Enno III, Count of East Frisia


Enno III of Ostfriesland or Enno III of East Frisia was a Count of Ostfriesland from 1599 to 1625 from the Cirksena family. He was the elder son of Count Edzard II of Ostfriesland and his wife Princess Katarina of Sweden, eldest daughter of King Gustav I of Sweden.
In 1602 Enno III's troops laid siege to Emden, without success; On 8 April 1603 Enno had to sign the Treaty of The Hague in which he not only accepted the presence of a Dutch garrison in Emden, but agreed to pay the costs for the Dutch garrison. In 1609 the conflict broke out again; the Emders were victorious in a skirmish at Greetsiel and temporarily occupied the Count's residence at Aurich. In 1611 the Dutch garrisoned troops in Leerort. On 24 May the Accord of Osterhusen was signed, which limited the sovereignty of the Count of East Frisia, stated the rights of the Estates and legitimised the Dutch garrison in Leerort.

Family and children

Enno III was married twice. Firstly, he married Countess Walburgis of Rietberg, daughter and heiress of Count John II of Rietberg, Lord of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund and Countess Agnes of Bentheim-Steinfurt. Countess Walburgis, a descendant of Hero Oomkens von Esens, brought the estates of Harlingerland and Rietberg to East Frisia. They had three children:
  1. Sabina Catherine, married on 4 March 1601 to her uncle Count John III of East Frisia
  2. Agnes, married on 15 August 1603 to Prince Gundakar of Liechtenstein
  3. John Edzard,, buried in Esens
Countess Walburgis of Rietberg died only few days after her son. Allegedly she was poisoned. Stine Essken was burnt at the stake for this. After the male line of the counts of Rietberg became extinct, the counts of East Frisia became their successor due to the marital connection of Enno III with Walburgis.
On 28 January 1598 Enno III married Anna of Holstein-Gottorp,, daughter of Duke Adolf of Holstein-Gottorp. They had five children:
  1. Edzard Gustav
  2. Anna Maria, married on 4 September 1622 to Duke Adolf Frederick I of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
  3. Rudolf Christian, Count of East Frisia
  4. Ulrich II, Count of East Frisia married on 5 March 1631 Juliana of Hesse-Darmstadt,
  5. Christina Sophia, married on 2 June 1632 to Landgrave Philip III of Hesse-Butzbach.

    Ancestors