List of counts of East Frisia
Introduction East Frisian coat of armsThe '''counts and princes of East Frisia''' from the noble East Frisian family Cirksena descended from a line of East Frisian chieftains from Greetsiel. The county came into existence when Emperor Frederick III raised Ulrich I the son of a local chieftain to the status of Imperial Count in 1464.The most important ruler from the House of Cirksena was Edzard the Great (1462–1528), under whose leadership the Imperial County of East Frisia reached its greatest extent. During his reign the Reformation spread throughout East Frisia.In 1654 the Cirksena were elevated to princes by the emperor. Charles Edzard, the last ruler from the House of Cirksena, died without issue during the night of 25/26 May 1744 (reportedly from a glass of buttermilk, which is said to have drunk after a hunt). Immediately thereafter, the county passed to King Frederick II of Prussia.
Medieval chieftains in East Frisia ===Broke / Marienhafe=======Tom Brok family====* 1347-1376: Keno I tom Brok* 1376-1389: Ocko I tom Brok* 1389-1399: Widzeld tom Brok* 1399-1417: Keno II tom Brok (under regency of his mother Foelke Kampana)* 1417-1427: Ocko II tom Brok (under regency of his grandmother, Foelke); deposed, died 1435===Dornum / Nesse=======Attena family====* ?-1410: Hero Attena * ?-1410: Lutet Attena (in Norderburg)** ? : Eger Attena (in Westerburg)* ?-1433: Sibet I Attena* 1433-1473: Sibet II Attena===Emden===* Abdena family===Faldern===*Aildesna family===Greetsiel / Norden=======Cirksena family====* ?-1430: Liudward* 1430-1450: Enno Edzardisna, son-in-law* 1450-1466: Ulrich, son, in 1464 was raised to Count.===Innhausen / Östringen===*Tjarksena family===Langwarden / Innhausen / Knyphausen===*Onneken, later named of Innhausen and Knyphausen family===Lütetsburg / Pewsum===*Manninga===Neermoor / Leer======= family====* Benno* Uko* 1427-1436: Focko Ukena and his son Uko Fockena (1427-1432)===Osterhusen=======Allena family====*?-1406: Folkmar Allena===Rüstringen / Bant ===*Wiemken (Papinga)===Wirdum===*Beninga family
Counts of East Frisia ===House of Cirksena=======Table of rulers==== RulerBornReignDeathRuling partConsortNotes Ulrich I 100px14081464-146626 September 1466East Frisia''A first wife''no childrenTheda Ukena1455six childrenFirst Count of East Frisia. Emperor Frederick III raised Ulrich to the status of Imperial Count in 1464. ''Regency of Theda Ukena (1466-1480)'' Had no descendants. The county went to his brother. Enno I 100px1 June 14601466-149119 February 1491East Frisia''Unmarried'' Edzard I ''the Great'' 100px15 January 14621491-152814 February 1528East FrisiaElisabeth of Rietberg(1470-1512)1498three childrenSecond son of Ulrich I and Theda Ukena. Enno II 100px15051528-154024 September 1540East FrisiaAnna of Oldenburg1530six childrenEldest son of the previous. He had a brother:*'''Johan I of East Frisia''': their father, Edzard I had introduced primogeniture in the county of East Frisia, so that Enno II inherited the county alone. Johan had to hold back. Despite his ambitions, he always acknowledged his brother's rights and did not dispute the inheritance. Despite this, Johan is counted as I. ''Regency of Anna of Oldenburg (1540-1561)'' Sons of Enno II, ruled together, until 1561 under regency of their mother. This coregency implies that the primogenture law issued by their grandfather, Edzard the Great, may have been revoked. Edzard II 100px24 June 15321540-15991 March 1599East Frisia Catherine of Sweden1 October 1559Stockholmten children Johan II |29 September 15381540-159129 September 1591East Frisia''Unmarried'' Catherine of Sweden 100px6 June 15391599-161021 December 1610East Frisia(at Berum and Norden) Edzard II1 October 1559Stockholmten children Inherited from her husband some towns in East Frisia, which she ruled autonomously. After her death, her domains were reabsorbed in the county. Enno III 100px30 September 15631586-16001599-162519 August 1625RietbergEast Frisia Walburgis, Countess of Rietberg28 January 1581three children Anna of Holstein-Gottorp28 January 1598three children Probably inherited Rietberg from his first wife. The Treaty of Berum (1600) formally divided the inheritance of Walburga between her daughters, and Sabina Catharina got the County of Rietberg. Sabina Catharina |11 August 15821600-161831 May 1618Rietberg John III, Count of Rietberg3 March 1601eleven children Daughter of Walburgis and Enno III, inherited Rietberg from her mother. Married her paternal uncle, so the county stayed in the family. John III |15661618-162531 May 1618Rietberg Sabina Catharina, Countess of Rietberg3 March 1601eleven children Brother of Enno III, ruled Rietberg after the death of his wife and niece. Rudolph Christian 100px2 June 16021625-162817 April 1628East Frisia ''Unmarried'' Son of Enno III, and half-brother of Sabina Catharina. Left no descendants. The county passed to his brother. Ernest Christopher |1 April 16061625-164031 December 1640Rietberg Albertine Marie of St. Martin10 November 1626no children Son of Sabina Catharina and John III. Left no descendants. The county passed to his brother. Ulrich II 100px6 July 16051628-16481 November 1648East Frisia Juliana of Hesse-Darmstadt5 March 1631three children Brother of Rudolph Christian. John IV |31 May 16181640-16607 August 1660Rietberg Anna Catharina Ernestine of Salm-Reiferscheid1647five children Brother of Ernest Christopher. ''Regency of Juliana of Hesse-Darmstadt (1648-1651)'' In 1654, the county was raised to a principality. Had no male descendants, and the principality passed to his brother. Enno Louis 100px29 October 16321648-16604 April 1660East FrisiaJuliana Sophia of Barby-Mühlingen(14 April 1636 - 12 August 1677)7 November 1656two children ''Regency of Anna Catharina Ernestine of Salm-Reiferscheid (1660-1666)'' Left no descendants. The county passed to his brother. Frederick William |16 September 16501660-16777 October 1677Rietberg ''Unmarried'' George Christian 100px6 February 16341660-16656 June 1665East FrisiaChristine Charlotte of Württemberg14 May 1662three children Brother of Enno Louis. ''Regency of Christine Charlotte of Württemberg (1665-1690)''  Christian Everhard ''the Peaceable'' 100px1 October 16651665-170830 June 1708East FrisiaEberhadine Sophie of Oettingen-Oettingen(16 August 1666-30 October 1700)7 November 1656ten childrenAnna Juliana of Kleinau(1674-1727)1701one child Francis Adolph William |13 November 16511677-168015 March 1690Rietberg ''Unmarried'' Brother of Frederick William, abdicated to become a canon, but remained regent for his younger brother (despite he was already an adult), and would return for the regency if his niece. ''Regency of Canon Francis Adolph William, Count of Rietberg (1680-1685)''  Ferdinand Maximilian |8 May 16531680-168710 June 1687Rietberg Johannetta Elizabeth Franziska of Manderscheid-Blankenheim(26 September 1663-29 April 1704)4 October 1685Blankenheimone child ''Regencies of Canon Francis Adolph William, Count of Rietberg (1687-1690) and Friedrich Christian von Plettenberg and Hermann Werner von Wolff-Metternich zur Gracht (1690-1702, imperial appointment)'' Daughter of Ferdinand Maximilian, after her death the county was inherited by the Kaunitz family. Maria Ernestina Franziska 100px1 August 16861687-17581 January 1758Rietberg Maximilian Ulrich von Kaunitz6 August 1699sixteen children George Albert 100px13 June 16901708-173412 June 1734East FrisiaChristine Louise of Nassau-Idstein(31 March 1691 – 13 April 1723)24 September 1709Idsteinfive childrenSophie Caroline of Brandenburg-Kulmbach8 December 1723Berumno children Charles Edzard 100px18 June 17161734-174425 May 1744East FrisiaSophie Wilhelmine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth(8 July 1714 - 7 September 1749)25 June 1734one childThe son of Georg Albrecht and the last Fürst of East Frisia of the House of Cirksena. He died without issue.After the death of the last Prince of East Frisia, the state was conquered by King Frederick II of Prussia. ''East Frisia annexed to Prussia''
See also *List of Countesses of East Frisia
Literature *Tielke, Dr. Martin (Hrsg. ): ''Biographisches Lexikon für East Frisia'', Bd. 1  (1993), Bd. 2  (1997), Bd. 3  (2001) Ostfries. Landschaftliche Verl.- u. Vertriebsges. Aurich*Martin Jhering: ''Hofleben in East Frisia. Die Fürstenresidenz Aurich im Jahre 1728'', Hannover 2005*Heinrich Reimers: ''East Frisia bis zum Aussterben seines Fürstenhauses'', Bremen 1925 *Ernst Esselborn: ''Das Geschlecht Cirksena'', Berlin 1945* F. Wachter: ''Das Erbe der Cirksena. Ein Stück ostfriesischer Geschichte und des Kampfes um die Vorherrschaft in Norddeutschland. '', Aurich 1921