page_title: Counts of Lenzburg
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Counts of Lenzburg / History
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Vogelperspektive des Schlosses Lenzburg aus dem Jahr 1624, gezeichnet vom damaligen Landvogt Joseph Plepp.
context_page_description: The Counts of Lenzburg were a comital family in the Duchy of Swabia in the 11th and 12th centuries, controlling substantial portions of the pagi of Aargau and Zürichgau.
  After the extinction of their male line in 1173, their lands were distributed between the houses of Kyburg, Zähringen and Hohenstaufen.
  Subsequent Habsburg expansion into former Lenzburg territories were one of several factors that led to the formation of the Old Swiss Confederacy in the late 13th century.
context_section_description: The Lenzburg family was first mentioned in 1077 in connection with Lenzburg Castle, though they were probably descended from the Carolingian Count Hunfrid of Rhaetia through a female line to the Lords of Schänis, the religious vogt over Schänis Abbey.  Through this line, Ulrich (died 972) is usually considered the first member of the Lenzburg family.
  The Lenzburgs were related to several other noble houses including the Counts of Habsburg, Steffling in Regensburg and the Kyburgs.  The spotty records and intermarriage between the families makes it difficult to determine exactly which family held lands, but Ulrich clearly had land in the Hinterrhein valley and a position as vogt at Schänis Abbey.  His son, Arnold, was appointed a vogt in 976 over the two largest monasteries in Zurich, the Grossmünster and Fraumünster, and their lands in Uri.
  When Ulrich II supported Emperor Henry IV during the Investiture Controversy he was granted the Zürichgau or lands around Zürich.  His brother Arnold I, became Count of the Frickgau in 1064 and vogt over Säckingen Abbey in 1073.  When he died childless, those lands and titles came to the main Lenzburg line.  Rudolf, the son of Ulrich II, ruled over the County of Aargau and lands in Unterwalden, Uri and Schwyz.  In 1125 he became the vogt over Rheinau Abbey.  His brother Arnold II held the imperial vogtei of Zurich and the county of Zürichgau.
  In the early 12th century the Lenzburg lands were divided.  The sons of Arnold II (died 1172) started calling themselves the "Counts of Baden". They held Stein Castle in Baden together with Baldern Castle on the Albis ridge overlooking Zürich, and held the eastern part of the Lenzburg lands.  The sons of Rudolf called themselves the Counts of Lenzburg.  Rudolf's son Ulrich IV was a close friend of Frederick Barbarossa and after Ulrich's death he bequeathed the Lenzburg lands to Barbarossa.  While there were numerous male Lenzburgs, both lines ended when Ulrich IV died.
  After the extinction of the Counts of Lenzburg, the Lenzburg lands eventually became part of the Habsburg lands.  Expanding from these formerly Lenzburg lands into central Switzerland brought the Habsburgs into conflict with the Forest Cantons in the 13th century and led to the Eternal Alliance of 1291 and the eventual creation of the Old Swiss Confederation.
caption: Lenzburg Castle in 1624
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