Rantzau (county)

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Grafschaft Rantzau County of Rantzau State of the Holy Roman Empire (until 1806) ← 1650 – 1864 → Capital Rantzau Government Principality History  - Established 1650  - Acquired by Denmark 9 April 1726  - Mediatised to Prussia 1864

The County of Rantzau (German: Grafschaft Rantzau) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire. Its territory is more or less congruent with the present Amt Rantzau.

In 1649, Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, sold his part of the Lordship of Pinneburg, which had formerly belonged to the County of Schauenburg, to Christian Rantzau, royal Danish governor of Holstein. In 1650 or 1651, Rantzau became a county and state of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1726, it was annexed by Denmark, after Wilhelm Adolf, Count of Rantzau, had murdered his brothers and was imprisoned. Wilhelm Adolf died in 1734 and Rantzau was inherited by Denmark.

[edit] References

• Köbler, G. (2007). Historisches Lexikon der deutschen Länder, 7th ed., 549. ISBN 9783406549861. 

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