George III, Count of Erbach-Breuberg

Count George III of Erbach-Breuberg (15 July 1548 in Erbach – 26 February 1605, ibid) was Count of Lauterbach and Breuberg.

Life

George was the eldest son of Count Eberhard XII (19 January 1511 – 12 July 1564) and his wife Margaret of Dhaun (25 September 1521 – 5 April 1576). He was heir of Reichenberg Castle, which he converted into a Renaissance style fortress.

Around 1560, the Elector Palatine enfeoffed George III, jointly with his father and his uncle Valentin II (16 July 1517 – 27 August 1563) with the district of Wildenstein.

When his uncle George II (18 January 1506 – 27 August 1569) died, George inherited his territory and thereby all the possessions of the House of Erbach were reunited in one hand.

Between 1588 and 1590 he expanded Fürstenau Castle.

George III died in 1605 and was buried in the City Church in Michelstadt, where in 1678 a family tomb for the Counts of Erbach would be constructed. After his death, his sons divided the territory:

• Frederick Magnus (1575–1618) inherited Fürstenau and Reichenberg
• John Casimir (1584–1627) inherited Breuberg and Wildenstein
• Louis I (1579–1643) inherited parts of Erbach and Freienstein
• George Albert I (1597–1647), inherited Schönberg and Seeheim.

After Frederick Magnus's died in 1623, his brothers divided his share among themselves. John Casimir received Michelstadt, Louis received Bad König and George Albert received Reichenberg. When John Casimir died in 1627, Louis received Wildenstein and George Albert received Fürstenau. When Louis died, George Albert inherited his possessions, thereby reuniting the Erbach possessions once again.

Marriage and issue

On 27 July 1567, George III married Countess Anna Amalia of Sayn (c. 1551 – 13 July 1571). This marriage remained childless.

On 15 July 1572, George married Countess Anna of Solms-Laubach (11 April 1557 in Laubach – 8 December 1586). They had the following children:

• Agnes Maria (24 May 1573 in Lauterbach, – 28 June 1634 in Gera), married on 5 May 1593 in Obergreiz to Henry XVIII of Reuss-Greiz-Obergreiz (28 February 1563 & ndash; 16 January 1616).
• Eberhard (13 April 1574 – 14 August 1574).
• Frederick Magnus (18 April 1575 in Lauterbach – 26 March 1618 in Liberec), from 1606, Count of Erbach, inherited Fürstenau and Reichenberg, married firstly on 5 May 1595 in Darmstadt to Christine (25 November 1578 – 26 March 1596), a daughter of Landgrave George I of Hesse-Darmstadt and secondly on 18 September 1597 in Heidenheim to Countess Johanna Henrietta of Oettingen-Oettingen (28 August 1578 – 18 March 1619).
• Margaret (17 May 1576 in Lauterbach – 5 June 1635 in Ulm), married on 17 May 1598 in Oettingen to Count Louis Eberhard of Oettingen-Oettingen, (9 July 1577 – 4 July 1634).
• Anna Amalia (10 June 1577 in Erbach – 1630), married firstly on 21 October 1604 in Erbach to Count Frederick I of Salm-Neufville, Wild- and Rhinegrave of (3 February 1547 – 5 November 1608) and secondly on 23 December 1626 in Heidenheimto Count Emich IV of Daun-Falkenstein (23 December 1563 – 14 November 1628).
• Elizabeth (30 July 1578; – 15 March 1645 in Obersontheim), married on 3 March 1606 in Erbach to Schenk Henry II of Limpurg-Sontheim (22 January 1573 – 13 May 1637).
• Louis I (3 September 1579 – 12 April 1643), from 1606 Count of Erbach, inherited Erbach and Freienstein in 1606, inherited Michelstadt and Bad König in 1623; inherited Wildenstein in 1627, married firstly on 2 March 1606 in Erbach to Countess Juliane of Waldeck-Wildungen (11 April 1587 – 15 February 1622) and secondly on 28 May 1624 in Nice to Countess Johanette of Sayn-Wittgenstein (24 July 1604– 13 June 1666).
• Agathe (16 May 1581 in Erbach – 20 April 1621 in Carlsburg), married on 23 October 1614 in Carlsburg to Margrave George Frederick of Baden-Durlach (30 January 1573 in Carlsburg – 24 September 1638).
• Anna (27 April 1582 – 30 July 1650 in Idstein), married on 4 July 1613 in Fürstenau to Count Philip George of Leiningen-Dagsbourg-Falkenburg (26 July 1582 – 6 February 1627)
• Maria (11 May 1583 – 3 September 1584).
• John Casimir (10 August 1584 – 14 January 1627 in Schweidnitz) from 1606, Count of Erbach, inherited Breuberg and Wildenstein.
• Barbara (1585 – before 1591).

George married his third wife on 11 November 1587 in Greiz. She was Dorothea of Reuss-Obergreiz (28 October 1566 – 26 October 1591) and had the following children:

• Dorothea Sabina (19 October 1588 – 20 January 1589).
• George Henry (20 January 1590 – 10 February 1591).
• Maria Salome (born and died 15 May 1591).

His fourth wife was Countess Maria of Barby (8 April 1563 – 29 December 1619), the daughter of Count Albert X of Barby-Mühlingen (15 February 1534 – 1588) and Maria of Anhalt-Zerbst (1 December 1538 – 25 April 1563), the widow of Count Josiah of Waldeck-Eisenberg. They married on 2 August 1592 in Korbach and had the following children:

• Dorothea (13 July 1593, 8 October 1643 in Pfedelbach), married on 28 November 1610 in Waldenburg to Count Eberhard Louis of Hohenlohe-Pfedelbach and Gleichen (19 January 1590 – 1 November 1650).
• Christian Frederick (25 July 1594 – 15 September 1594).
• Christina (5 June 1596 – 6 July 1646 in Culemborg), married on 16 January 1619 in Hilchenbach to Count William of Nassau-Hilchenbach Hilchenbach (12 August 1592 – 18 July 1642).
• George Albert I (16 December 1597 – 25 November 1647), from 1606 Count of Erbach, inherited Schönberg and Seeheim in 1606, inherited Reichenberg in 1623, in herited Fürstenau in 1627, inhertied the rest of George III's possessions in 1643, married firstly on 29 May 1624 in Erbach to Countess Magdalena of Nassau-Dillenburg (13 November 1595 – 31 July 1633), daughter of Count John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg; secondly on 23 February 1634 to Schenkin Anna Dorothea of Limpurg-Gaildorf (1612 – 23 June 1634) and thirdly on 26 July 1635 in Frankfurt to Countess Elisabeth Dorothea of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst (27 August 1617 – 12 November 1655).
• Elizabeth Juliana (22 January 1600, 29 May 1640 in Saalfeld), married firstly on 2 March 1620 in Arolsen to Count Georg Louis of Löwenstein-Scharfeneck (29 January 1587; 3 January 1633), the son of Louis III, Count of Löwenstein and secondly on 25 July 1636 in Werbeskans to Field Marshal Johan Banér (1596–1641).
• Louise Juliane (18 June 1603 in Fürstenau – 28 September 1670), married on 19 January 1624 to Count Ernest of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (26 August 1594 – 22 May 1632).

External links

• Photo of his tomb
• Erbach Castle
• Marek, Miroslav. "Family tree". Genealogy.EU.