| Salm | |
|---|---|
| Noble family | |
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| Parent house | House of Ardenne–Luxembourg |
| Country | Duchy of Luxembourg Holy Roman Empire Austria-Hungary Belgium |
| Founded | 11th century |
| Founder | Hermann |
| Estate | Salm |
| Cadet branches | Salm-Salm Salm-Horstmar Salm-Kyrburg Salm-Reifferscheid |
TheHouse of Salm was a medievalLotharingian noble family originating fromSalmchâteau in theArdennes (present-dayBelgium) and rulingSalm. The dynasty is above all known for the experiences of theUpper Salm branch which came to be located atChâteau de Salm in theVosges mountain range and over time came to rule over a principality whose capital wasBadonviller thenSenones.
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The noble family possibly descended from Count PalatineWigeric of Lotharingia (d. before 923), the founder of theHouse of Ardenne. His presumable sonSigfried (d. 997) appeared as firstCount of Luxembourg about 950. Sigfried's grandsonGiselbert (d. 1059), is documented as a Count of Salm in 1036 and as Count of Luxembourg in 1047. When he divided his estates among his heirs, his younger sonHermann received theCounty of Salm and thereby became the progenitor of the comital dynasty. During theGreat Saxon Revolt, he even was elected Germananti-king in opposition to KingHenry IV in 1081, however, he remained isolated until his death in 1088.
In 1163, Hermann's grandson Count Henry I of Salm (d. before 1174) again divided the estates among his son Henry II and his daughter Elizabeth, who had married Frederick II,Count of Vianden. Henry II received the County ofUpper Salm in the Vosges, while Elizabeth and Frederick II founded the comital line ofLower Salm in the Ardennes.
The descendants of Elizabeth and Frederick became extinct in 1416. Their possessions were inherited by the Lords ofReifferscheid, who resided atReifferscheid Castle. The succession arrangement was challenged by theRaugraves, however, they had to accept a 1456 judgement by theLuxembourg councillorAntoine I de Croÿ.
TheSalm-Reifferscheid line was later divided into the branches ofSalm-Reifferscheid-Bedburg/Krautheim,Salm-Reifferscheidt-Raitz andSalm-Reifferscheid-Dyck (extinct in 1888).
The Counts of Upper Salm resided atChâteau de Salm inAlsace, where they had to compete with the neighbouringPrince-Bishops of Strasbourg and theDukes of Lorraine. In 1475, half of the estates were inherited by theRhinegraves; the remaining half passed to the Lorraine dukes in 1600.
The Rhinegraves began to call themselves Counts of Salm too, they were raised toprinces in 1623. Their line included several cadet branches ruling over minor principalities such asSalm-Salm,Salm-Horstmar, andSalm-Kyrburg. In theGerman Mediatisation of 1803, the Princes of Salm-Salm and Salm-Kyrburg received the southwestern estates of the formerPrince-Bishopric of Münster with theLordship of Anholt. They ruled the newly establishedPrincipality of Salm jointly as acondominium.
Among its notable members were the counts ofLower Salm in the Ardennes,advocati of the abbaye Saint-Pierre atSenones, counts ofUpper Salm in theVosges mountains, governors ofNancy, marshals ofLorraine, marshals ofBar,princes of theHoly Roman Empire and sovereign princes of the Principality ofSalm-Salm:
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