View source for Bench of Counts of Westphalia

{{onesource|date=December 2008}}
The '''Bench of Counts of Westphalia''', a historical title of [[nobility]], was one of the four [[Count|comital]] benches of the [[Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)|Reichstag]] in the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. Collectively, the Counts exercised one vote. Territories which belonged to the Bench before 1582 (the date from which admission to the [[Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)|Reichstag]] was administered by strict rules) are known as "Old Counts," and those added afterwards are known as "New Counts," in a manner exercised similarly by the [[College of Secular Princes|College of Princes]]. A state could have the right to vote in the bench if they ruled an [[Imperial Estate]] with a right to vote in the Bench, or if they ruled a significant immediate territory which a right to vote in the Bench.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Dieckmann |first1=Gertha von |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fmPvDwAAQBAJ&dq=Bench+of+Counts+of+Westphalia&pg=PT340 |title=For Love and for Prussia: A Novel Based on the Life of Philipp Wilhelm Sack |last2=Engelking |first2=Stephen A. |date=1900 |publisher=Texianer Verlag |isbn=978-1-005-77883-5 |language=en}}</ref>
==List of Estates of Old Counts of Westphalia==
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* [[Duchy of Holstein-Gottorp-Oldenburg]]
* [[Lordship of Bretzenheim]]
* [[County of Rheineck]]
* [[County of Virneburg]]
* [[Lordship of Winneburg and Beilstein]]
* [[County of Moers]] (ext. 1702)
* [[County of Saarwerden and Lahr]] (ext. 1527)
* [[County of Oberstein]] (ext. 1682)
* [[County of Neuenahr]] (ext. 1600)
* [[County of Hoorn]] (ext. 1586)
* [[County of Sayn]] (ext. 1636)
* [[County of Sayn-Altenkirchen]] (1636)*
* [[County of Sayn-Hachenburg]] (1636)*
* [[Lordship of Plesse]] (ext. 1571)
* [[County of Wied and Runkel]]
* [[County of Wied-Neuwied]] (1698)*
* [[County of Frisia]] (ext. 1572)
* [[County of Lippe]]
* [[County of Hoya]]
* [[Principality of Waldeck]] (College of Princes: 1686–1692; ext. 1705)
* [[County of Diepholz]]
* [[County of Steinfurt]]
* [[County of Bentheim]] (ext. 1752)
* [[County of Bronchhorst]] (ext. 1719)
* [[County of Spiegelberg]] (1752)
* [[County of Tecklenburg]]
* [[County of Schaumburg and Gemen]] (ext. 1640)
* [[County of Schaumburg]] (1640)*
* [[Lordship of Gemen]] (1640)*
* [[Lordship of Wunstorf]] (ext. 1533)
* [[Lordship of Rietberg]]
* [[County of Bergen]] (ext. 1581)
* [[Principality of Salm]] (College of Princes: 1654)
* [[County of Manderscheid]] (ext. 1546)
* [[County of Kall]] (ext. 1752)
* [[Lordship of Blankenheim and Gerolstein]]
* [[County of Egmont and Iselstein]] (ext. 1548 (1707))
* [[County of Bergen and Walen]] (ext. 1567)
* [[County of Pyrmont]]
* [[Lordship of Saffenburg]]
}}
<nowiki>    * territory was created out of a prior state, therefore is not a New Count </nowiki>
==List of Estates of New Counts of Westphalia==
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* [[County of Reckheim]] (1623)
* [[Lordship of Gimborn-Neustadt]] (1631)
* [[County of Holzapfel]] (1641)
* [[Lordship of Anholt]] (1653)
* [[County of Bergen]] (1654, ext. 1712)
* [[Lordship of Reichenstein]] (1698)
* [[County of Hallermund]] (1707)
* [[Lordship of Wittem]] (1707)
* [[County of Schleiden]] (17..)
* [[Lordship of Kerpen-Lommersun]] (1712)
* [[County of Gronsfeld]] (1719)
* [[Lordship of Dyck]] (17..)
* [[Lordship of Wickrath]] (Wykradt) (1752)
* [[Lordship of Myllendonk]] (1752)
* [[County of Pyrmont]] (Pirmont) (1788)
* [[Lordship of Krautheim]] (1803)
}}
==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Counties of the Holy Roman Empire|*]]