
• Huberty, Michel; Giraud, Alain & Magdelaine, F. & B. (1981). l'Allemagne Dynastique (in French). Vol. Tome III: Brunswick-Nassau-Schwarzbourg.
  ISBN 2-901138-03-9
  .
• Jansen, H.P.H. (1979). "De Bredase Nassaus". In Tamse, C.A. (ed.). Nassau en Oranje in de Nederlandse geschiedenis (in Dutch).
  ISBN 90-218-2447-7
  .
• Kolb, Richard (1898). "Wilhelm (der Reiche), Graf von Nassau-Katzenellenbogen". Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (in German). Vol. Band 43. Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 129–131.
• Lück, Alfred (1981) [1967]. Siegerland und Nederland (in German) (2nd ed.). Siegen: Siegerländer Heimatverein e.V.
• Menk, Friedhelm (1994). "Die nassauischen Begräbnisstätten in der ev. Stadtkirche zu Dillenburg". In Pletz-Krehahn, Hans-Jürgen (ed.). 650 Jahre Stadt Dillenburg. Ein Text- und Bildband zum Stadtrechtsjubiläum der Oranierstadt (in German). Dillenburg: Verlag E. Weidenbach GmbH + Co. KG. pp. 119–125.
• Schutte, O. (1979). "Genealogische gegevens". In Tamse, C.A. (ed.). Nassau en Oranje in de Nederlandse geschiedenis (in Dutch).
  ISBN 90-218-2447-7
  .
• Spielmann, Christian (1909). Geschichte von Nassau (Land und Haus) von den ältesten Zeiten bis zur Gegenwart (in German). Vol. Teil 1. Politische Geschichten. Wiesbaden: P. Plauen.
• Van Stipriaan, René (2021). De Zwijger. Het leven van Willem van Oranje (in Dutch) (7th ed.).
  ISBN 978-90-214-0275-8
  .
• Swart, K.W. (1979). "Willem de Zwijger". In Tamse, C.A. (ed.). Nassau en Oranje in de Nederlandse geschiedenis (in Dutch).
  ISBN 90-218-2447-7
  .
• Textor von Haiger, Johann (1617). Nassauische Chronik. In welcher des vralt, hochlöblich, vnd weitberühmten Stamms vom Hause Naßaw, Printzen vnd Graven Genealogi oder Stammbaum: deren geburt, leben, heurath, kinder, zu Friden- vnd Kriegszeiten verzichtete sachen und thaten, absterben, und sonst denckwürdige Geschichten. Sampt einer kurtzen general Nassoviae und special Beschreibung der Graf- und Herschaften Naßaw-Catzenelnbogen, etc (in German). Herborn: Christoph Raab.
• Vorsterman van Oyen, A.A. (1882). Het vorstenhuis Oranje-Nassau. Van de vroegste tijden tot heden (in Dutch). Leiden & Utrecht: A.W. Sijthoff & J.L. Beijers.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen.

• Nassau-Dillenburg, Wilhelm der Reiche Graf von (in German). In: Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS) (in German).
• Portret van Willem de Rijke (in Dutch). In: Koninklijke Verzamelingen (Royal Dutch Collections) (in Dutch).

William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen House of Nassau-Siegen Born: 10 April 1487 Died: 6 October 1559
Regnal titles
Preceded by John V	Count of Nassau-Siegen 30 July 1516 – 6 October 1559	Succeeded by John VI the Elder Louis Adolf Henry
Preceded by John V	Count of Diez 30 July 1516 – 6 October 1559	Succeeded by John VI the Elder Louis Adolf Henry