The county of Ratzeburg was founded in 1143 among the Polabian Slavs for Henry of Badwide.
It holds the island castle of Ratzeburg beside the bishop's cathedral, Wittenburg, Gadebusch, Rehna, Zarrentin, the advocacy of Mölln and Boizenburg. Count Bernhard II died in 1198 and his small son Bernhard III in 1199, ending the male line. The widow Adelheid holds the county on 1 January 1200, and during 1200 Adolf of Dassel marries her and takes it over; allied with Adolf III and Duke Bernhard of Saxony, he raids the lands of the Danish king's Slav vassals, which brings on Waschow.
Who he is
- Name
- Adelheid, widow of Count Bernhard II
- Title
- countess (widow) of Ratzeburg
- Since
- 1199, on the death of her child son Count Bernhard III, for whom she had been regent since 1198 (de.wikipedia Grafschaft Ratzeburg)
- Born
- not pinned
- Family
- called 'von Wassel' by de.wikipedia (family not checked). The comital house of Badwide dies out with her son in 1199. In 1200 she marries Count Adolf I of Dassel, Adolf III's former deputy in Holstein.
- Confidence
- low
de.wikipedia Grafschaft Ratzeburg; de.wikipedia Schlacht bei Waschow
Overlord
the duke of Saxony (Bernhard of Anhalt), successor to Henry the Lion's lordship over the county; his house later claimed it as an escheated Saxon fief (de.wikipedia)
What it holds
- Ratzeburg castle
- Wittenburg
- Gadebusch
- Rehna
- Zarrentin
- the advocacy (Vogtei) of Mölln
- Boizenburg (passed with Wittenburg from the former county to Schwerin in 1203/04)
How it was acquired
Henry the Lion's grant of 1143 to the Badwide counts.
Allies and rivals
Dassel's allies: Adolf III of Holstein and Duke Bernhard of Saxony. Rivals: the Danish king's vassals (Borwin, Nicholas of Rostock, the counts of Schwerin).
How things stand that morning
A county changing hands: the widow holds it, the duke of Saxony is its lord, and Adolf of Dassel is about to marry in. Allegiance on 1 January not pinned; under Dassel it sides with Adolf III, Bernhard and Philip.
Wealth
Castles and their dues; Mölln on the old salt road from Lüneburg to Lübeck.
Military
Ratzeburg, Gadebusch and Wittenburg castles. In 1200 Gadebusch and Wittenburg surrender without resistance after Waschow.
Threats
- the Danish king's vassals to the east
- the Welfs at Lauenburg
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 1200 (month not pinned)Adolf of Dassel marries Adelheid and takes the regency of the county.Depends on: the widow's and Duke Bernhard's consent Stopped by: a rival claimant
- 25 May 1200 (some sources 1201)Battle of Waschow: Dassel is beaten by the Danish vassals and flees; Gadebusch and Wittenburg surrender; the county comes under Danish overlordship and in 1202 goes to Albert of Orlamünde.Depends on: Dassel's raids and Canute's order Stopped by: help from Adolf III and Bernhard in time
Places of note
- Ratzeburg castle: island castle of the counts
- Gadebusch castle: comital castle
- Wittenburg castle: comital castle
Where the sources disagree
- de.wikipedia dates Dassel's marriage and takeover to 1200 without a month; on 1 January 1200 he may not yet hold the county. Not pinned.
Evidence: The death of the boy count in 1199 and Dassel's marriage in 1200 come from de.wikipedia without dated charters.
On the map: Rough block over the county's castles; the bishop of Ratzeburg's own lands inside it (the Land Boitin) are not separated.
Primary sources for Saxony (Bernhard)
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Annals of Stade, by Albert of Stade, Albert of Stade (about 1240 to 1256). A world chronicle written at Stade in the 1240s from older Stade and Bremen annals. Read online
- Chronicle of Reinhardsbrunn; Chronicle of St Peter's, Erfurt (Erfurt chronicle in the 13th century; Reinhardsbrunn compilation about 1340 to 1349 from older annals). The two Thuringian chronicles. Read online
- Chronicle of the Slavs, by Arnold of Lübeck, Arnold of Lübeck (about 1209 to 1210). Arnold continues Helmold and writes from Lübeck, close to Danish, Welf and Baltic affairs. Read online
- Chronicle of the Slavs, by Helmold of Bosau, Helmold of Bosau (about 1167 to 1172). Background only. Read online
- Royal Chronicle of Cologne (in stages from about 1175 to about 1250; the section on 1198 to 1220 written soon after the events). The fullest German narrative of the throne war from the Welf and Cologne side. Read online
- Annals of Pegau; Annals of Magdeburg (12th and 13th centuries; Pegau continued to 1227). The annals of the Wettin lands and of Magdeburg. Read online
- Chronicle of the Lauterberg (Petersberg near Halle), Konrad of Lauterberg (about 1225). The house chronicle of the Wettin foundation on the Lauterberg, sharp-tongued and well informed on Saxony, Meissen and Magdeburg. Read online
- Deeds of the archbishops of Magdeburg (main text to 1142, continued in the 13th and 14th centuries). The Magdeburg house history, with a continuation covering Archbishop Ludolf of Kroppenstedt (1192 to 1205), a firm supporter of Philip who hosted the king's Christmas court at Magdeburg on 25 December 1199. Read online
4 more in the sources library for The Rhineland, the Low Countries and the Swiss Lands.
Sources and studies
- Wikipedia (de): Grafschaft Ratzeburg
- Wikipedia (de): Schlacht bei Waschow
- Wikipedia (de): Herzogtum Sachsen-Lauenburg
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.