Eberhard II, Duke of Württemberg

Eberhard VI/II (presumably on February 1 in Waiblingen, 1447– February 17, 1504 on castle Lindenfels) was count of Württemberg-Stuttgart since 1480 as Eberhard VI and Duke Eberhard II of Württemberg since 1496.

Eberhard was the son of Ulrich V, Count of Württemberg and Elisabeth of Bavaria-Landshut. He spent a long time at the burgundian court in his youth. 1461 he took part in the coronation of king Louis XI of France in Reims. 1462 he returned to Württemberg. Between 1465 and 1467 he married the margrave Elisabeth of Brandenburg, a daughter of the margrave Albrecht III of Brandenburg. In 1477 a contract secured him the succession in Württemberg-Urach, which was ruled by count Eberhard V, nicknamed "the bearded one" who had no legitimate offspring. 1480 he took over rule from his father count Ulrich V. In 1482 he signed the Treaty of Münsingen with Eberhard V, count of Württemberg-Urach.. This treaty repealed the division of Württemberg by transferring power from Eberhard VI to Eberhard V of Württemberg-Urach. In return Eberhard VI was conceded the succession of Eberhard V.This way, from 1482 up to the death of Eberhard V of Württemberg-Urach, he nominally was sovereign, but in reality he was powerless. He soon fought against this deprivation of power, but couldn't do anything against his older rival. In 1489 his right of succession was even limited on the part of Württemberg-Stuttgart. However, after the death of, now duke Eberhard I (Eberhard V was exalted to duke in 1495), he managed to overtake rule in all of Württemberg as now Duke Eberhard II.But he soon ran into trouble with the elite of his country. These deprived him of his rights, in close collaboration with the Habsburgian king Maximilian I. He had to flee to Ulm. As Eberhard had no support he had to accept the Arbitrament of Horb of Maximilian I. He accepted an annual pension of 6.000 Guilders in return for his deposition and barrishment. In his place a council of the estates of the realm ruled with royal legitimation.This situation didn't change until his nephew Ulrich, the son of his brother Heinrich was declared to be of age prematurely and assumed power as Duke of Württemberg.Eberhard was granted asylum by elector palatine Philip. He died in his palatinian exile on castle Lindenfels in the year 1504. He is buried in the collegiate church of Heidelberg.

Literature

* Dieter Stievermann: "Eberhard VI./II."; in: Sönke Lorenz, Dieter Mertens, Volker Press (Hrsg.): "Das Haus Württemberg. Ein biographisches Lexikon." Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1997, ISBN 3-17-013605-4, S. 98-100