County of Sponheim

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The County of Sponheim was an independent territory in the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from the 11th century until the early 19th century. The name comes from the municipality of Sponheim, where the counts had their original residence.

[edit] Geography

The territory was located roughly between the rivers Rhine, Moselle and Nahe, in the present state of Rhineland-Palatinate, around the Hunsrück region. It bordered the Electorate of Trier, the Electoral Palatinate and the County of Veldenz.

[edit] History

The family of Sponheim, also of Spanheim, is documented since the 11th century. There are two main branches which are with certainty related, but whose exact relationship is still debated.

The branch of the Dukes of Carinthia descends from Siegfried I of Sponheim. The Rhenish branch which retained the County of Sponheim descends from Stephan I of Sponheim.

The county originated from various inheritances which were united in the family's hands, including possessions from the counties of Nellenburg and Stromberg.

[edit] Divisions

Around 1225 the county was divided in two, which in turn were ruled by two lines of the House of Sponheim. The line Sponheim-Starkenburg ruled over the "Rear County" based on Starkenburg, and the line Sponheim-Kreuznach over the "Front County" based on Kreuznach.

In 1437 the last line died out on the male succession, and the counties were managed in joint rule from then on until the early 19th century. The rule of the Rear County was shared between Baden and Palatinate-Simmern-Zweibrücken, the rule of the Front County between Baden and the Electoral Palatinate.

After the Napoleonic Wars, most of the county became a part of Prussia, and the region around Birkenfeld became part of Oldenburg.