Wilhelm IV of Eberstein


Count Wilhelm IV of Eberstein was a member of the Swabian noble Eberstein family. His father, Bernhard III was president of the Reichskammergericht from 1510 to 1520. His mother was Countess Kunigunde of Sonnenberg.
Like his father, Wilhelm IV served as president of the Reichskammergericht; he presided from 1546 to 1555. He and his wife are mentioned several times in the Zimmern Chronicle, which was written by their son-in-law, Count Froben Christoph of Zimmern.
In 1561, Wilhelm officially converted the County of Eberstein to Protestantism. He had been unofficially promoting the Evangelical faith for some time. He expanded his Neu-Eberstein Castle significantly. A tombstone depicting Wilhelm and his wife, has been preserved in the St. Jakob church in Gernsbach.

Marriage and issue

On 6 November 1522, he married Countess Johanna of Hanau-Lichtenberg, the eldest daughter of Philipp III, Count of Hanau-Lichtenberg and Margravine Sibylle of Baden. They had the following children:
  1. Philipp I, member of the Imperial Council, Supreme Captain and Reeve in Upper Alsace, married to Johanna of Bailleul, Dame of Douxlieu. In 1577, Philipp was put under guardianship because of mental problems.
  2. Anna
  3. Elisabeth
  4. Felicity, Abbess of Gerresheim Abbey
  5. Kunigunde, married to Count Froben Christoph of Zimmern
  6. Wilhelm, a canon in the Strasbourg Cathedral and in Cologne Cathedral
  7. Sibylla, married to Count Markus Fugger
  8. Bruno
  9. Otto, he was initially a canon in Strasbourg and later returned to the lay state and became an imperial councilor and later colonel. He was killed while trying to stop the Spanish Fury in Antwerp.
  10. Anna

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