Count Philip IV of Waldeck (1493 – 30 November 1574) was Count of Waldeck-Wildungen from 1513 to 1574. In 1526, he and his uncle Philip III of Waldeck-Eisenberg led the Lutheran Reformation in the county of Waldeck. Background Philip was the son of Count Henry VIII of Waldeck and his wife Anastasia of Runkel. He was born at Friedrichstein Castle in Alt-Wildungen (now part of Bad Wildungen). In 1513, he succeeded his father as ruler of the southern part of the County of Waldeck. He ruled for 61 years, the longest of all the counts and princes of Waldeck. until 1512, he was known as Philip the Younger; from 1512 until November 1524 as Philip the Middle and thereafter as Philip the Elder. Reformation Philip spent his youth in Vianden (in Luxembourg), where his father was governor and later he spent some time at the French royal court. He met his first wife, Margaret of East Frisia at the Diet of Worms in 1521. There, he also met Martin Luther and became a follower of Luther's teachings. As early as 1525, the vast majority of the population of Waldeck and northern Hesse had converted to Lutheranism and in Waldeck an order from Count Philip and his uncle, Philip III specifically prescribed Protestant sermons. Philip invited Johann Hefentreger, who had been expelled from Fritzlar in the Electorate of Mainz, for a trial sermon in Bad Wildungen, which Johann held on 29 April 1526. The trial was a success and Philip and his uncle appointed Johann as town pastor in Bad Wildungen. Johann held his inaugural sermon on 17 June 1526. On 26 June 1526, Johann held a Lutheran service in the City Church of Waldeck and thereby officially introduced Lutheranism in the County of Waldeck, four months before Landgrave Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse introduced the Reformation in neighbouring Hesse at the Synod of Homberg. Later that year, Philip and his cousin Wolrad II of Waldeck-Eisenberg. following the advice of the reformer Adam Krafft, founded the Lutheran State Church of Waldeck at the monastery in Volkhardinghausen. Johann Hefentreger was appointed visitor and later implemented the order of the two counts to dissolve the monasteries, following the Hessian example. Monasteries were dissolved at Berich, Flechtdorf, Netze, Ober-Werbe, Schaaken and Volkhardinghausen, but with the proviso that they would remain open until the death of the last spiritual resident. The income of the secularized