Otto I of Nassau

Otto I of Nassau (ca. 1247–1290), Count of Nassau was the younger son of Count Henry II of Nassau and Matilda of Geldern.

Otto I became the count of Dillenburg, Hadamar, Siegen, Herborn and Beilstein after many years of quarrel with his brother Count Walram II. In the division of 17 December 1255 he received possessions north to the Lahn. And thus began the geographical and political separation of the House of Nassau. He became the founder of the Ottonian line of the house. He stood against the local aristocracy, particularly the counts of Greifenstein and of Dernbach and was for many years banished, since he withheld lands of Teutonic Knights, which his uncle had left to him. His opponents were among other the archbishops of Cologne and Trier, who presented the territorial claims. He lost also the lordships in Emsland and Koblenz.

Family and children

He married Agnes von Leiningen, daughter of Count Emich IV of Leiningen and had following children:
# Henry of Nassau-Siegen (d. 1343), Count in Siegen, Ginsberg, Haiger and in Westerwald since 1303, in Dillenburg, Herborn and Beilstein in 1328-43.
# Emicho I of Nassau-Hadamar (d. 7 June 1334) in Driedrof, Estenau and Hadamar.
# John of Nassau-Dillenburg (d. 1328), Count in Beilstein and Herborn since 1303, in Katzenelnbogen since 1320.
# Mechtild (d. 28 October 1319), married ca. 1289 tp Gerhard von Schönecken.
# Gertrud (d. 19 September 1359), Abbess of Altenberg.

Also he had illegitimate son Heinrich, who was a monk in Arnstein and a priest in Nassau.

External links

* [http://www.genealogie-mittelalter.de/nassau/otto_1_graf_vor_1290/otto_1_graf_von_nassau_+_vor_1290.html www.genealogie-mittelalter.de]