Sayn-Wittgenstein

County of Sayn-Wittgenstein Grafschaft Sayn-Wittgenstein
State of the Holy Roman Empire
←   ← 1384–1607 →   →   →
Sayn and Wittgenstein ca. 1450
Capital	Wittgenstein Castle
Government	Principality
Historical era	Middle Ages
- Count of Sayn-Homburg     marries heiress to     Wittgenstein	1345
- Counties merged	1384
- Partitioned to S-W-Sayn,     S-W-Berleburg and     S-W-Wittgenstein	1607 1607
- Mediatised to Berg	1808
Today part of	Germany

Sayn-Wittgenstein was a county of mediæval Germany, located in the Sauerland of eastern North Rhine-Westphalia. Sayn-Wittgenstein was created when Count Salentin of Sayn-Homburg married the heiress Countess Adelaide of Wittgenstein in 1345. The united counties then became known as Sayn-Wittgenstein, although it only officially became known as such during the reign of Salentin's successor Count John. The territory of Sayn-Wittgenstein was often divided between northern (based around Berleburg) and southern (based around Bad Laasphe) divisions, although the border between the two often shifted. Sayn-Wittgenstein was partitioned in 1607 into: Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (in the originally territories of Sayn), and Sayn-Wittgenstein-Wittgenstein. The area of both former counties is known today as "Wittgenstein", and is part of the district Siegen-Wittgenstein in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Counts of Sayn-Wittgenstein (1354–1607)

• Salentin, Count of Sayn-Homburg (1354–84)
• John (1384–1427)
• George (1427–1469)
• Eberhard (1469–1494)
• William I (1494–1568)
• Louis I (1568–1607)

See also

• Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
• Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg
• Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein
• Sayn-Wittgenstein-Karlsburg
• Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg
• Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
• Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn-Altenkirchen
• Sayn-Wittgenstein-Vallendar
• Sayn
• Sponheim-Sayn
• Sayn-Homburg