Enno III, Count of Ostfriesland

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Enno III of Ostfriesland or Enno III of East Frisia (30 September 1563 – 19 August 1625) was a Count of Ostfriesland from 1599 to 1625 from the Cirksena family. He was the elder son of Count Edzard II of Ostfriesland and his wife Princess Katharina, daughter of King Gustav I of Sweden.

In 1602 Enno III's troops laid siege to Emden, without success; On 8 April 1603 Enno had to sign the Treaty of 's-Gravenhage in which he not only accepted the presence of a Dutch garrison in Emden, but agreed to pay the costs for the Dutch garrison. In 1609 the conflict broke out again; the Emders were victorious in a skirmish at Greetsiel and temporarily occupied the Count's residence at Aurich. In 1611 the Dutch garrisoned troops in Leerort. On 24 May the Accord of Osterhusen was signed, which limited the sovereignty of the Count of East Frisia, stated the rights of the Estates (including Emden) and legitimised the Dutch garrison in Leerort.

[edit] Family and children

Enno III was married twice. Firstly, he married Countess Walburga of Rietberg (1556-1586), daughter and heiress of Count Johann II of Rietberg, Lord of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund and Countess Agnes of Bentheim-Steinfurt. Countess Walburga, a descendant of Hero Oomkens von Esens, brought the estates of Harlingerland and Rietberg to East Frisia. They had three children:

1. Sabina Katharina (1582 – 31 May 1618), married on 4 March 1601 to Count John III of Ostfriesland
2. Agnes (1 January 1584 – 28 February 1616), married on 15 August 1603 to Prince Gundakar of Liechtenstein
3. Johann Edzard, (10 May 1586 - 20 May 1586).

Walburga of Rietberg died only few days after her son, allegedly she was poisoned. After the male line of the counts of Rietberg became extinct, the counts of East Frisia became their successor due to the conjugal connection of Enno III with Walburga.

On 28 January 1598 Enno III married Anna of Holstein-Gottorp, daughter of Duke Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp. They had five children:

1. Edzard Gustav (15 April 1599 – 18/19 April 1612)
2. Christina Sophia (26 September 1609 – 20 March 1658), married on 2 June 1632 to Landgrave Philipp of Hessen-Butzbach
3. Anna Maria (23 June 1601 – 4 September 1634), married on 4 September 1622 to Duke Adolf Frederick I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (ancestor of Queen Victoria).
4. Rudolf Christian of Ostfriesland (25 June 1602 – 17 June 1628)
5. Ulrich II of Ostfriesland (16 July 1605 – 11 January 1648)

Preceded by Edzard II

Count of Ostfriesland 1599–1625

Succeeded by Rudolf Christian

[edit] External links

• (German) Article in the Biographisches Lexikon für Ostfriesland
• Coins of Enno III of Ostfriesland