Gericht Esterau, Vogtei Isselbach, and Herrschaft Schaumburg

Esterau was settled by the 10th century, and came into the possession of the House of Nassau in the 11th century. A Gericht had been established there by the 14th century and neighboring Isselbach became a Vogtei around the same time. When Ottonian and Walmerian Nassau split in 1255, the Ottonians claimed 75 percent of Esterau and the Walmerians claimed 25 percent. Isselbach, by contrast, was entirely Ottonian. In 1607, when the Ottonian lands were partitioned, Nassau-Hadamar received Isselbach and the Ottonian share of Esterau. In 1631, Hadamar traded its share of Altweilnau (well to the east of other Hadamar lands) to Nassau-Saarbrücken in exchange for the Walmerian share of Esterau.

 

Schaumburg castle was probably built in the 10th century. It was occupied by various houses from the 12th century (often at the same time), but by the 14th century was entirely in the possession of Leiningen. In 1557, it became the seat of the County of Leiningen-Schaumburg (which inherited Leiningen-Westerburg in 1597 and retained that name).

 

In 1643, Hadamar sold both Esterau and Isselbach to Peter Melander, who had just received a countship by virtue of his service in the Thirty-Years’ War. He combined them into the County of Holzappel. Although Melander died in 1648, his widow ruled in his stead. In 1656, she purchased the nearby Schaumburg castle and its associated villages, and died shortly thereafter. Her daughter, who was married to the Prince of Nassau-Dillenburg, inherited both Holzappel and Schaumburg, but they remained distinct entities, which I identify as Holzappel-Dillenburg and Schaumburg-Dillenburg respectively. Holzappel was inherited by Ascanians upon her death in 1700, but Schaumburg did not become Ascanian until 1707. From then on, I ignore Esterau and Isselbach and treat Holzappel and Schaumburg as a Landesteile in the combined county of Holzappel-Schaumburg (or Holzappel-Schaumburg-Hoym after 1727 when the ruling count became the nonsovereign Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym).