county · Germany and Central Europe

County of Henneberg

1078 CE – 1583 CE (approx.) · capital Schleusingen

A Franconian county in the Thuringian Forest whose princely counts ruled from Schleusingen until their line died out in 1583.

Origins

The Henneberg family appears in the late 11th century; its counts held the burgraviate of Würzburg and built Henneberg castle south of the Thuringian Forest. Their lands lay between Franconia and Thuringia, around Meiningen, Schmalkalden and Schleusingen.

Rule and society

The counts divided into several lines, including Henneberg-Schleusingen, raised to princely count in 1310. Berthold VII was an important adviser to Emperor Louis IV. The counts adopted Lutheranism, and Count George Ernest founded a gymnasium at Schleusingen in 1577.

Decline and legacy

A treaty of 1554 settled inheritance on the Wettins, and when George Ernest died without heirs in 1583, the county passed to the Ernestine and Albertine branches of Saxony, with parts to Hesse. Its lands later formed parts of Saxe-Meiningen and Thuringia.

Lineage

County of HennebergElectorate of Saxony 1356 CE – 1806 CE

Connections (1)

More states of Germany and Central Europe →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). County of Henneberg. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-henneberg
MLA
“County of Henneberg.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-henneberg. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “County of Henneberg.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-henneberg.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘County of Henneberg’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/county-of-henneberg (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻