Draft:County of Achalm

Achalm was a state located in the Holy Roman Empire. It was founded by Rudolf Von Achalm, who was a member of the House of Urach. He and his decedents were called the Counts of Achalm. Achalm was located in southern modern Germany and west of Ulm. Achalm is thought to have been named after a the old German word Ache meaning stream.

History
The earliest known record of Achalm was from a document involving the brothers of Urach. It was discussing the marriage of Cuno (Sometimes spelt Kuno) of Lechsegemünd with a powerful Swabian family member named Mathilde von Horburg, later countess of Achalm. This marriage is what founded Achalm as a sovereign county. This document was published into the book "Count and Bishop in Medieval Germany" by Benjamin Arnold. Achalm was later absorbed into Urach in 1098 after the Achalm family fell out of power. The counts of Achalm lost their sovereignty whenever their descendants married into the Bavarian dynasty of Frontenhausen, Matrei, and Mittersill.

The Counts of Achalm
The first Count of Achalm was Rudolf Von Achalm. He became count whenever his daughter Mathilda married Kuno I. Because he was the Patriarch of his house, he became the de facto Count. He and his lineage were the Counts of Achalm. Rudolf’s daughter, Mathilda inherited the title of count(ess) of Achalm becoming; Mathilda, countess of Achalm. As stated earlier, Mathilda married Kuno I, Count of Lechsgemünd in 1050, and became: Mathilda, countess of Achalm, von Horburg. Not too long after the death of Kuno I, the Counts of Achalm fell out of power, and their castle and land went to the House of Urach.

Geography
There is a mountain that ran through Achalm called the Achalm Mountains. There is also a castle that was built by Rudolf and his brother located in Achalm called the Achalm Castle.