Werle

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Herrschaft Werle (de)
Lordship of Werle
State of the Holy Roman Empire
←
1235 – 1436 →
Location of Werle
Map of the first partition of Mecklenburg, showing Werle-Güstrow (    western) and Werle-Waren (    eastern) in green, mainly surrounded by the Duchy of Mecklenburg (    sandy-coloured).
Capital Werle be Güstrow
Language(s) Pomeranian Low German
Government Principality
Historical era Middle Ages
 - Established 1235
 - Partitioned: W-Güstrow
    and W-Parchim		  
1277–1307
 - Partitioned: W-Güstrow
    and W-Goldberg		  
1316–74
 - W-Güstrow partitioned
    to create W-Waren		  
1337–1425
 - Reverted to Mecklenburg September 7, 1436

Werle (or Wenden) was a principality in the Holy Roman Empire that was founded in 1235. It was created in the partition of territories in Mecklenburg that followed the death of Henry Borwin II of Mecklenburg (d. 1226).

The princely House of Werle was a spur line from the House of Mecklenburg line of the Obotrites. The principality lay in the area around Güstrow in today's Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, and stretched eastward to Müritz. It was named after the then-capital Werle be Güstrow, now in Werle, a village in Kassow, Bad Doberan.

The principality collapsed several times into separate dominions. In 1277 it was divided among the sons of the first prince, into Werle-Güstrow and Werle-Parchim. In 1307, both were reunited by Nicholas II, but they were divided again in 1316 into Werle-Güstrow and Werle-Goldberg. In 1337, Werle-Waren split off from the Werle-Güstrow line. With the death of the William, the last prince on September 7, 1436, the principality once again reverted to Mecklenburg. The title of Prince of Werle was thenceforth carried by all rulers of Mecklenburg. Werle is represented in one of the seven fields of the coat of arms of Mecklenburg.

[edit] List of princes

  • Nicholas I Prince of Werle (1227–1277) (son of Henry Borwin II of Mecklenburg)
  • Henry I, Prince of Werle-Güstrow (1277–1291) (son of Nicholas I)
  • John I, Prince of Werle-Parchim (1277–1283) (son of Nicholas I)
  • Bernard I, Prince of Werle (d. 1286) (son of Nicholas I)
  • Henry II, Prince of Werle in Penzlin, (1291–1307) (son of Henry I)
  • Nicholas II, Prince of Werle (1283–1316) (son of John I)
  • John II, Prince of Werle-Güstrow (1316–1337) (son of John I)
  • John III, Prince of Werle-Goldberg (1316–1350), d. 1352 (son of Nicholas II)
  • Nicholas III, Prince of Werle-Güstrow (1337–1360) (son of John II)
  • Bernard II, Prince of Werle-Waren (1337–1382) (son of John II)
  • Nicholas IV, Prince of Werle-Goldberg (1350–1354) (son of John III)
  • Lorenz, Prince of Werle-Güstrow (1360–1393) (son of Nicholas III)
  • John V, Prince of Werle-Güstrow (1360–1377) (son of Nicholas III)
  • John VI, Prince of Werle-Waren (1382–1385/95) (son of Bernard II)
  • John IV, Prince of Werle-Goldberg (1354–1374) (son of Nicholas IV)
  • Balthasar, Prince of Werle-Güstrow (1393–1421) (son of Lorenz)
  • John VII, Prince of Werle-Güstrow (1393–1414) (son of Lorenz)
  • William, Prince of Werle-Güstrow, Prince of Wenden (1393–1436) (son of Lorenz)
  • Nicholas V, Prince of Werle-Waren (1385/95–1408) (son of John VI)
  • Christoph, Prince of Werle-Waren (1385/95–1425) (son of John VI)

[edit] External links


This article was translated from the corresponding article on the German Wikipedia on February 20, 2007.
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