County of Rantzau

{{Infobox Former Country

|native_name = Reichsgrafschaft Rantzau

|conventional_long_name = Imperial County of Rantzau

|common_name = Rantzau

|image_coat = COA-family-da-Rantzau.svg

|era =

|status = Imperial county

|empire = Holy Roman Empire

|status_text =

|year_start = 1650

|year_end = 1864

|event_start =

|date_start =

|event1 = Acquired by Denmark-Norway

|date_event1 = 9 April 1726

|event_end = Mediatised to Prussia

|date_end =

|p1 = Holstein-Gottorp

|image_p1 = File:Sin escudo.svg

|s1 = Kingdom of Prussia

|flag_s1 = Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg

|capital = Barmstedt

|footnotes =

}}

The Imperial County of Rantzau ({{langx|de|Reichsgrafschaft Rantzau}}) was an immediate state of the Holy Roman Empire which lasted from 1650 to 1864. Its territory is more or less congruent with the present Amt Rantzau.

History

In 1650, Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, sold his part of the Lordship of Pinneberg, which had formerly belonged to the County of Schauenburg, to {{ill|Count Christian zu Rantzau|de|Christian zu Rantzau (Statthalter)}} (1614–1663), royal Danish governor of Holstein. In 1650 or 1651, Rantzau became an immediate county and state of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1726, it was annexed by the Danish rulers, after {{ill|Wilhelm Adolf, Count of Rantzau|de|Wilhelm Adolf zu Rantzau}} (1688-1734), had murdered his brothers and was imprisoned. Wilhelm Adolf died in 1733 and Rantzau was inherited by the Duchy of Holstein, which was reigned by the Danish kings and its secundogenitures.

Origin in the House of Holstein

References

{{cite book|author= Köbler, G.|title=Historisches Lexikon der deutschen Länder|year=2007|pages=549|publisher=C.H.Beck |isbn=978-3-406-54986-1|edition=7th}}

External links

[http://www.hoeckmann.de/germany/schleswig-en.htm Map of the County of Rantzau in 1730]

Category:1650 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire

Category:Counties of the Holy Roman Empire