County of Hoya

"Grafschaft Hoya" redirects here. For the present-day administrative unit, see Grafschaft Hoya (Samtgemeinde).
County of Hoya
Grafschaft Hoya (de)
State of the Holy Roman Empire
←
1202–1582 →


Coat of arms

County of Hoya (in red) about 1400
Capital Hoya
Nienburg
Government County
Historical era Middle Ages
 -  Henry I Count of Hoya 1202
 - Partitioned between
   Hoya and Nienburg		 1345
 - Reunited under
   Jobst I of Nienburg		 1497
 - Joined Lower
   Rhenish–West-
   phalian Circle		 1500
 - Count Jobst II turned
   Protestant		 1523
 -  Death of Otto VIII 1582
 - Part of Prussia 1866

The County of Hoya (German: Grafschaft Hoya) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the present German state of Lower Saxony. It was centered on the town of Hoya on the middle Weser river, between Bremen and Nienburg; the area now belongs to the districts of Nienburg and Diepholz. The largest city of the county was Nienburg.

Geography

As of 1582, Hoya was bordered by (from the north, clockwise): The City of Bremen, the Archbishopric of Bremen, the Bishopric of Verden, the Lüneburg and Calenberg subdivisions of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the Bishopric of Minden, the County of Diepholz, the Bishopric of Münster, and the County of Oldenburg.

History

A first Count Henry at Hoya in Saxony appeared as a liensman of Archbishop Hartwig II of Bremen in 1202. He rivaled with the local Hodenberg noble family at Hodenhagen Castle; their estates on the Weser were gradually acquired by Count Henry and his descendants until 1313. The acquisition of Nienburg led to a long-term conflict with the Bishops of Minden, who suspiciously eyed the steep rise of their comital neighbours.

Hoya Castle

In 1345 the brothers Gerhard III and John II of Hoya, divided the county among themselves; when the elder branch of Gerhard at Hoya became extinct in 1497, the territories were re-unified under John's descendant Count Jobst I residing at Nienburg. In the 16th century, the counts came under pressure of the mighty Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg, who in 1512 occupied their erstates.

The county was partitioned after Otto VIII, Count of Hoya died without sons in 1582. The majority of the territory was received by the Calenberg line with the remainder to the Lüneburg line of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg and the Landgraviate of Hesse-Cassel. The Counts of Hoya already had to recognize the Welf dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg as liege lords in 1512.

After the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the area together with the Kingdom of Hanover was annexed by Prussia.

Counts of Hoya

Hoya-Hoya

  • Gerhard III 1345-1383
  • Otto III 1383-1428
  • Otto V 1428-1451
  • Otto VII 1451-1497

Hoya-Nienburg

Reunited