Lordships of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund

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Lordships of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund Herrlichkeiten Esens, Wittmund und Stedesdorf (German)
1454–1744
Flag Coat of arms
Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund around 1600, by Ubbo Emmius
Status	Lordship of the Holy Roman Empire Personal union with Rietberg (1553–1576, 1584-1600) Personal union with East Frisia (1600-1744)
Capital	Esens
Common languages	Harlingerland Frisian (until the 18th century) East Frisian Low Saxon (from the 17th century) German
Religion	Major: Catholicism (until the 16th century), Lutheranism (from the 16th century) Minor: Catholicism (from the 16th century), Judaism
Government	Feudal monarchy
Lords of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund
• 1454–1473	Sibet Attena (first lord)
• 1473-1522	Hero Oomkens
• 1522-1540	Balthasar Oomkens
• 1540-1562	John II of Rietberg
• 1562-1576	Armgard and Walburgis of Rietberg
• 1576-1586	Walburgis of Rietberg
• 1586–1600	Sabina Catharina (last lady)
• 1600-1744	Counts and Princes of East Frisia
Historical era	Middle Ages Early modern era
• Occupation of Burg Wittmund	1454
• Death of Sibet Attena	8 November 1473
• Saxon feud	1514-1517
• Status as fief of Guelders	7 December 1531
• Death of Balthasar Oomkens	1540
• Treaty of Berum	28 January 1600
• Incorporation in the Kingdom of Prussia	25 May 1744
Preceded by Succeeded by East Frisian chieftains Harlingerland Kingdom of Prussia
Today part of	Germany

The Lordships of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund (German: Herrlichkeiten Esens, Wittmund und Stedesdorf) formed a contiguous area in the old district of Harlingerland in the north of the East Frisian peninsula. As in the other areas of East Frisia, the system of the old Frisian freedom in Harlingerland came under increasing pressure due to the rise of the chieftains. In Harlingerland they owned castles in places such as Dornum, Esens, Stedesdorf, Werdum and Wittmund. All these strongholds came one by one into the hands of the powerful chieftain family Attena in the fifteenth century. The first to call himself 'Chieftain of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund' was Sibet Attena in 1455; a loyal follower of Ulrich Cirksena, the later founder of the County of East Frisia. His son, Hero Oomkens, on the other hand, turned away from the Cirksena dynasty and its claims over the entire East Frisian peninsula. A long and bitter struggle followed in which the counts of East Frisia tried in vain to gain control of Harlingerland. It was not until 1600 that Count Enno III of East Frisia succeeded in bringing the lordships of Esens, Stedesdorf and Wittmund within East Frisian influence through the Treaty of Berum of 28 January 1600. However, the area never became fully part of the County of East Frisia: it was only connected to it in a personal union. Thus, the East Frisian estates had no say in the area.