Simon III, Count of Saarbrücken
Simon III of Sarrebrück, Simon III von Saarbrücken (Saarbrücken-Leiningen) (c. 1180–1243) was the Count of Saarbrücken from 1207 until his death, about 1240. Background. Simon III was the eldest son of Simon II (d.1207), Count of Saarbrücken (in office 1183-1207) and Count "jure uxoris" of Leiningen, and his wife Liutgard of Leiningen (d.a. 1239), who was daughter, sister, cousin or aunt of Emich III? (d. 1180/87 "or" c.1208), Count of Leiningen. When Liutgard's relative Friedrich (First cousin of Emich III) died c. 1215, she inherited the County of Leiningen. Simon II and  his younger brother Heinrich (d. 1228) got a share each of their father Simon's County of Saarbrücken, with Heinrich's part called County of Zweibrücken. Simon III's younger brother Friedrich III, "Frederick" (d. 1237), inherited the County of Leiningen, and founded "the younger House of Leiningen". His brother Heinrich (d. 1234) was a Bishop of Worms. They belonged to the House of Saarbrücken and related to the "Walramids" , descendants of Siegbert and Frederick, Count of Saarbrücken, who was the father-in-law of Frederick II, Duke of Swabia. In the struggle about the power in the Holy Roman  Empire 1208-1215, he sided with the Hohenstaufen. He recognised however Otto of Braunschweig (1175-1218) as the King of Germany, but attended the crowning of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor in 1215 when Otto had to abdicate. Simon III was a participant in the Fifth Crusade 1217-1219. He acted there as leader in operations in front of Damietta in 1218. Marriage and issue. According to a doubtful source Simon III married Gertrude of Dagsburg/Dachsburg (c.1190 - 1225) as her third husband. She was the daughter of Gertrude of Baden (b.1160 – 1225) and Albert II, Count of Dagsburg, and  heiress of the County of Dagsburg. It is more likely that it was Simon's nephew, Simon of Leiningen (c. 1205 - 1234/36), son of Friedrich (d. 1237), that married Gertrude in 1224, and became count "jure uxoris" of Dagsburg in 1234, but was heirless. The line of Dagsburg-Leiningen continued on Friedrich's side, with Simon's brother Friedrich IV (d. 1249/1254). In 1215/20 Simon then married Lauretta of Upper Lorraine (1195 - a.1226), daughter of "Ferry". Frederick II, Duke of Lorraine with whom he had five children: After the death of his son Dietrich in 1227, he chose Laurette as  his heiress as Countess of Saarbrücken, with an official statement in 1235 with the Bishop of Metz, and gave a part of the county to each of the daughters (mentioning "Joffroi d´Aspremont, Lorate, Mahaus & Jehane"). Mathilde gained the title as Countess of Saarbrücken, but the inheritance was contended by Bishop Lorenz von Leistenberg, and first Mathilde's son Simon IV could safeguard their reign after her death, and the House of Saarbrücken-Commercy prevailed until 1381, when the male line became extinct.