John III of Rietberg

Who was John III of Rietberg?

John III of Rietberg was a member of the Cirksena family. He founded the Catholic side line of the Cirksena in the Westphalian County of Rietberg, the so-called house of East Frisia.

He was a son of Count Edzard II of East Frisia and Princess Katarina of Sweden, and ayounger brother of Count Enno III of East Frisia.

John married in 1601 with Sabina Catherine, the daughter of his brother Enno III. Under the Treaty of Berum, Sabina Catherine had been awarded the County of Rietberg, which her mother Walburgis had brought into the Cirksena family. John had converted to the Roman Catholic faith at an early age, and needed papal dispensation to marry his niece.

Sabina Catherine converted to Catholicism in 1601. Together, they reverted the reformation in the county of Rietberg. That he didn't convert only for political reasons, was made evident when he founded a Franciscan monastery in Rietberg. Being a catholic, John could make his career in the imperial service. He became an officer in the imperial army and later in the Spanish army. John conquered the Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn, which had turned Protestant, committing atrocities against the population in the process.