# County of Regenstein

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Statelet of the Holy Roman Empire

County of Regenstein Grafschaft Regenstein 1162–1599 Coat of arms Status County Capital Derenburg Historical era Middle Ages • Partitioned from County of Blankenburg 1162 • 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 Preceded by Succeeded by County of Blankenburg Bishopric of Halberstadt

The **County of Regenstein** was a mediaeval [statelet](/source/State_of_the_Holy_Roman_Empire) of the [Holy Roman Empire](/source/Holy_Roman_Empire). It was ruled by the [Saxon](/source/Duchy_of_Saxony) comital [House of Regenstein](/source/House_of_Regenstein), named after their residence at [Regenstein Castle](/source/Regenstein_Castle) near [Blankenburg](/source/Blankenburg_(Harz)) north of the [Harz](/source/Harz) mountain range.

## History

Ruins of Regenstein Castle

The progenitor of the family, Count [Poppo I of Blankenburg](/source/Poppo_I_of_Blankenburg) (c. 1095 – 1161 or 1164) probably was related to the [Rhenish](/source/Rhenish_Franconia) Reginbodonid[1] dynasty of Archbishop [Siegfried of Mainz](/source/Siegfried_I_(archbishop_of_Mainz)) (d. 1084), a cadet branch of the Franconian [Conradines](/source/Conradines). His uncle [Reinhard of Blankenburg](/source/Reinhard_of_Blankenburg) was [Bishop of Halberstadt](/source/Bishopric_of_Halberstadt) from 1107 onwards and provided him with large estates in the Eastphalian [Harzgau](/source/Harzgau) region between the [Ilse](/source/Ilse_(Oker)) and [Bode](/source/Bode_(river)) rivers. Poppo was first documented as *[comes](/source/Comes)* in an 1128 deed, serving the Saxon duke [Lothair of Supplinburg](/source/Lothair_II%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor) and his [Welf](/source/House_of_Welf) successors. His son Conrad was the first descendant to call himself *Comes de Regenstein* in 1162, while his brother Siegfried continued to rule as [Count of Blankenburg](/source/County_of_Blankenburg).

After the deposition of the Saxon duke [Henry the Lion](/source/Henry_the_Lion) in 1180, the Regenstein counts were temporarily arrested by the forces of Emperor [Frederick Barbarossa](/source/Frederick_I%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor), but were reconciled with the [Hohenstaufen](/source/Hohenstaufen) monarch soon after. After a lengthy feud [Heimburg Castle](/source/Heimburg_Castle), built about 1170 by King [Henry IV](/source/Henry_IV%2C_Holy_Roman_Emperor) and soon after devastated during the Saxon Rebellion, was acquired by the Regenstein counts in the early 14th century. The Regenstein-Heimburg branch re-united the Regenstein and Blankenburg estates in 1343, under the rule of the most renowned Count [Albert II](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Albert_II_of_Regenstein&action=edit&redlink=1) [[de](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrecht_II._von_Regenstein)] (1310–49), who since the 1330s was frequently in dispute with the leaders of the surrounding estates like the Halberstadt bishops and the [Abbesses of Quedlinburg](/source/Quedlinburg_Abbey); he was finally assassinated by the henchmen of Bishop [Albert II of Halberstadt](/source/Albert_II_of_Halberstadt). These tales were romanticised in the [ballad](/source/Ballad) *The Robber Count* ([German](/source/German_language): *Der Raubgraf*) by [Gottfried August Bürger](/source/Gottfried_August_B%C3%BCrger), melodized by [Johann Philipp Kirnberger](/source/Johann_Philipp_Kirnberger) and the novel of the same name by [Julius Wolff](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Julius_Wolff_(1834%E2%80%931910)&action=edit&redlink=1).[2]

In the 15th century the comital family finally relocated its seat to [Blankenburg Castle](/source/Blankenburg_Castle_(Harz)); the Regenstein fortress lapsed and was left to ruin. In order to gain greater independence from the Halberstadt bishops, the counts turned [Protestant](/source/Protestant_Reformation) in 1539. The last scion of the comital family, Count John Ernest, died in 1599. With Blankenburg, the County of Regenstein fell back to the Prince-Bishopric of Halberstadt. Shortly thereafter Blankenburg and Regenstein were separated: Regenstein remained with the secularised [Principality of Halberstadt](/source/Principality_of_Halberstadt), while the remaining [County of Blankenburg](/source/County_of_Blankenburg) was annexed and held by the Dukes of [Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel](/source/Principality_of_Brunswick-Wolfenb%C3%BCttel).

## Counts of Regenstein

- Siegfried (-1073), brother of Konrad, Count of Blankenburg-Regenstein

- Henry (-1235), son

- Siegfried II (-1251), son

- Ulric, Count of Regenstein-Heimburg (-1267), brother

- Ulric III (1287–1322)

- Albert II (1310–1349), son

- Albert III (1341–1365), son

- John Ernest, Count of Blankenburg and Regenstein (-1599)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Reginbodonen](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginbodonen) (in German)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Julius Wolff](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Wolff) (in German)

v t e Lower Saxon Circle (1500–1806) of the Holy Roman Empire Ecclesiastical Bremen1 Halberstadt1 Hildesheim Lübeck Magdeburg1 Ratzeburg2 Schwerin1 Secular Bremen3 Brunswick and Lunenburg Blankenburg4 Calenberg5 Celle5 Grubenhagen6 Hanover7 Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Holstein Glückstadt Gottorp8 Pinneberg9 Mecklenburg Güstrow10 Schwerin Strelitz11 Rantzau12 Regenstein Saxe-Lauenburg5 Cities Bremen Goslar Hamburg Lübeck Mühlhausen Nordhausen 1 until 1648. 2 until 1701. 3 from 1648. 4 until 1731. 5 until 1705. 6 until 1596. 7 from 1708. 8 until 1773. 9 until 1640. 10 until 1695. 11 from 1701. 12 until 1734. Circles est. 1500: Bavarian, Swabian, Upper Rhenish, Lower Rhenish–Westphalian, Franconian, (Lower) Saxon Circles est. 1512: Austrian, Burgundian, Upper Saxon, Electoral Rhenish · Unencircled territories

[51°48′54″N 10°57′36″E / 51.815°N 10.960°E / 51.815; 10.960](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=County_of_Regenstein&params=51.815_N_10.960_E_source:dewiki)

Authority control databases VIAF

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [County of Regenstein](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_Regenstein) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_Regenstein?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.