Hermann Otto II of Limburg Stirum


Field Marshal Hermann Otto II of Limburg Stirum, count of Limburg Stirum and Bronckhorst, sovereign lord zu Gemen, was the son of Adolf Ernst of Limburg Stirum and an imperial Field Marshal.
He inherited the immediate lordship of Gemen in 1675, being 18 years after the death of his father during which the regency on Gemen was exercised by his mother Isabella countess von Vehlen und Meggen zu Raesfeld. The reason for the regency is not known. On 15 September 1700, a decision by the Courts confirmed its succession right over Gemen.

Military career

He served in a Bayreuth regiment. In 1678 he was named comandant of an imperial regiment. After his nomination as General-Major in 1684 he distinguished himself several times in the wars against the Turcs. He became Field Marshal in 1696.
in 1701 he fought in the War of the Spanish Succession in the service of the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I against France and Bavaria. In 1703, he lost the Battle of Höchstädt against the French-Bavarian forces under General Villars. In 1704, he led the second assault on enemy positions in the Battle of Schellenberg and was mortally wounded. He died a few days later.

Marriage and children

He married in 1678 Charlotte Amalie countess von Vehlen und Meggen zu Raesfeld. They had six children: