Louis I, Count of Erbach-Erbach

Louis I, Count of Erbach-Erbach (3 September 1579 – 12 April 1643), was a German prince member of the House of Erbach and ruler over Erbach, Freienstein, Michelstadt, Bad König and Wildenstein.

Born in Erbach, he was the seventh child and third (but second surviving) son of George III, Count of Erbach-Breuberg and his second wife Anna, a daughter of Frederick Magnus, Count of Solms-Laubach-Sonnenwalde.

Life

After the death of their father, Louis I and his surviving brothers divided the Erbach domains in 1606: he received the districts of Erbach and Freienstein.

When their older brother Frederick Magnus died in 1618 without surviving male issue, the brothers divided his domains among them, but this took place only in 1623, when Louis I received Michelstadt and Bad König. In 1627, the death of another of the brother, John Casimir, unmarried and childless, caused another division of the paternal inheritance: this time, Louis I received Wildenstein.

Louis died in Erbach aged 63 and was buried in Michelstadt. Because he died without surviving male issue, his only remaining brother, George Albert I inherited his domains, and with this reunited all the Erbach family lands.

Marriages and Issue

In Erbach on 2 March 1606 Louis I married firstly with his stepsister Juliane (11 April 1587 – 15/28 February 1622), a daugther of Maria of Barby-Mühlingen (Louis I' stepmother) and her first husband Josias I, Count of Waldeck. They had four children:

• George Frederick (10 June 1607 – k.a. 7 September 1632), a Swedish colonel.
• Gottfried (8 September 1611 – 15 July 1635).
• Anna Juliane (20 September 1614 – 1637), married in 1634 to Johann Philipp, Wild- and Rhinegrave of Kyrburg-Mörchingen.
• Frederick Magnus (11 September 1616 – 14 October 1625).

On 29 May 1624 Louis I married secondly with Johannette (24 July 1604 – 13 May 1666), a daughter of William II, Count of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg and his first wife Anna Elisabeth von Sayn, heiress of Sayn. They had no children.