Lordship of Kniphausen

Aldenburg (-Bentinck) Lands

Prior to 1624, the Lordship of In- and Kniphausen was ruled by Frisians. (Most sources ignore the Inhausen part of the name. Aside from the preceding sentence, I do the same.) During that period, I place it in Minor-Dynastic Germany. Between 1624 and 1667, it was in personal union with the County of Oldenburg. Hence, I move Kniphausen from Frisian Germany to Oldenburgian Germany. In 1658, administrative responsibilities were handed off to an illegitimate son of the Count of Oldenburg, and I render the country name as Kniphausen-Aldenburg, because Aldenburg is the family name chosen by the new count. (Note, however, that despite his rank as a count, the term “county” did not extend to any of his land holdings—even those over which he later became sovereign.) In 1667, the last Count of Oldenburg died and the Aldenburg holdings (including those described below) were granted independence, so I revert to referring to the country simply as Kniphausen and place it once again in Minor-Dynastic Germany.

 

The Count of Aldenburg had been accumulating territory outside of the core of Kniphausen prior to 1658. He acquired administrative responsibility for Amt Varel in 1654 and Vogtei Jade the following year. Because those two areas had no history of independence and Oldenburg retained sovereignty over them, I render the country name for them as Oldenburg-Aldenburg. However, in 1667, sovereignty transferred to the Aldenburgs and Varel and Jade became subdivisions of the Lordship of Kniphausen. They were joined by Vogtei Schwei in 1669 (in exchange for which the Count transferred ownership of several estates located elsewhere in Oldenburg). In 1678, Kniphausen acquired administrative responsibilities for Vogtei Rastede, which I place in the country of Oldenburg-Kniphausen).

 

In 1680, the Count of Aldenburg died and his male heir was not born for another seven months. Denmark, which had assumed sovereignty over the rest of the County of Oldenburg, reasserted its claims to all of the territory that had been under Oldenburgian sovereignty prior to 1667. In 1693, the matter was settled by treaty, with the Aldenburgs retaining sovereignty over the core of Kniphausen and administrative responsibilities over Amt Varel. The Vogteien of Jade and Schwei fully reverted to Denmark as did the administrative responsibilites for Vogtei Rastede. Thus, the original core of Kniphausen once again constituted the entire country. I place Varel in Oldenburg-Kniphausen to reflect both the sovereignty and administrative responsibilities.

 

In 1733, the Count of Aldenburg married into the Bentinck family (based in the Netherlands) and the line eventually became known as Aldenburg-Bentinck. Because I render all country names associated with the family in strictly geographic terms after 1667, that change in the family name has no implications for country names, nor does it move Kniphausen out of Minor-Dynastic Germany. The Aldenburg-Bentinck family continued to rule Kniphausen and administer Varel until 1807. After the Napoleonic Wars, Kniphausen and Varel were incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg.