List of counts of East Frisia

The counts and princes of East Frisia from the noble East Frisian family Cirksena descended from a line of East Frisian chieftains from Greetsiel. The county came into existence when Emperor Frederick III raised Ulrich I the son of a local chieftain to the status of Imperial Count in 1464.

The most important ruler from the House of Cirksena was Edzard the Great (1462–1528), under whose leadership the Imperial County of East Frisia reached its greatest extent. During his reign the Reformation spread throughout East Frisia.

In 1654 the Cirksena were elevated to princes by the emperor. Charles Edzard, the last ruler from the House of Cirksena, died without issue during the night of 25/26 May 1744 (reportedly from a glass of buttermilk, which is said to have drunk after a hunt). Immediately thereafter, the county passed to King Frederick II of Prussia.

Tom Brok family

 * 1347-1376: Keno I tom Brok
 * 1376-1389: Ocko I tom Brok
 * 1389-1399: Widzeld tom Brok
 * 1399-1417: Keno II tom Brok (under regency of his mother Foelke Kampana)
 * 1417-1427: Ocko II tom Brok (under regency of his grandmother, Foelke); deposed, died 1435

Attena family

 * ?-1410: Hero Attena
 * ?-1410: Lutet Attena (in Norderburg)
 * ?: Eger Attena (in Westerburg)
 * ?-1433: Sibet I Attena
 * 1433-1473: Sibet II Attena

Emden

 * Abdena family

Faldern

 * Aildesna family

Cirksena family

 * ?-1430: Liudward
 * 1430-1450: Enno Edzardisna, son-in-law
 * 1450-1466: Ulrich, son, in 1464 was raised to Count.

Innhausen / Östringen

 * Tjarksena family

Langwarden / Innhausen / Knyphausen

 * Onneken, later named of Innhausen and Knyphausen family

Lütetsburg / Pewsum

 * Manninga

Ukena family family

 * Benno
 * Uko
 * 1427-1436: Focko Ukena and his son Uko Fockena (1427-1432)

Allena family

 * ?-1406: Folkmar Allena

Rüstringen / Bant

 * Wiemken (Papinga)

Wirdum

 * Beninga family

Literature

 * Tielke, Dr. Martin (Hrsg.): Biographisches Lexikon für East Frisia, Bd. 1 ISBN 3-925365-75-3 (1993), Bd. 2 ISBN 3-932206-00-2 (1997), Bd. 3 ISBN 3-932206-22-3 (2001) Ostfries. Landschaftliche Verl.- u. Vertriebsges. Aurich
 * Martin Jhering: Hofleben in East Frisia. Die Fürstenresidenz Aurich im Jahre 1728, Hannover 2005
 * Heinrich Reimers: East Frisia bis zum Aussterben seines Fürstenhauses, Bremen 1925
 * Ernst Esselborn: Das Geschlecht Cirksena, Berlin 1945
 * F. Wachter: Das Erbe der Cirksena. Ein Stück ostfriesischer Geschichte und des Kampfes um die Vorherrschaft in Norddeutschland., Aurich 1921