George III, Count of Erbach-Breuberg

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

Born in Erbach, he was the fifth and youngest child but only son of Eberhard XII, Count of Erbach-Freienstein and Margareta, a daughter of Count Philipp of Salm, Wild- and Rhinegrave of Dhaun.

Life

Around 1560, the Elector Palatine enfeoffed George III (jointly with his father and his uncle Valentin II, Count of Erbach-Schönberg) with the district of Wildenstein.

After the death of his uncle George II, Count of Erbach-Reichenberg in 1569, George III reunited all the Erbach family possessions. Among the properties that he inherited was noted Reichenberg Castle, which he converted into a Renaissance style fortress.

Between 1588 and 1590 he expanded Fürstenau Castle, which became in the seat of his government.

George III died in Erbach aged 56 and was buried in the Stadtkirche of 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 without surviving male issue, in 1623 his brothers divided his share among themselves: John Casimir received Fürstenau, Louis received Michelstadt and Bad König and George Albert received Reichenberg.

When John Casimir died unmarried in 1627, Louis received Wildenstein and George Albert received Fürstenau. When Louis died in 1643 without surviving male issue, George Albert inherited his possessions, thereby reuniting the Erbach possessions once again.

Marriages and Issue

On 27 July 1567, George III married firstly with Anna Amalia (c. 1551 – 13 July 1571), a daughter of Count Johann IX of Sayn and his second wife Anna of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg.^[1] This marriage remained childless.

On 15 July 1572, George III married secondly with Anna (11 April 1557 – 8 December 1586), a daughter of Frederick Magnus, Count of Solms-Laubach-Sonnenwalde and his wife Agnes of Wied.^[2] They had twelve children:

• Agnes Maria (24 May 1573 – 28 June 1634), married on 5 May 1593 to Henry XVIII Reuss, Lord of Greiz-Obergreiz (a brother of her stepmother).
• Eberhard (13 April 1574 – 14 August 1574).
• Frederick Magnus, Count of Erbach-Fürstenau (18 April 1575 – 26 March 1618).
• Margareta (17 May 1576 – 5 June 1635), married on 17 May 1598 to Count Louis Eberhard of Oettingen-Oettingen.
• Anna Amalia (10 June 1577 – ca. 1630), married firstly on 21 October 1604 to Count Frederick I of Salm-Neufville, Wild- and Rhinegrave of Dhaun and secondly on 23 December 1626 to Count Emich IV of Daun-Falkenstein.
• Elisabeth (30 July 1578 – 15 March 1645), married on 3 March 1606 to Schenk Henry II of Limpurg-Sontheim.
• Louis I, Count of Erbach-Erbach (3 September 1579 – 12 April 1643).
• Agathe (16 May 1581 – 20 April 1621), married on 23 October 1614 to Margrave George Frederick of Baden-Durlach.
• Anna (27 April 1582 – 30 July 1650), married on 4 July 1613 to Count Philip George of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg.
• Maria (11 May 1583 – 3 September 1584).
• John Casimir, Count of Erbach-Breuberg (10 August 1584 – 14 January 1627).
• Barbara (1585 – May 1591).

In Greiz on 11 November 1587, George III married thirdly with Dorothea (28 October 1566 – 26 October 1591), a daughter of Heinrich XV Reuss, Lord of Greiz-Obergreiz and his wife Marie Salome of Oettingen.^[3] They had three 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).

In Korbach on 2 August 1592, George III married fourthly with Maria (8 April 1563 – 29 December 1619), widow of Count Josias I of Waldeck and a daughter of Count Albert X of Barby-Mühlingen and his wife Maria of Anhalt-Zerbst (1 December 1538 – 25 April 1563), the widow of Count Josiah of Waldeck-Eisenberg. They had six children:

• Dorothea (13 July 1593 – 8 October 1643), married on 28 November 1610 to Count Eberhard Louis of Hohenlohe-Pfedelbach and Gleichen.
• Frederick Christian (25 July 1594 – 15 September 1594).
• Christina (5 June 1596 – 6 July 1646), married on 16 January 1619 to Count William of Nassau-Hilchenbach.
• George Albert I, Count of Erbach-Schönberg (16 December 1597 – 25 November 1647).
• Elizabeth Juliana (22 January 1600 – 29 May 1640), married firstly on 2 March 1620 to Count Georg Louis of Löwenstein-Scharfeneck and secondly on 25 July 1636 to Swedish Field Marshal Johan Banér.
• Louise Juliane (18 June 1603 – 28 September 1670), married on 19 January 1624 to Count Ernest of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn.

Notes

External links

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