Johan Rantzau
Johann Rantzau ( born November 12, 1492 Steinburg, † December 12 1565 in width castle ), Knight, Lord of width castle, Bothkamp, Sturenhagen and Mehlbek was " Dreier ( Danish ) kings supreme commander and the Council ", of the tribe of the Rantzau.
Biography
Johann Rantzau 1492 on the aborted after 1630 Steinburg Itzehoe as a son of the bailiff Heinrich Rantzau († 1497 ) was born. After he had taken part in a campaign in the neighborhood age of 13, he undertook a grand tour in 1516, the him. Across England to Spain, to the grave of St. James in Compostela, on the Mediterranean countries to Jerusalem, where he received the accolade a Knight of the golden spur, and back via Rome, where he Pope Leo X made the Fußkuss, led by Italy, France and Germany.
Then he was of Duke Frederick I of Schleswig -Holstein -Gottorp (1471-1533), who later became King of Denmark, Christian III to tutor his son. (1503-1559) appointed and accompanied him in 1521 to the Diet of Worms, where Luther took his case before the Emperor and the Empire. Impressed by Luther's defense, were Rantzau and the Crown Prince to the convinced supporters and avid supporters of the Reformation in Schleswig- Holstein and Denmark. For the duchies was " Christlyke Kercken Order Inge / Deyn werdenn the Fürstendömen Schleswig / Holsten etc. geholden scarf ", had decisively contributed to the Johannes Bugenhagen, a close associate of Luther, was introduced. It was adopted by Parliament in Rendsburg on March 9, 1532. In the same year Tilemann was introduced by Hussen was the first Protestant bishop.
In addition Rantzau also had an essential part in securing the Oldenburg royal house to the Danish throne. When Frederick I. was chosen instead of Christian II of the Danish king, Johann had great influence on the Frederick's decision to accept the crown. He led in April 1523 army across the Belts, forced after a long siege on January 6, 1524 capitulation of Copenhagen and suppressed the peasant uprising led by Søren Norby in Skåne April 1525. Too, he seems to have been involved later instrumental in that Christian II was imprisoned in Sønderborg, at least the deed in question from the August 3, 1532, he was handed over for safekeeping.
After the death of Frederick III. (I.) Christian followed while in the duchies after, but the Danish councils had postponed the election of a king. Christian had here first only one of the parties on his side, while another re-establishment of Christian II operation. At that time the union between Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark was finished. This, done in German language on December 5, 1533 in Rendsburg document is the first place of the knighthood Rantzaus signature as land steward and bailiff to Steinburg.
Also in the field were Rantzau the balance in favor of Christian III. He was with the storming of Aalborg on December 15, 1534 the Peasants' War in Jutland Funen an end and beat the Liibeck mercenaries and allies under Jürgen Wullenwever in the Battle of the Øksnebjerg, June 11, in 1535. Upon termination of this so-called " Count feud " was Rantzau repeatedly active in state affairs and embassies, as governor in Schleswig -Holstein. He graduated at the Diet of Speyer from the treaty of peace with the Emperor Charles V, the new order in the north recognized, May 23, 1544th
Shortly thereafter, he resigned all his offices as he. Having the intended division of the duchies between Christian III and his brothers Adolf and John the Elder ( August 1544 ) did not agree. But he acted on behalf of these three sovereigns a contract with the captive King Christian II, from 14 July 1546 after this was able to spend his last years under easier conditions in Kalundborg.
After years of seclusion Rantzau served as Verbitter the monastery Bordesholm that the Duke Johann the Elder, and as bailiff of the Office Reinbek, which belonged to the Duke Adolf. It also seems that he was privy Adolf's plans against Dithmar from the outset in Duke; but he was by his son Henry, the royal governor, move that he rejected any participation in a one-sided business at the end. But when the three sovereigns had the Elder Johann Adolf and the young King Frederick II of Denmark agreed, he took over the supreme command. Under his leadership, the conquest of the peasant republic Dithmar in a few weeks of May and June 1559 completed ( see also last feud ).
On January 28, 1564 untersiegelte Rantzau the division of an estate between Frederick II and his brother Johann the Younger. His influence is probably due to that the estates refused on the Flensburg Parliament ( October 1564 ), Johann recognize the young also as ( fourth ) sovereigns and that then more detailed provisions on the alternate annually between the rulers management of the Community government in Schleswig -Holstein have been taken.
Soon after, Johann Rantzau died in width castle.
He had founded a large family property, by 1526 the lands of the monastery Bordesholm in the parish Breiteberg at the sturgeon, which were obliterated by a flood, ankaufte and its fixed width castle castle was built here in 1531. The rule width castle was inherited by his son, the governor Heinrich, while the Good Bothkamp fell to the younger son Paul.
A plaque for Johann Rantzau with a Latin inscription hangs in the Jakobi Church in Lübeck on the east side of the fourth North pillar .. Also in Kiel, the Nikolai Church depends a similar plaque.
Marriage and issue
Johann Rantzaus wife was Anna Walstorp, 1582 died in Itzehoe, daughter of Gert Walstorp and Catharine Rantzau. They had three children:
- Heinrich Rantzau (* March 11, 1526 Steinburg, December 31, 1598 Width Castle), governor of Schleswig and Holstein
- Paul Rantzau, born October 16, 1527, died 24 August 1579
- Salome Rantzau, died in 1586