County of Dannenberg
The county Dannenberg was a fief of the Duchy of Saxony. The core area was largely identical to the present Elbtalaue.
The historical origin lies in the middle of the 12th century, when Henry the Lion during the colonization of the east of the mouth of the Elbe to the southern border of the Mark Brandenburg, the five counties Holstein, Ratzeburg, Schwerin, Dannenberg and Lüchow founded to the new areas and to protect borders of his country.
The county Dannenberg is first mentioned in 1153, First Earl was to 1169 Volrad I of Dannenberg. His brother was Frederick I. Vogt of Salzwedel, in a document called 1145, whose descendants were from 1270 to 1359 holders of the county Gützkow. Both came from the noble family of nobles of Salzwedel. The end of the county can be combined with the years 1303, when the last of them, Nikolaus von Dannenberg, all of its rights between the Elbe and Jeetzel Duke Otto left the austerities, and dated 1311 with the last documentary mention.
History
To the Castle of the Counts settled at this time farmers, craftsmen and tradesmen to, it was the town of Dannenberg, however, the name Dannenberg existed before. From 1223 to 1225 King Valdemar II of Denmark was with his son in to preserved castle tower ( Waldemar tower) of Count imprisoned after Henry had spent here from Schwerin. 1237 had the Count of Dannenberg, the country Lenzen of the Brandenburg Margrave John I and Otto III. fief. In 1303, leaving the last Count Nikolaus von Dannenberg (documented 1264-1311 ), the county against an annuity of 40 marks a year to the Duke of Brunswick and Luneburg, Otto is severe. The former county belonged since the Principality of Lüneburg. At the beginning of the 15th century there was a renewed secession for the line Dannenberg in the form of severance pay, but the reigning Duke in Celle kept certain sovereign rights.
Coat of arms
The county Dannenberg led erected partly individual, partly facing lions in the coat of arms. Occasionally these were in connection with a fir-tree.
The earliest known seal of the county, showing a fairly introverted ascending lion is obtained from the 1215 and belonged Volrad II Whether this symbol should express a relation of the county to Henry the Lion, is not known. The rising lion is shown as privates figure in all coat of arms, which were changed by the counts of mutual distinction repeatedly. A fir as another character was added by Adolf I, Count of Dannenberg from 1245. Two facing lions showed for the first time in the seal Bernard II, Count of Dannenberg to around 1283-1293.
The symbols of the Count of Dannenberg have survived to the present day. Lions and fir are fed into the arms of the city of Dannenberg (Elbe ), the former Samtgemeinde Dannenberg (Elbe ) and the former district of Dannenberg. The coat of arms of the district Lüchow -Dannenberg shows a fir tree next to the three diamonds of the former county Lüchow.
Coat of arms of the former Samtgemeinde Dannenberg (Elbe ).
Coat of arms of the former district of Dannenberg.
Coat of arms of Lüchow -Dannenberg.