HanauMünzenberg

Hanau-Münzenberg was a county of the Holy Roman Empire located in the central German region that is today part of the state of Hesse. It arose in the 15th century as a partition of the County of Hanau, taking its name from the towns of Hanau and Münzenberg. The county was ruled by the House of Hanau and enjoyed Imperial immediacy, functioning as an independent territorial entity within the Empire. Its territory lay along the Main valley and in the Wetterau region, including the towns of Hanau, Münzenberg, and surrounding estates.

In governance, the county followed feudal norms of the late medieval and early modern periods, with a count at its head and assemblies of estates in its towns. The county participated in imperial politics and was affected by the broader territorial changes of the 17th and 18th centuries that reshaped German principalities.

In 1736, the ruling line of Hanau-Münzenberg became extinct with the death of the last count, and the county ceased to exist as a sovereign entity. Its lands were divided and absorbed by neighboring Hessian states, with portions joining Hesse-Kassel (Hesse-Cassel) and Hesse-Darmstadt, and later becoming part of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and ultimately the modern state of Hesse.

Today, Hanau-Münzenberg is remembered for its role in the regional medieval and early modern history of Hesse. Architectural remnants such as Schloss Philippsruhe in Hanau and the Münzenberg Castle ruins reflect the county's historical heritage.