Ulrich V, Count of Württemberg

Ulrich V of Württemberg called "der Vielgeliebte" (the much loved) (1413–September 1 1480, Leonberg), Count of Württemberg. He was the younger son of Count Eberhard IV and Henriette of Mömpelgard.

Life

After the early death of his father, his mother, together with the württembergian councils, took over the guardianship for Ulrich and his older brother Ludwig I. Ludwig reached maturity in 1426 and took rule in his own hands, until his brother Ulrich in 1433 was admitted to co-rule. After some years of common government Ulrich wed Margaret of Cleves and put through the division of the county. This was confirmed 23 April 1441. Ulrich received the eastern and northern parts with the capital in Stuttgart. Ludwig the western and southern land part with the capital in Urach, as well as the territories in Alsace . The division which had been limited originally on four years was made permanent on the 25 January 1442 by the Nürtinger contract.

In 1444 Ulrich supported the house of Habsburg under King Friedrich III in the Old Zürich War in the fight against the Old Swiss Confederacy. Together with his allies which were margrave Albrecht Achilles of Brandenburg, the archbishop of Mainz Dietrich Schenk of Erbach as well as margrave Jakob I of Baden he formed the core of the Mergentheimer alliance which went advanced more and more against the imperial towns. These tensions found their culmination in the feud between margrave Albrecht and the imperial town of Nuremberg in 1449. Count Ulrich's main opponent under the imperial towns was Esslingen which reduced the income of the county Württemberg by rising it's his duties clearly. However, Ulrich did not succeed in winning a determining advantage in spite of winning multiple victories against Esslingen and other imperial towns.

In 1450 Ulrich gained, after the death of his brother Ludwig I, the guardianship on his nephews, the future counts of Württemberg-Urach Ludwig II and Eberhard V. This soon led to a quarrel with Frederick I, Elector Palatine who likewise asserted claim to the guardianship. Ludwig II already died 1457. The estates of Urach went over to count Eberhard V. in 1459

Ulrich destroyed in 1458 the castle Widdern. This strengthened the discussions between Ulrich and Friedrich I of the Palatinate. At that time in the German empire two alliance blocks developed. Ulrich joined to the alliance between 1452 Friedrich III crowned to the emperor and margrave Albrecht Achilles of Brandenburg. Their main opponents were the brother of the emperor's duke Albert VI of Austria, elector Friedrich I of the Palatinate and duke Louis IX of Bavaria. 1460 it came to the first military discussions between both alliance blocks. After a short armistice Friedrich III 1461 once more exclaimed the imperial war against Bavaria. Ulrich took over together with Albrecht Achilles the imperial head team against Bavaria. In the Mainz pencil feud breaking out shortly after of 1461 to 1463 he supported archbishop Adolf II of Nassau against his set off predecessor Diether von Isenburg and Friedrick I of the Palatinate. After different fights it came on the 30 June 1462 to the battle near Seckenheim in which Ulrich with his allies was defeated. They got in Palatine captivity. Only on the 27 April 1463 Ulrich swept after a ransom payment back to Stuttgart.

In 1473 went Ulrich and Eberhard V a house contract one which should regulate the common hereditary result and aspire to the reunion of both württembergian land parts. Ulrich received later with Eberhard V also support against his own renitenten son, Eberhard VI, by which Eberhard V also influence in the Stuttgart land part won.

Family and children

He was married three times. First, he married 1441 Margaret of Cleves, daughter of Duke Adolf I of Cleves and Mary of Burgundy. From this marriage they had the following children:
# Katharina (7 December 1441–28 June 1497, Würzburg), a nun in Laufen.
# Margareta (1442–21 July 1479, Liebenau), a nun in Liebenau.

Second, he married in Stuttgart 8 February 1445 to Elisabeth of Bavaria-Landshut, daughter of Henry XVI of Bavaria and Margarete of Austria. From this marriage they had the following children:
# Duke Eberhard II (1 February 1447, Waiblingen–17 February 1504, Castle Lindenfels, Odenwald).
# Duke Heinrich of Württemberg (7 September 1448–15 April 1519).
# Elisabeth (23 December 1450, Landshut–6 April 1501), married in Münnerstadt 13 September 1469 to Count Friedrich II of Henneberg.

Third, he married in Stuttgart 11 November 1453 Margaret of Savoy, daughter of Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy and Mary of Burgundy. From this marriage they had the following children:
# Margarete (d. 21 April 1470), married 23 April 1469 to Count Philipp I of Eppstein-Königstein.
# Philippine (d.4 June 1475, Weert), married in 1470 Count Jakob II of Horn.
# Helene (d. 19 February 1506), married in Waldenburg 26 February 1476 Count Kraft VI of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein.

He also had numerous illegitimate children.