Adolf I. Count de la Mark (German: Adolf I. Graf von der Mark und Krickenbeck)(c. 1194 – 28 June 1249), until 1226 a.k.a. Adolf I. Count of Altena-Mark, son of Frederick I, Count of Berg-Altena and Alveradis of Krickenbeck, daughter of Reiner of Krieckenbeck-Millendonk.[1][2]
Adolf belonged to the line of Berg-Altena and was founder of the new noble branch of the Counts de la Mark. Following the year 1226, he reunited the lands of the Counts of Berg-Altena, which had been in possession of various sidelines of the family ever since the dividing of their heritage in 1180, thereby forming the county of Mark with its capital city of Hamm. Moreover, Adolf I. was reeve of the monasteries Cappenberg and Werden.
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Adolf's date of birth is unclear. Commonly accepted is the year 1194,[3][4][5] though sometimes an earlier date has been assumed.[6].
In his book Die Landstände der Grafschaft Mark bis zum Jahre 1510: Mit Urkundlichen Beilagen, Rudolf Schulze determined Adolf's date of birth to be in 1164. This assertion does not tie with his parents' life data.
Referring to various sources, the year 1199 is propagated by Genealogie Mittelalter.[2] At that time Adolf must have been born already, though; in 1198 his father Frederick had erected Burg Mark on the hill belonging to Oberhof Mark near Hamm on behalf of his son.[7]
In fact Adolf signed as a witness a charter in 1194 [8], logic requires that he had reached majority by that time. In medieval Germany majority was bound to the ability to serve in battle or bearing arms. This was usually between 12 and 15, so that Adolf had to be born at least 12 years before signing the charter in 1194. Referring to this Adolf was born in the period between 1179 and 1182. Another legal fact is supporting this theory, Adolfs father died either in 1198 or 1199 an he became the new Count de Altena-Mark et Krickenbeck. If he wasn't old enough to rule by that times his mother or a close relative would have taken other the reign for him. But there is no sign of the kind in any charters of the time. Instead Adolf is signing further charters, in 1202 he names himself in another charter Adolfus puer comes de Marke. The puer comes was often translated as "young Count" but in medieval times the latin word puer is also used for the social status as knave or squire, or by simpler means as Knight in apprenticeship. In 1205 he signs again a charter but this time only usig his legal name and title as Adolphus com. de Marka without the puer prefixed to the title. His time as squire was seemingly over. So any assuemd date of birth after 1182 becomes more unlikely. Noble boys startet their career with 12, but more normaly with 14 years, with the same age they gained majority. The apprenticeship lasted usually until the age of 20 or 21, before the squire was finally knighted. This fits perfectly with Adolf beeing puer comes... in 1202 and com. de Marka in 1205, evan by means of the age, if he was born in 1182 he would have been 20 by 1202 and about 23 by 1205.
Like his father Adolf I. became Count of Berg-Altena and Krickenbeck an reeve of the monasteries Werden and Cappenberg.
From 1202, Adolf took on the sobriquet of "von der Mark", after this new main residency which his father had built on land originally acquired from either the Archbishop of Cologne (Philipp of Heinsberg) or the noble family of Rüdenberg. As the whole family, Adolf was drawn into the German Crown Heritage Dispute. Sources differ about which side he fought for. Stirnberg has it that Adolf was on the Staufers side right from the beginning. Possibly Adolf stayed undecided until he finally decided with the Staufer in 1212. However, in 1225 Adolf seemed to have to have established himself as loyal kinsman of the Emperor and the Archbishop of Cologne. After the destruction of Nienbrügge, he was awarded large portions of his cousin's, Frederick of Isenberg, properties.
Adolf died on 28 June 1249; he is buried in the monastery of Cappenberg.[9].