List of counts of East Frisia
The counts and princes of East Frisia from the East Frisian noble House of Cirksena descended from a line of East Frisian chieftains from Greetsiel. The county came into existence when Emperor Frederick III, [Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III] raised Ulrich I the son of a local chieftain to the status of Imperial Count in 1464.
The most important ruler from the House of Cirksena was Edzard the Great, under whose leadership the Imperial County of East Frisia reached its greatest extent. During his reign the Reformation spread throughout East Frisia.
In 1654 the Cirksena were elevated to princes by the emperor. Charles Edzard, the last ruler from the House of Cirksena, died without issue during the night of 25/26 May 1744. Immediately thereafter, the county passed to King Frederick II of Prussia.
Medieval chieftains in East Frisia
Broke">Brake, Lower Saxony">Broke / [Marienhafe]
Toma Brok family">Tom Brok">Toma Brok family
- 1347-1376: Keno I tom Brok
- 1376-1389: Ocko I tom Brok
- 1389-1399: Widzeld tom Brok
- 1399-1417: Keno II tom Brok
- 1417-1427: Ocko II tom Brok ; deposed, died 1435
[Dornum] / Nesse">Nesse (Dornum)">Nesse
Attena family">Attena">Attena family
- ?-1410: Hero Attena
- ?-1410: Lutet Attena
- * ?: Eger Attena
- ?-1433: Sibet I Attena
- 1433-1473: Sibet II Attena
[Emden]
- East [Frisian chieftains#Chieftain families|Abdena family]
Faldern
- Aildesna family
[Greetsiel] / Norden">Norden (East Frisia)">Norden
Cirksena family">Cirksena">Cirksena family
- ?-1430: Liudward
- 1430-1450: Enno Edzardisna, son-in-law
- 1450-1466: Ulrich, son, in 1464 was raised to Count.
Innhausen">Innhausen Castle">Innhausen / Östringen">Östrum">Östringen
- Tjarksena family
Langwarden">Butjadingen">Langwarden / Innhausen">Innhausen Castle">Innhausen / Knyphausen">Barony of Kniphausen">Knyphausen
- Onneken, later named Innhausen and Knyphausen family
[Lütetsburg] / [Pewsum]
- Manninga family
[Neermoor] / Leer">Leer, Lower Saxony">Leer
Ukena family">East Frisian chieftains#Chieftain families">Ukena family
- Benno
- Uko
- 1427-1436: Focko Ukena and his son Uko Fockena
[Osterhusen]
[Osterhusen] / [Canhusen]
- ?-1406: Allena family
[Rüstringen] / [Bant]
- Wiemken family (Papinga)
Wirdum">Wirdum, Germany">Wirdum
- Beninga family
Counts of East Frisia
[House of Cirksena]
Table of rulers
Literature
- Tielke, Dr. Martin : Biographisches Lexikon für East Frisia, Bd. 1 , Bd. 2 , Bd. 3 Ostfries. Landschaftliche Verl.- u. Vertriebsges. Aurich
- Martin Jhering: Hofleben in East Frisia. Die Fürstenresidenz Aurich im Jahre 1728, Hannover 2005
- Heinrich Reimers: East Frisia bis zum Aussterben seines Fürstenhauses, Bremen 1925
- Ernst Esselborn: Das Geschlecht Cirksena, Berlin 1945
- F. Wachter: Das Erbe der Cirksena. Ein Stück ostfriesischer Geschichte und des Kampfes um die Vorherrschaft in Norddeutschland., Aurich 1921