Henry II "the Rich" of Nassau, ( – 26 April 1247/48/49/50, before 25 January 1251) was Count of Nassau. He distinguished himself in particular by his chivalrous and devout spirit. He was charitable and made great donations to the church, so that the monasteries and prayer houses in the area of present-day Nassau experienced the most significant bloom in his time. The greatest favour was the Teutonic Order to enjoy, to which he donated especially for the renunciation of his brother's, upon his entry into the order. Henry participated in the Sixth Crusade. He was the builder of the castles Sonnenberg, Ginsburg and Dillenburg. Life Henry II was the eldest son of Count Walram I of Nassau and a certain Kunigunde, possibly a daughter of a count of Sponheim or a daughter of count Poppo II of Ziegenhain. Henry is mentioned for the first time in a charter dated 20 March 1198, together with his mother and his brother Rupert IV. This mention means that he and his brother were of age at that time, that is to say, they had reached the age of 12. Henry is mentioned as count of Nassau between 1198 and 1247. He reigned with his brother Rupert until 1230. National politics In the politics of the Holy Roman Empire, Henry was generally a loyal supporter of the Hohenstaufen emperors. However, between 1209 and 1211, he backed the rival Otto IV of Brunswick as emperor, before reverting sides to support Frederick II. Between 1212 and 1214, he held prisoner Frederick's (and his own) opponent, Archbishop Theodoric II of Trier. Henry was in 1214 with Emperor Frederick II in Jülich, in 1223 with Frederick's son Henry in Worms, and in 1224 in Frankfurt. In 1228 Henry took part in the Sixth Crusade of Emperor Frederick II. In 1231 Henry attended the Imperial Diet of Worms and in 1232 he was at the imperial assembly of Frederick II in Ravenna. Later, however, Henry transferred to the papal camp, so that Frederick's son Conrad IV issued an execution order against him in 1241, about the success of which nothing is known. In 1247 Henry supported the election of Anti-King William II of Holland, who confirmed all Henry's imperial possessions and gave him the right to mint coins. Local politics Henry's father had received the Königshof Wiesbaden from Emperor Frederick I in reward for his support of the emperor