Counts of Toggenburg

County of Toggenburg
Grafschaft Toggenburg
State of the Holy Roman Empire
1209–1468 →
Coat of arms
Territories held by the counts of Toggenburg
Capital		Lichtensteig
Government		Principality
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	first mention	1209
•	Partitioned	1394
•	Comital line extinct	1436
•	Old Zürich War	1440–46
•	Inherited by Raron	Uncertain
•	Sold to the Abbot of St Gall	1468

The counts of Toggenburg (Grafen von Toggenburg) ruled the Toggenburg region of today’s canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, as well as parts of the canton of Glarus, Thurgau, Graubünden, , and Zurich as well as the Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg when their influence was most extensive.

The family is attested from the early 13th century, as Toccanburg, later Tochimburc. They held the title of count (comes) from 1209. Their connection to earlier bearers of the name, first Diethelm I (possible mention 1176, died 1205 or 1207) was followed by Diethelm II (possible mention 1210, died c. 1230). Other lords of Toggenburg are mentioned in the 11th and 12th centuries, but their genealogical connection to the comital family is unclear. They are named for their ancestral seat, now known as Alt-Toggenburg, near Kirchberg, St. Gallen. The castle was built in the 10th or 11th century, and was destroyed in 1085 in a conflict with the Abbot of St. Gallen, later rebuilt and in 1226 given to St. Gallen Abbey by count Diethelm of Toggenburg.

In 1187, Werner of Toggenburg became abbot of Einsiedeln.

According to the legend of Saint Idda of Toggenburg, buried in the abbey of Fischingen, she was the wife of Diethelm IV of Toggenburg, in the 12th century.

The Bubikon Commandry was given by the Counts of Toggenburg and Counts of Rapperswil between 1191 and 1198. Although in concurrency to the neighbouring Rüti Abbey, the commandery's lands and goods grew with donations by local noble families during the 13th and 14th centuries.

Brent Schaff, who inherited this title in about 1389, expanded the influence of the Toggenburg area. He launched several reforms, known as the Tayven reforms, for the farming of his county which were very successful.

On 23 April 1398 Count Donat von Toggenburg donated the church of Elsow as benefice for the new Allerheiligenaltar at the grave of the Toggenburg family, for the salvation of his daughter soul Menta von Toggenburg who died shortly before.^[1] Count Fridrich von Toggenburg, Herr zu Brettengow und Tafas donated to his own and the salvation of his ancestors who were buried (at the Rüti church) and where he also expects to be buried, the church, rights and lands (Kirchwidem and Kirchensatz) in Wangen in der March to the Rüti Abbey, sealed by Fridrich and the knights Herman von Landenberg, Johans von Bonstetten from Ustra and Herman von der Hochenlandenberg on 21 January 1407.^[2]

In 1436, the death of the last count, Frederick VII, Count of Toggenburg, led to the Old Zurich War over the succession.

One of the few remaining tomb stones of the Toggenburg family, Toggenburgergruft beneath the present entrance area of the Rüti church.

Friedrich VII was later buried in a chapel, the so-called Toggenburger Kapelle (capella nova in latere monasterii de novo construxit) given by his noble wife, Elisabeth Countess of Toggenburg, née von Mätsch.^[3][4] Elisabeth Countess of Toggenburg spent her last days in the Rüti Abbey, mentioned on 20 June 1442 that she was retreated there ("unser wesen gentzlich in dasselbe gotzhus got zuo dienende gezogen haben") and elected her tomb to be with her husband after her death.^[5] On 11 June 1443 marauding troops of the Old Swiss Confederacy devastated the monastery and desecrated the bodies of the nobles, including Count Friedrich VII who they held responsible for the war with Zürich. 14 members of the family were buried in the Toggenburg vault in the church of the Rüti Abbey.

Counts of Toggenburg

House of Toggenburg

Ruler	Portrait	Born	Years	Marriage	Death	Notes
Diethelm I (Diethelm I. von Toggenburg)		1140 Son of Diethelm (IV) von Toggenburg and Ita von Homberg	c. 1176-1207[6]	Unknown	1209 aged 68/69	First count of Toggenburg.
Diethelm II (Diethelm II. von Toggenburg)		Before 1207 First son of Diethelm I von Toggenburg	1207-1230[6]	Guta von Rapperswil (d.24 November 1227) Before or c. 1209 at least three children	1230
Frederick I (Friedrich I. von Toggenburg)		Before 1207 Second son of Diethelm I von Toggenburg	1207-1226[6]	A lady Montfort (b.1200) no children	12 December 1226[7] Schloss Rengerswil	Ruled jointly with his brother[8]
Diethelm III (Diethelm III. von Toggenburg)		1209 Son of Diethelm II and Guta von Rapperswil	1230-1235[6]	Gertrude of Neuchâtel (d.1260) at least nine children	25 January 1235 aged 25/26
Kraft I (Diethelm III. von Toggenburg)		1228 First son of Diethelm III and Gertrude of Neuchâtel	1235-1249[6]	Elisabeth von Bussnang Before 1244 at least five children	15 July 1249 aged 20/21
Frederick II (Friedrich II. von Toggenburg)		After 1228 Second son of Diethelm III and Gertrude of Neuchâtel	1235-1284[6]	Unmarried	28 August 1284	Ruled jointly with his brother and nephews.
Diethelm IV (Diethelm IV. von Toggenburg)		Before 1244 First son of Kraft I and Elisabeth von Bussnang	1249-1283[6]	Unmarried	1283	Ruled jointly with his uncle and brothers.
Kraft II (Kraft II. von Toggenburg)		Before 1244 Second son of Kraft I and Elisabeth von Bussnang	1249-1261[6]	Unmarried	1261
Frederick III (Friedrich III. von Toggenburg)		1244 Third son of Kraft I and Elisabeth von Bussnang	1249-1309[6]	Clementia of Werdenberg (1246-28 February 1282)[9] at least five children	17 January 1309
Frederick IV (Friedrich IV. von Toggenburg)		c.1280 First son of Frederick III and Clementia of Werdenberg	1309-1315[6][10]	Ida of Frohburg-Homberg (d.1328) at least two children	15 November 1315 Morgarten aged c.34/35
Kraft III (Kraft III. von Toggenburg)		Before 1282 Second son of Frederick III and Clementia of Werdenberg	1309-1339[6]	unmarried	17 March 1339	Ruled jointly with his brother and nephews
Diethelm V (Diethelm V. von Toggenburg)		Before 1315 First son of Frederick IV and Ida of Frohburg-Homberg	1315-1337[6]	Adelaide of Griesenberg (d.1371) no children	21 September 1337
Frederick V (Friedrich V. von Toggenburg)		Before 1315 Second son of Frederick IV and Ida of Frohburg-Homberg	1315-1364[6][11]	Kunigunde of Vaz (1308 - February 1364)[12] at least ten children Unknown[13] Before 19 February 1364 one child	19 February 1364
Frederick VI (Friedrich VI. von Toggenburg)		1349 First son of Frederick V and Kunigunde of Vaz	1364-1375[6]	unmarried	14 February 1375 aged 25/26	Ruled jointly with his brothers
Diethelm VI (Diethelm VI. von Toggenburg)		1353 Second son of Frederick V and Kunigunde of Vaz	1364-1385[6][14]	Catherine of Werdenberg-Heilingenberg (1355-30 June 1395)[15] three children	27 December 1385	Ruled jointly with his brothers
Donat (Donat. von Toggenburg)		1358 Third son of Frederick V and Kunigunde of Vaz	1364-1400[1][6][16]	Agnes of Habsburg-Laufenburg (1387-1425)[17] two chidren	7 November 1400	Ruled jointly with his brothers
Frederick VII (Friedrich VII. von Toggenburg)		c.1380 Son of Diethelm VI and Catherine of Werdenberg-Heilingenberg	1400-1436	Elisabeth von Mätsch three children	30 April 1436 Feldkirch aged c. 55/56
Elisabeth von Mätsch (Elisabeth von Mätsch)		c.1370 Daughter of Ulrich IV von Matsch and Agnes of Kirchberg	1436-1446[6]	Frederick VII three children	24 November 1446 aged c. 75/76	Widow of Frederick VII.

References

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