Turn of the era 1346

The End of the Counts of Ravensberg

In the mid-14th century—more precisely, in 1346—the male line of the Counts of Ravensberg died out. Count Bernhard von Ravensberg, whom his parents had actually intended for a career as a church dignitary, was the last male descendant of his line. His niece Margarethe, the only daughter of his brother Otto IV—Bernhard’s predecessor as ruler, who had died young—was married to Gerhard of Jülich. Margarethe inherited the County of Ravensberg and brought the territory into the marriage. In this way, rule over the County of Ravensberg initially passed to the Dukes of Jülich, who later called themselves the Dukes of Jülich-Kleve-Berg—for the County of Ravensberg, this marked a turning point in several respects.

New Rulers in a Faraway Land

This was because the dukes resided in their ancestral lands on the Lower Rhine, primarily in Düsseldorf. Their County of Ravensberg lay far from there, separated by other countries and territories. Given this situation, it was naturally difficult to exercise sovereignty over the region. For this reason, the dukes developed a special system: they transferred their sovereign powers—and, above all, their castles in the County of Ravensberg—to so-called feudal lords. These lords paid a certain sum of money in exchange for being permitted to exercise their authority with relative autonomy. Some feudal lords, however, overstepped their authority; they ruled as they pleased. At times, they even sold off the sovereign’s property without first obtaining the dukes’ permission.

Bernhard von Ravensberg

The Last Count of Ravensberg

In 1346, Bernhard von Ravensberg, the last male descendant of his line, died. Rule over the county passed to the Dukes of Jülich, who resided on the Lower Rhine. Initially, it had never been intended that Bernhard would ever become Count of Ravensberg. But things turned out differently than planned. Narrated by Sascha Kubiak.