House of Frohburg

The House of Frohburg (also Froburg) was a noble family in medieval Switzerland, with possessions in what is now the canton of Solothurn. They originate in the Wigger basin, near Zofingen. In the 10th century, they built Frohburg Castle on a hill near Trimbach. They had the title of counts from the later 11th century. They ruled the lands between Olten and Solothurn, and took parts of Aargau and Sisgau as fief from the bishop of Basel. They reached the peak of their power in the later 12th and early 13th century, building a number of castles, and founding towns such as Aarburg, Liestal, Olten (then a fortified river crossing), Waldenburg, Wiedlisbach and Zofingen. They also founded Schöntal Abbey near Waldenburg. The House of Frohburg was divided into three branches, Neu-Homberg, Waldenburg and Zofingen, in c. 1250. The Zofingen branch was extinct in 1307, followed by the Neo-Homberg one in 1325. The Waldenburg branch survived for another 40 years but declined in influence, being forced to sell most of its possessions, most of them to the ascending House of Habsburg. The last count of Frohburg was Hermann VI (d. 1367 as abbot of St. Urban's Abbey).

Counts of Frohburg

House of Frohburg

Partitions of Frohburg under House of Frohburg rule +County of Frohburg(1028-1213)County ofZofingen(1213-1299) County ofWaldenburg(1213-1367)County ofHomberg(1220-1303)Annexed to the House of HabsburgAnnexed to the Bishopric of BaselAnnexed to the Bishopric of Basel and the County of Nidau

Table of rulers RulerBornReignRuling partConsortDeathNotes c.1000?c.1010 – 1050 County of Frohburg Unknown at least two children1050aged 49-50 First documented count of the family, in Breisgau. Wolfrad c.1020First son of c.1050 – 1095County of FrohburgUnknownfour children c.1095 aged 74-75 Possible children of Adalbero, they may have ruled jointly. In 1114, another Volmar is mentioned, but is not identical with Volmar I. This new Volmar appears as co-ruler with Volmar I and his brother Louis. Louis' son, Ortlieb, would become Bishop of Basel. c.1030Second son of c.1050 – 1114 Sophia of Pfirttwo children 1114aged 83-84? Volmar (I) c.1060First son of Wolfradc.1095 – 1114 Unknown c.1114aged 53-54 Louis I c.1060Second son of Wolfrad Unknownone childc.1114?aged 53-54 c.1100First son of and Sophia of Pfirt1114 – 1152County of FrohburgSophia of Lenzburgfour childrenc.1152 aged 51-52Sons of Volmar I, ruled jointly. c.1100Second son of and Sophia of Pfirt1114 – 1125 Unmarriedc.1125 aged 24-25 c.1120First son of and Sophia of Lenzburg 1152 – 1175 County of Frohburg Unknownfour childrenc.1175aged 54-55 Sons of Adalbero I, possibly ruled jointly. Louis became Bishop of Basel in 1164. c.1120Second son of and Sophia of Lenzburg 1152 – 1164 UnmarriedMarch 1179aged 58-59 c.1150Son of 1175 – 1213County of FrohburgA lady from the Kyburg familyeight children1213aged 62-63 c.1190First son of 1213 – 1259 County of Zofingen Gertrude of Habsburgsix children 1259aged 68-69 Children of Herman II, divided the land. Louis III was the founder of the Zofingen branch, with lands in the canton of Aargau; he was joined by his son Louis IV as co-ruler. According to some theories, Gertrude, wife of King Rudolf I of Germany, was also Herman's daughter. Herman III founded the Waldenburg branch, with lands in the canton of Basel. The other two brothers did not take part on the divisions. One of them, Ulrich, pursued an ecclesiastical career being an abbot at Frienisberg Abbey. c.1190Second son of 1213 – February 1237 County of Waldenburg Heilwig of Habsburgthree children February 1237aged 46-47 c.1190Third son of 1213 – 1226 County of Frohburg Unmarried1226 aged 35-36 Ulrich c.1190Fourth son of 1213 – 1223 1223aged 32-33Frohburg divided between Zofingen and Waldenburg As Homberg was inherited from other family, the Frohburgs restarted their counting in this fief. c.1210Second son of and Gertrude of Habsburgc.1230 – 15 May 1253County of HombergA lady from the House of Hombergfour children15 May 1253Manuel généalogique Suisse (1908), Tome I, p. 31.aged 42-43 Inherited the fief of Homberg through marriage, and left Zofingen to his brother Louis. c.1220Son of and Heilwig of HabsburgFebruary 1237 - 22 November 1281County of Waldenburg Agnes of Bechburgthree children 22 November 1281Herrgott (1737), Vol. III, DLXXXVIII, p. 489.aged 60-61 c.1220Third son of and Gertrude of Habsburg1259 – 1285 County of Zofingen Clementiabefore 1263no childrenIta of Wolhusenbefore 1280three childrenc.1285aged 64-65 c.1240First son of 15 May 1253 - 27 April 1289County of Homberg Elisabeth of Rapperswil15 February 1283six children27 April 1289Schoschaldeaged 48-49 Children of Herman IV/I, ruled jointly. Louis I possibly co-ruled with his wife in her County of Rapperswil. c.1240Second son of 15 May 1253 - 8 February 1285Unmarried8 February 1285aged 44-454 c.1240Third son of 15 May 1253 - 6 February 1273Kunigundetwo children6 February 1273aged 32-33 Herman V c.1240First son of and Agnes of Bechburg 22 November 1281 – December 1291 County of Waldenburg UnmarriedDecember 1291Urkundenbuch Landschaft Basel (1881), Vol. 1, no. 175. aged 50-51 Left no descendants. He was succeeded by his younger brother. c.1240Son of and Ita of Wolhusenc.1285 – 1299Hunziker et al.: Zofingen vom Mittelalter bis 1798. S. 59–62.County of Zofingen Unmarried July 1307Herrgott (1737), Vol. III, DXCIV, p. 493.aged 66-67 In 1299 he sold Zofingen to the Habsburgs. Left no descendants. Zofingen annexed to the House of Habsburg Werner II 1284First son of and Elisabeth of Rapperswil27 April 1289 – 21 March 1320County of Homberg(until 1303)County of Rapperswil(in 1/2 since 1289; became their sole fief since 1303) (d. 10 July 1369)11 June 1315 or 6 April 1316two children 21 March 1320aged 35-36 Children of Louis I and Elisabeth of Rapperswil, ruled jointly with their cousin Herman II (son of Werner I). Wener and Louis's mother ceded them her possessions in Western Switzerland ( canton of Schwyz) after their father's death (1289). Werner II was also a Minnesinger. In 1303, Homberg was sold to Basel; the brothers remained with their mother's inheritance. Without children, their deaths possibly meant that their possessions became part of Switzerland. c.1285Second son of and Elisabeth of Rapperswil27 April 1289 – 1315Unmarried 1315aged 29-30 c.1270Second son of and Kunigunde27 April 1289 – 19 November 1303County of HombergUnmarried19 November 1303Herrgott (1737), Vol. III, DCLIVaged 32-33Homberg sold to the Bishopric of Basel;Aegidius Tschudi: Chronicon Helveticum, Band I. S. 229 1/2 Rapperswil annexed to Switzerland c.1250Second son of and Agnes of Bechburg December 1291 – 20 January 1320County of WaldenburgKatharina of Toggenburg(d. 18 February 1313)three children20 January 1320aged 69-70 John I c.1300First son of and Katharina of Toggenburg20 January 1320 – April 1366County of WaldenburgAdelaide of Ramstein(d.c.1370)3 November 1326no childrenApril 1366aged 65-66 Sons of Volmar IV, probably ruled jointly. Herman was also abbot of St. Urban Abbey. After both deaths with no descendants, their line died out. Their properties were sold to the Count of Nidau and the Bishop of Basel. Herman VI c.1300Second son of and Katharina of Toggenburg20 January 1320 – 19 October 1367Unmarried19 October 1367aged 66-67Waldenburg annexed to the Bishopric of Basel and the County of Nidau

House of Frohburg

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