Count John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg (22 November 1536 – 8 October 1606) was the second son of William the Rich and the younger brother of William the Silent. He has a special place in the history of the Netherlands because he is the male-line forefather of the House of Orange.
John VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg | |
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Born | Dillenburg | 22 November 1536
Died | 8 October 1606 Dillenburg | (aged 69)
Noble family | House of Nassau |
Spouse(s) | Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg Kunigunde Jakobäa of Simmern Johannetta of Sayn-Wittgenstein |
Father | William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen |
Mother | Juliane of Stolberg-Wernigerode |
John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg was a Count of Nassau in Dillenburg. Other names he had were Jan VI or Jan de Oude ("John the Elder", to distinguish him from his 2nd son, "John the Middle", and his grandson "John the Younger").
John VI was born in Dillenburg, the second son of Count William I of Nassau-Dillenburg and his second wife Juliane of Stolberg-Wernigerode and brother of William I of Orange. He was the principal author of the Union of Utrecht.
John VI was married three times and had a total of 24 children:[1][2]
First, he was married on 16 June 1559 with Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg (ca. March 1537 – 6 July 1579), who bore him 13 children:
Secondly, he married on 13 September 1580 with Kunigunde Jakobäa of Simmern (9 October 1556 – 26 January 1586), daughter of Frederick III, Elector Palatine, who bore him 4 children:
Thirdly, he married on 14 June 1586 to Johannetta of Sayn-Wittgenstein (15 February 1561 – 13 April 1622), who bore him 7 children:
He died in his native city of Dillenburg, aged 69.