decided to share the district of Usingen and Stockheim. In 1634 in Frankfurt, the brothers reached a compromise with the Lords of hohengeroldseck over the ownership of Lahr. After Sweden and its allies were defeated, Emperor Ferdinand II terminated the fief of the Nassau territories. On 30 May 1635, a number of Imperial Princes, including the Electors of Brandenburg and Saxony, had closed the Peace of Prague, which granted amnesty to most of the princes who had fought against the emperor. The Counts of Nassau, however, had been explicitly excluded from this amnesty. John chose to go into exile to Strasbourg. In November 1635, imperial commissioner Bertram von Sturm arrived in Nassau and announced an imperial ban on the three brothers. All their territories and possessions were declared forfeited. Until 1646, the citizens of Idstein would suffer from hunger, disease and military despotism. Countess Magdalena Sibylla died in 1644 at the age of 39. On 6 December 1646, John remarried in Strasbourg, with Countess Anna of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg (born: 25 May 1625 in Dagsburg; died: 24 December 1688 in Idstein), daughter of Count Philip George of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg und Countess Anna of Erbach. After the marriage ceremony, John returned to Idstein with his new wife. In 1653, his eldest son became a Catholic. John disowned him. In 1665, his son George August Samuel was born. He would become John's successor. In 1666, the construction of a new church in Idstein began. In 1668, the plague broke out in Idstein. Countess Anna died at the age of 43. In 1672, John made an unsuccessful bid to be raised to the rank of Imperial Prince. Witch hunts In 1630, witch trials began in his territory and John ordered pastors to preach against the havoc brought about by witchcraft. In 1658, Amtmann Plebanus began prosecuting witches. In 1676, more witch trials were conducted in Idstein and, between 3 February 1676 and 31 March 1677, 31 women and 8 men were executed for witchcraft. Persecutions ended following John's death on 23 May 1677, at the age of 74. Successor Johann was succeeded by his son George August Samuel, who was only 12 years old when he died, so his uncle Count Johann Kasimir of Leiningen-Dagsburg-Falkenburg (1619-1688) acted as regent during his minority. Count Johann Kasimir described the office of a regent in his "political testament" as a task for with the regent must later give account