Christian of Nassau-Siegen | |
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Coat of arms | |
Full name | Christian Count of Nassau-Siegen |
Native name | Christian Graf von Nassau-Siegen |
Born | Christian Graf zu Nassau, Katzenelnbogen, Vianden und Diez, Herr zu Beilstein 16 July 1616 Siegen Castle |
Died | 1/11 April 1644 near Düren |
Buried | 4/14 June 1644 FürstengruftDillenburg Reburied: unknown date Fürstengruft , Siegen , Evangelische Stadtkirche , |
Noble family | House of Nassau-Siegen |
Spouse(s) | Anna Barbara von Quadt-Landskron-Rheinbach |
Issue | – |
Father | John VII 'the Middle' of Nassau-Siegen |
Mother | Margaret of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg |
Occupation | Officer in the Hessian Army 1633, colonel of the cuirassiers in the Imperial Army 1642 |
Count Christian of Nassau-Siegen (16 July 1616 – 1/11 April 1644), German: Christian Graf von Nassau-Siegen, official titles: Graf zu Nassau, Katzenelnbogen, Vianden und Diez, Herr zu Beilstein, was a count from the House of Nassau-Siegen, a cadet branch of the Ottonian Line of the House of Nassau. He served as an officer in the Hessian Army and the Imperial Army successively.
Christian was born at Siegen Castle[1][2][note 1] on 16 July 1616[3] as the sixth son of Count John VII 'the Middle' of Nassau-Siegen and his second wife, Duchess Margaret of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg.[4]
The will and testament of Count John VII 'the Middle' of 1621 bequeathed John Maurice and his younger brothers from their father's second marriage the district of Freudenberg, some villages in the Haingericht[note 2] and a third part of the administration of the city of Siegen.[6][7] After his older half-brother John 'the Younger' had accepted the homage of the city of Siegen for the entire county of Nassau-Siegen on 12 January 1624[8] and had voluntarily ceded the sovereignty over the Hilchenbach district with Ginsburg Castle and some villages belonging to the Ferndorf and Netphen districts to his younger brother William on 13/23 January 1624,[9][10] Christian and his brothers, with the exception of the oldest two brothers John Maurice and George Frederick, accepted only modest appanages.[11][12]
Christian studied in Leiden in 1631. He attended the Siege of Maastricht in 1632. In 1633 he entered the Hessian service. He was wounded in the fight for Hanau in 1636.[13][14] In 1642 he entered the Imperial Army and became colonel of the cuirassiers.[1][13][14] He was killed in action near Düren on 1/11 April 1644[1][15][note 3] and was buried in the Fürstengruft in the Evangelische Stadtkirche in Dillenburg on 4/14 June 1644.[1] At a hitherto unknown time his body was transferred to Siegen to be interred in the Fürstengruft there.[1][17]
Christian married around 1641[1] to Anna Barbara von Quadt-Landskron-Rheinbach (from the noble family von Quadt ).[1][15][note 4] The marriage remained childless.[15]