House of Homberg

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The Homberg coat of arms as shown in the Zürich armorial (c. 1340)
The Thierstein coat of arms as shown in the Zürich armorial

The House of Homberg (also spelled Honberg, historically Hochinberc, Hochenberg; also Thierstein, Tierstein) was a noble family of medieval Switzerland; they had the title of count from late 11th to early 16th century. They ruled over much of what is now northwestern Switzerland, including parts of the cantons of Aargau, Berne, Solothurn and Basel-Country.

The first count of Thierstein (alternatively, of Homberg) was Rudolf de Dierstein, mentioned 1082. The two names are taken from two castles in Rudolf's possession, both located near Frick, Aargau. The Thierstein and Homberg lines separated in 1149. The Homberg line was extinct in 1223 with the death of Werner III and their territories were acquired by marriage Hermann IV of the House of Frohburg, whose line is also known as Frohburg-Homberg. Hermann's son Friedrich took the title of count of Homberg and built the castle Neu-Homberg in what is now part of the canton of Basel-Country. One of Friedrich's sons was Wernher von Homberg, one of the minnesingers featured in Codex Manesse.

The ancestral castles of Thierstein and Homberg were both destroyed in the earthquake of 1356, and the Thierstein branch of the family now renamed a castle of theirs near Büsserach (in what is now known as the Thierstein District of the canton of Solothurn) to Neu-Thierstein. In 1330, a branch of the Thierstein family, known as Thierstein-Farnsburg, built Farnsburg castle near Ormalingen. They were given Sisgau as a fief from the bishop of Basel. Count Oswald von Thierstein in 1479 received Hohkönigsburg in the Alsace as fief from emperor Frederick III. The Thierstein family was extinct in 1517, after which Hohkönigsburg fell back to the House of Habsburg.

Counts of Thierstein and Homberg[]

House of Thierstein[]

Ruler Born Reign Death Ruling part Consort Notes
? c.1020-1048 After 1 June 1048[1] County of Thierstein Unknown
at least one child 		First documented count of the family, in Sisgau.
[2] ? c.1048-1103 c.1103[2] County of Thierstein Unknown
one or two children 		Cited also as Advocatus in 1098.[2]
? c.1103-1114 After 7 March 1114[1] County of Thierstein
three children 		Cited as Count of Thierstein and Homberg. His sons divided his patrimony.
? c.1114-1141/54[2] After 13 April 1141[1] or after 1154[2] Thierstein-Homberg A lady Zollern
four children 		Son of Rudolf III, inherited the county of Homberg.
? c.1114-1144/7[2] After 8 July 1144[1]or c.1147[2] County of Thierstein Unknown
at least one child 		Son of Rudolf III, inherited the remaining Thierstein.
? c.1144/7-1179?[1] before 1180[1] County of Thierstein
four children
? c.1141/54-1185 After 1185[1][2] Thierstein-Homberg Unknown
two children
/ V[1] ? c.1179?-1238[2] c.1238[2] County of Thierstein Gepa[2]
three children
? c.1185-1223 25 May 1223[1] Thierstein-Homberg Unknown
no children 		Last male membr of the Homberg branch Through a sister or a daughter, who married . The land was inherited by the House of Frohburg.
/ VI[1] ? c.1238-1262[1] After 24 August 1262[2] County of Thierstein Sophia[2]
four children
? c.1262-1326[1] 4 May 1326[1] Thierstein-Farnsburg
(d. after 1334)
three children 		Son of Rudolf VII/VI, inherited Farnsburg.
/ VII[1] ? c.1262-1318[1] 27 August 1318[1] Thierstein-Pfeffingen Beatrix
one child

Elisabeth [Adelheid] of Hohenklingen
(d. 16 January 1316/23)
two children 		Son of Rudolf VII/VI, inherited Pfeffingen.
/ II[1] ? 1318-c.1330[1] before 29 June 1330[1] Thierstein-Pfeffingen Unknown
two children
? 1326-1347/52 1347/52[1] Thierstein-Farnsburg
(d. after 1352)
one child
/ II[1] ? 1330-1345/56 2 October 1345/56[1] Thierstein-Pfeffingen
October 1320[3]
two children
? 1347/52-1383 October 1383[1] Thierstein-Farnsburg
(d. after 1384)
four children
Walram II/ III[1] before 1339 1345/56-1403 22 May 1403[1] Thierstein-Pfeffingen [1] or
four children

[1]
(morganatic?)
no children
/ IV[1] before 1375 c.1375-1386 9 July 1386[1] Thierstein-Pfeffingen
(d. 19 July 1370 or 31 December 1373)[1]
before 4 April 1369[1]
four children 		Possibly co-ruled with his father, as he predeceased him.
before 1375 1383-1418 1418 Thierstein-Farnsburg Unmarried Sons of Sigismund II, probably ruled jointly. After their deaths with no male descendants, this line became extinct.
before 1375 1383-1405 17 June 1405[1] Thierstein-Farnsburg
(d. 1421)
before 28 April 1393[1]
one child
before 1375 1383-1388 1388 Thierstein-Farnsburg Unmarried
? 1403-1437 13 December 1437[1] Thierstein-Pfeffingen
(d. before 20 June 1414)[1]
two children


c.1417
one child
/ II[1] ? 1403/37-1455 1455 Thierstein-Pfeffingen Unknown
three children 		Co-ruled with or succeeded his brother.
before 1339 1455-1488 26 March or 6 September 1488[1] Thierstein-Pfeffingen
before 13 January 1471
two children
before 1339 1488-1519 30 November 1519[1] Thierstein-Pfeffingen
(d. after 5 December 1533)
two children 		Sons of Oswald I, probably ruled jointly.
before 1339 1488-1512 27 August 1512[1] Thierstein-Pfeffingen
(d. after 1510)
two children

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am Cawley 2001.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m Birmann 1879, p. 133.
  3. ^ Marriage contract from 11 October. Cf. Cawley 2001

Bibliography[]

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