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John II, Count of Rietberg

1523–1562

Born
1523
Country of birth
Germany(inferred from the family)
Died
19 Dec 1562, Cologne
facts
6
sources
2
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

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  • Birth1523Probable1 source
  • Death19 Dec 1562, CologneProbable1 source

A life in time

  1. Born

    Birth

  2. Child born: Walburgis, Countess of Rietberg

    Birth, Rietberg

  3. Died · Cologne

    Death, Cologne

What was it like?

The world around 1523: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Strict regulations controlled social class appearance; for example, commoners were forbidden from wearing gold, silver, pearls, or silk. A wife of a commoner could wear a simple gold ring worth no more than five or six guilders, without gemstones.

Known for

Count John II "the Mad" of Rietberg, called "the Great," was the son of Count Otto III of Rietberg and his second wife, Onna of Esens.

During their lifetime

  1. 1524

    The Great Peasants' War occurs

    Tens of thousands of peasants participated in a massive uprising across the German lands, demanding the abolition of feudal burdens and serfdom.

  2. 1534

    Public access to the postal system

    The postal system opened to the general public in the Holy Roman Empire, allowing anyone to send mail for a fee and transforming communication routines.

  3. 1555

    Peace of Augsburg enacted (1555)

    The 1555 Peace of Augsburg established the legal principle that local princes could determine the religion of their subjects as either Lutheran or Catholic. If subjects disagreed with their ruler's choice, they were granted the right to emigrate with their property and families.

Family

Ancestors and children

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Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.