The County of Sponheim went through roughly three main phases during the course of the centuries. The first one lasted from the beginnings in the 11th century until the first divisions of the county between two Sponheimish lines around 1234. In this first period the region was ruled by a single count.
In the second phase the county was managed by two counts. The “Further” County (Vordere Grafschaft) of Sponheim was ruled by the line Sponheim-Kreuznach with residence at Castle Kauzenburg near Kreuznach. The "Hinder" County (Hintere Grafschaft) of Sponheim was ruled by the Sponheim-Starkenburg line, with residence at first at Castle Starkenburg near Enkirch and after 1350 at Castle Grevenburg near Trarbach. This phase lasted nearly to the extinction of both lines in 1437.
Finally in the third phase both parts of the county were managed by joint rulers as a condominium. The management of the “Hinder” County of Sponheim was divided between a collateral palatine line (House of Palatinate-Simmern, later House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken, later still House of Palatinate-Birkenfeld) and Baden, the management of the “Further” County of Sponheim roughly between Baden and the Electoral Palatinate. The ruling houses of the Sponheimish condominium were matrilineal descendants of the House of Sponheim and took on the title of Count at Sponheim (Graf zu Sponheim).
Counts of Sponheim
House of Sponheim
Division of Sponheim under House of Sponheim rule + County of Sponheim(1st creation)(c.1030-1218) County ofUpper Sponheim(1218-1417) County ofLower Sponheim(1218-1417) County of Sponheim(2nd creation)(1417-1437)
Table of rulers
RulerBornReignDeathRuling partConsortNotesEberhard Ic.990??c.1030? – 1044 County of Sponheim Hedwig of Nellenburgat least one child1044aged 53-54 First known count of the family.Siegfried Ic.1010?First son of Eberhard I and Hedwig of Nellenburg1044 – 7 February 1065 County of Sponheim Richardis of Lavanttalfour children7 February 1065aged 54-55 Also Count in the Puster Valley and Margrave of the Hungarian MarchStephen Ic.1020?(Possible) Second son of Eberhard I and Hedwig of Nellenburg7 February 1065 – 1080 County of Sponheim ? of Strombergat least one child1080aged 59-60 Possibly a brother or a cousin of Siegfried.Stephen IIc.1050?Son of Stephen I1080 – 1118 County of Sponheim Sophia of Formbachc.1092five children1118aged 67-68Meginhard Ic.1085Son of Stephen II and Sophia of Formbach1118 – 1136 County of SponheimMatilda of Mörsberg-Nellenburgfour children1136aged 50-51 Also Count of Winterthur.Gottfried Ic.1115Son of Meginhard I and Matilda of Mörsberg-Nellenburg1136 – 1159 County of Sponheim Matilda of Lorraine?eight children1159aged 43-44 Gottfried IIc.1140Son of Gottfried I and Matilda of Lorraine1159 – 1183 County of Sponheim ? of Veldenzseven children1183aged 42-43 Council of Regency (1183-1189) Died during the Fifth Crusade. After his death, his children split the Sponheim domains.Gottfried IIIc.1175Son of Gottfried II1183 – 1218 County of Sponheim Adelaide, Countess of Sayn1202five childrenc.1218aged 42-43John Ic.1205First son of Gottfried III and Adelaide of Sayn1218 – 1266County of Upper Sponheim? of Altena-Isenbergfive children1266aged 60-61 Children of Gottfried III, divided the county. John inherited the Upper part with residence in Starkenburg; Simon inherited the Lower part with residence in Kreuznach.Simon Ic.1210Second son of Gottfried III and Adelaide of Sayn1218 – 8 April 1264County of Lower Sponheim Margaret of Hengebach(1225-1290)11 December 1240six children8 April 1264aged 53-54John I the Lamec.1245Son of Simon I and Margaret of Hengebach8 April 1264 – 28 January 1290 County of Lower Sponheim Adelaide of Leiningen-Landeck15 March 1265seven children28 January 1290aged 44-45 Henry Ic.1235Son of John I1266 – 1 August 1289County of Upper SponheimBlancheflor of Julichthree/four children1 August 1289aged 53-54 John IIc.1265Son of Henry I and Blancheflor of Julich1 August 1289 – March 1324County of Upper SponheimCatherine of Ochsenstein(d.1313)3 June 1290three childrenMarch 1324aged 58-59 Father and son, co-rulers. Henry predeceased John, and he was succeeded by his minor grandchild.Henry II the Youngerc.1295Son of John II and Catherine of Ochsensteinc.1310 – October 1323Lauretta of SalmJanuary 1315one childOctober 1323aged 27-28Simon IIc.1270First son of John I and Adelaide of Leiningen-Landeck28 January 1290 – 1336 County of Lower Sponheim(at Kastellaun) November 1293nine children1336Kastellaunaged 65-66 Sons of John I, shared rule in the county, from their separate residences. John IIc.1270Second son of John I and Adelaide of Leiningen-Landeck1290 – 11 March 1340County of Lower Sponheim(at Kreuznach) Unmarried11 March 1340aged 69-70 Regency of Lauretta of Salm (1324-1331)Lauretta was regent in name of her child, John III. In spite of being engaged in a trial of strength with one of the most powerful and influential princes of her time, the Elector of Trier Baldwin of Luxembourg, she devoted herself to putting Sponheim on a firm political and economic footing.John III The Elderc.1315Son of Henry II and Loretta of SalmMarch 1324 – 30 December 1398County of Upper SponheimMatilda of the Palatinate1331three children30 December 1398aged 82-83Waleran1305KastellaunSon of Simon II and 1336 – 13 February 1380 County of Lower Sponheim 9 August 1330six children13 February 1380aged 74-75 Inherited the domains of his father (Kastellaun) and uncle (Kreuznach).Simon IIIc.1335Son of Waleran and 13 February 1380 – 30 August 1414County of Lower Sponheim Maria of Vianden(1337 – 21 October 1400)23 July 1348three children30 August 1414aged 78-79 John IVc.1335Son of John III and Matilda of the Palatinate30 December 1398 – 1411Conty of Upper SponheimElisabeth of Sponheim-Kreuznach(d.18 April 1395)1346one child1411aged 75-76Elisabeth1365Daughter of Simon III and Maria of Vianden30 August 1414 – 31 July 1417 County of Lower Sponheim Engelbert III of the Mark5 April 1381no childrenRupert Pepin of the Palatinate1392Alzeyno children31 July 1417Kreuznachaged 51-52 After her death, her estates were reunited with those of the Upper Sponheim line. John V1359Son of John IV and Elisabeth of Sponheim-Kreuznach1411 – 24 October 1437County of Sponheim(at Upper Sponheim until 1417)Walpurga of Leiningenc.1415five children24 October 1437aged 75-76In 1417, after the death of Countess Elisabeth of Lower Sponheim, he reunited Sponheim once more, but died with no descendants. The family became extinct. The county was divided between the heirs of his father's sisters (Matilda and Lauretta): the Margraves of Baden and the Lords of Veldenz.
Successors in Upper and Lower Sponheim
Upper SponheimLower Sponheim Palatinate-Veldenz Frederick III, Count at Veldenz and Sponheim (1437–1444) Palatinate-Simmern/-Birkenfeld/-Zweibrücken Frederick I, Count Palatine (1444–1480) John I (1480–1509) John II (1509–1557) Frederick II, 1559 Prince Elector Frederick III (1557–1560), as pledgeholder 1569 to 1571 Palatinate-Zweibrücken Wolfgang at Veldenz (1560–1569) John I (1569–1584 as regent to his brother Charles I) Palatinate-Birkenfeld Charles I at Birkenfeld (1584–1600) George William (1600–1669), until 1618 under custody Charles II Otto (1669–1671) (Palatinate-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler receives Birkenfeld) Christian II at Bischweiler (1671–1717) (Palatinate-Bischweiler-Birkenfeld acquires Zweibrücken) Christian III, since 1731 at Zweibrücken (1717–1735) Christian IV (1735–1775) Charles III Augustus Christian (1775–1795) Maximilian I (IV) Joseph, Prince Elector of Palatinate-Bavaria, 1806 King of Bavaria, heir 1799 also to the share of the “Further” County Baden James I (1437–1453) Charles I (1453–1475) Christoph I (1475–1527) Bernard III at Baden (1527–1536) Philibert (1536–1569) Philip II (1569–1588) Edward Fortunatus (1588–1600) (1600–1605 no Badish joint ruler) George Frederick at Durlach (1605–1622) William (1622–1677) Louis William (1677–1683), brother (Always campaigning abroad from 1683 to 1697, the Baden share was held by his uncle Leopold Wilhelm's widow, Margravine Marie Francisca b. Countess of Fürstenberg) Louis George (1697–1761) Augustus George (1761–1771) Charles Frederick (1771–1811) Electoral Palatinate Louis IV (1437–1449) Frederick I (1449–1476), at first regent; 1451 Prince Elector Philip (1476–1508) Louis V (1508–1544) Frederick II (1544–1556) Otto Henry (1556–1559) (Succession to Palatinate-Simmern line)
Palatinate-Simmern Frederick III, 1559 Prince Elector (1557–1576) Louis VI, Prince Elector (1576–1583) Frederick IV, Prince Elector (1583–1610) Louis Philip at Simmern (1610–1655), until 1622 single holder. Louis Henry at Simmern (1655–1674) Charles I Louis, Prince Elector (1674–1680) Charles II, Prince Elector (1680–1685) (Extinction of the Simmern line, succession to Palatinate-Neuburg)
Palatinate-Neuburg Philip William, Prince Elector (1685–1690) John William, Prince Elector (1690–1716) Charles III Philip, Prince Elector (1716–1742) Charles Theodore, Prince Elector (1742–1799) (Rightful successor was Count Palatine Maximilian of Zweibrücken (see “Upper” County))
Baden-Baden James I (1437–1453) Charles I (1453–1463) (1463 until January 1508 pledged to Electoral Palatinate) Philipp I (1508–1533) (1533/1534 disputed, 27 March 1534 to Baden-Baden) Bernard III (1534–1536) Philibert (1536–1569) Philipp II (1569–1588) Edward Fortunatus (1588–1600) (1600 until November 1622 no Badenish joint ruler, Electoral-Palatine holding only) William (1622–1677) Louis William (1677–1707) Louis George (1707–1761) Augustus George (1761–1771) (Extinction of the Baden-Baden line, succession falls to Baden-Durlach line) Charles Frederick (1771–1811)
References Mötsch, Johannes: Ein Kondominatsbesitz - Die Vordere und die Hintere Grafschaft Spohnheim (Website from Wolfgang Morscheck) Genealogia Sponhemica. Archiv für rheinische Geschichte Coblenz, 1.1833 - 2.1835. Zweiter Teil 1835. http://www.dilibri.de/rlb/periodical/pageview/27862