The counts of Toggenburg (Grafen von Toggenburg) ruled the Toggenburg region of today's canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and adjacent areas during the 13th to 15th centuries.
A baronial family of Toggenburg is mentioned in the 11th and 12th centuries, but their genealogical connection to the comital family is unclear. They are named for their ancestral seat, now known as Alt-Toggenburg, near Kirchberg, St. Gallen. The castle was built in the 10th or 11th century, and was destroyed in 1085 in a conflict with the Abbot of St. Gallen, later rebuilt and in 1226 given to St. Gallen Abbey by count Diethelm of Toggenburg.
The family is attested from the early 13th century, as Toccanburg, later Tochimburc. Diethelm I (possible mention 1176, died 1205 or 1207) was followed by Diethelm II (possible mention 1210, died c. 1230). Either of these was the beneficiary of the inheritance of a number of local noble families (among these Alt-Rapperswil) in c. 1200 and adopted the title of comes (count) from 1209. In 1187, one Werner of Toggenburg became abbot of Einsiedeln. The legend of a Saint Ida of Toggenburg is recorded in 1481, making her the wife of a count of Toggenburg, possibly either Diethelm, or one Heinrich. According to the legend, the husband defenestrated his innocent wife on suspicion of adultery. She survived and lived as an anchoress in Fischingen. Her veneration there is attested for 1410.
The early counts were in competition with St. Gallen Abbey, the bishops of Constance and the counts of Kyburg. The inheritance disputes motivated the donation of religious establishments in Bubikon, Rüti, Oberbollingen and Wurmsbach in the 1190s, and a fratricide by one Diethelm (fl. 1209–36) of his brother Rudolf in 1226.
On 23 April 1398 Count Donat von Toggenburg donated the church of Elsow as benefice for the new Allerheiligenaltar at the grave of the Toggenburg family, for the "salvation of the soul of his daughter Menta von Toggenburg" who had died shortly before. Count Fridrich von Toggenburg, Herr zu Brettengow und Tafas donated to "his own and the salvation of his ancestors who were buried" (at the Rüti church) "and where he also expects to be buried," the church, rights and lands (Kirchwidem and Kirchensatz) in Wangen in der March to the Rüti Abbey, sealed by Fridrich and the knights Herman von Landenberg, Johans von Bonstetten from Ustra and Herman von der Hochenlandenberg on 21 January 1407.
In 1436, the death of the last count, Frederick VII, Count of Toggenburg, led to the Old Zurich War over the succession. Friedrich VII was later buried in a chapel, the so-called Toggenburger Kapelle (capella nova in latere monasterii de novo construxit) given by his noble wife, Elisabeth Countess of Toggenburg, née von Mätsch. Elisabeth spent her last days in the Rüti Abbey, writing on 20 June 1442 that she had retreated there (unser wesen gentzlich in dasselbe gotzhus got zuo dienende gezogen habe) and desired her tomb to be with her husband's. On 11 June 1443 marauding troops of the Old Swiss Confederacy devastated the monastery and desecrated the bodies of the nobles, including Count Friedrich VII whom they held responsible for the war with Zürich. 14 members of the family were buried in the Toggenburg vault in the church of the Rüti Abbey.
List of counts House of Toggenburg
RulerBornReignRuling partConsortDeathNotes Diethelm I ?fl.1044Urkundenbuch Zürich, Band I (1888), 233, p. 125. Lordship of ToggenburgUnknownat least two children?First documented lord of Toggenburg, probably the founder of the family. Berthold ?Son of Diethelm Ifl.1044Lordship of ToggenburgUnknown?Probably brothers, confirm the same document as their father. It's not known if he succeeded him, or if the succession went through his brother Ulrich. Ulrich?Son of Diethelm IUnknown? Fulknand ?Son of Ulrich or Fulknand? – 1081Lordship of ToggenburgUnknown 1081Casuum Sancti Galli Cont. II, Cap. 7, MGH SS II, p. 158.Probably brothers, it's not known which one succeeded the previous count. It's probable, however, that these belonged to the next generation. There's also an unnamed Toggenburg belonging to Fulknand and Diethelm II's generation, who married a woman named Irmgard (died in January of known year).Wyss, Ex Libro Vitæ Einsidlensi [Liber Heremi] (1885), p. 345. ?Son of Ulrich or Fulknand1081 – 1102?Lordship of ToggenburgUnknown After 14 July 1102Quellen zur Schweizer Geschichte (Basel, 1881), Band III, 39, p. 65. Diethelm III ?Son of c.1102 – c.1146Lordship of ToggenburgUnknown c.1146Württembergisches Urkundenbuch II, CCCXXIII, p. 38. Has a known sister, Kunigunde, who married a nobleman from the Stühlingen family. ?Son of Diethelm IIIc.1146 – 1176?Lordship of ToggenburgIta of ThiersteinCod Giessensis Nr. 176, fol. 234, included as Genealogiæ Comitum et Marchionum sæc XII et XIII, in MGH SS XXIV, p. 78. (Saint Ida of Toggenburg?)(d. 19 August 1200/1226?)one child c.1176Regesta Episcoporum Constantiensium, Band I (Innsbruck, 1895), 1038, p. 116. Diethelm V c.1140Son of (and Ita?)c.1176 – 1207 Lordship of ToggenburgIta?Cod Giessensis Nr. 176, fol. 234, included as Genealogiæ Comitum et Marchionum sæc XII et XIII, in MGH SS XXIV, p. 78. (of Kirchberg?) (Saint Ida of Toggenburg?)one/two children 4 January 1205 or 5 January 1207Urkundenbuch Zürich, Band I (1888), p. 235. aged ar. 64–67 Gave an important donation to Ritterhaus Bubikon c.1192. He was buried there and is also represented there in a fresco with his family. c.1160First son of Diethelm V (and Ita of Kirchberg?)c. 1207–1209 Lordship of ToggenburgGuta of RapperswilSankt-Gallen Urkundenbuch, Teil III, 842, p. 58. (Saint Ida of Toggenburg?)(1170-24 November 1227 or after 1227)before or c. 1209three children 1230aged ar. 69–70 Probably ruled jointly. Diethelm was numbered VI as lord. In 1209 the brothers were raised to counts. After Frederick's assassination, Diethelm rule alone. 1209–1230County of Toggenburg Frederick I c.1160Second son of Diethelm V (and Ita?)c. 1207–1209Lordship of ToggenburgUnmarried c.1217Urkundenbuch Zürich, Band I (1888), 383, p. 269. aged ar. 53–541209–1217 County of Toggenburg Diethelm II the Younger 1209Son of and Guta of Rapperswil1230 – 25 January 1235County of ToggenburgGertrude of Neuchâtelc.1220 or January 1221 nine children 25 January 1235Sankt-Gallen Urkundenbuch, Teil III, 871, p. 85. aged 25–26 Frederick II c.1220Son of Diethelm II and Gertrude of Neuchâtel25 January 1235 – 28 April 1284County of ToggenburgUnmarried 28 April 1284aged ar. 63–64 Frederick, Diethelm and Kraft ruled jointly as sons of Diethelm II. After Kraft's death, he was replaced in the co-rulership with the former's two eldest sons, Diethelm and Kraft II. 1228Son of Diethelm II and Gertrude of Neuchâtel25 January 1235 – 15 July 1249/54Elisabeth of Bussnang(d. after 13 January 1277)Pupikofer, J. A. (1828) Geschichte des Thurgaus, Erste Hälfte (Zürich), Urkunden, 12, p. 20. three children 15 July 1249 or 1254Bern Urkunden, Band I, p. 464.aged ar. 21–26 Diethelm III c.1220Son of Diethelm II and Gertrude of Neuchâtel25 January 1235 – 4 September 1248 Elisabethc.1247 (before October)no children 4 September 1248aged ar. 27–28 Diethelm IV c.1240?Son of and Elisabeth of Bussnang1249 – 1282/3 Unmarried After 23 April 1282Herrgott (1737), Vol. III, DCV, p. 504 or 1283aged ar. 41–42 Kraft II c.1240?Son of and Elisabeth of Bussnang1249 – 1261 Unmarried 1261aged ar. 20–21 1244?Son of and Elisabeth of Bussnang28 April 1284 – 1305/9County of ToggenburgClementia of Werdenberg(1246-28 February 1282)Clementia von Montfortfive children7 December 1305 or 17 January 1309Still living in 1303, according to Urkundenbuch Landschaft Basel (1881), Vol. 1, no. 158.aged ar. 59–65 Kraft III c.1280?Son of and Clementia of Werdenberg1305/9 – 7 March 1339County of ToggenburgUnmarried7 March 1339MGH, Necrologia Germaniæ, Band I, p. 558. aged ar. 58–59 Children of Frederick III, ruled jointly. Friedrich IV, Graf von Toggenburg c.1280Son of and Clementia of Werdenberg1305/9 – 15 November 1315Ida of Frohburg-Homberg(d.19 March 1316/28MGH, Necrologia Germaniæ, Band I, p. 540. )five children15 November 1315Frederick IV was dead by 1319, according to Sankt-Gallen Urkundenbuch, Teil III, 1251, p. 412. Scherrer, G. (1874) Kleine Toggenburger Chroniken (St. Gallen), p. 2.Morgartenaged ar. 34–35 c. 1300?Son of and Ida of Frohburg-Homberg15 November 1315 – 21 September 1337County of ToggenburgAdelaide of Griesenberg(d.1371)two children21 September 1337Grinauaged ar. 36–37Children of Frederick IV, ruled jointly and with their uncle Kraft III until the latter's death in 1339Sankt-Gallen Urkundenbuch, Teil III, 1251, p. 412.Friedrich V, Graf von Toggenburg c.1300?Son of and Ida of Frohburg-Homberg15 November 1315 – 5 February 1364Kunigunde of Vaz(1308 - February 1364)Kunigunde von Vaz23 April 1337ten children5 February 1364Last charter dated 22 March 1363. Date of death proposed at Cur-Rätiens Urkunden, Band III (1858), 107, p. 166.aged ar. 63–64 Frederick VI 1349First son of and Kunigunde of Vaz5 February 1364 – January/May 1375County of ToggenburgUnmarried22 January/28 May 1375aged 25–26 Sons of Frederick V, ruled jointly. Diethelm VI, Graf von Toggenburg1353Second son of and Kunigunde of Vaz5 February 1364 – 27 December 1385Katharina of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg(1355-30 June 1395)Katharina von Werdenberg-Heilingenbergthree children27 December 1385aged 31–32 Donat von Toggenburg1358Third son of and Kunigunde of Vaz5 February 1364 – 7 November 1400Agnes of Habsburg-Laufenburg(1387-1425)Agnes von Habsburg-Laufenburgtwo children7 November 1400MGH, Necrologia Germaniæ, Band I, p. 453. aged 41–42 Frederick VII c. 1380Son of and Katharina of Werdenberg-Heiligenberg7 November 1400 – 30 April 1436County of Toggenburgc.1410/30three children30 April 1436By 28 September of that year, he was already dead, according to Bergmann, J. ‘Urkunden der vier vorarlbergischen Herrschaftern und der Grafen von Montfort’, Archiv für Kunde österreichischen Geschichts-Quellen, Band I (Vienna, 1848) (“Bergmann ‘Grafen von Montfort’ (1848)”), Heft IV, LXIX, p. 25. Feldkirchaged 55–56 After his death, and with no surviving children, he left his wife as his heir. Elisabeth of Mätsch c.1370Daughter of and Agnes of Kirchberg30 April 1436 – 24 November 1446County of Toggenburg24 November 1446aged 75–76Widow and heiress of Frederick VII.
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