Rantzau (county)

Infobox Former Country
native_name = "Grafschaft Rantzau"
conventional_long_name = County of Rantzau
common_name = Rantzau
continent = Europe
region = Central Europe
country = Germany
era =
status = Vassal
empire = Holy Roman Empire
status_text
government_type = Principality
year_start = 1650
year_end = 1864
event_start =
date_start =
event1 = Acquired by Denmark
date_event1 = 9 April 1726
event_end = Mediatised to Prussia
date_end =
p1 = Holstein-Gottorp
image_p1 =
s1 = Kingdom of Prussia
flag_s1 = Flag of Prussia (1803).gif
capital = Rantzau
footnotes = The County of Rantzau ( _de. Grafschaft Rantzau) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory is more or less congruent with the present "Amt" Rantzau.

In 1649, Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, sold his part of the Lordship of Pinneburg, which had formerly belonged to the County of Schauenburg, to Christian Rantzau, royal Danish governor of Holstein. In 1650 or 1651, Rantzau became a county and state of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1726, it was annexed by Denmark, after Wilhelm Adolf, Count of Rantzau, had murdered his brothers and was imprisoned. Wilhelm Adolf died in 1734 and Rantzau was inherited by Denmark.

References

*

External links

* [http://www.hoeckmann.de/germany/schleswig-en.htm Map of the County of Rantzau in 1730]