Nicholas II of Werle

Who is Nicholas II of Werle?

Nicholas II, Lord of Werle was Lord of Werle-Parchim from 1283 until his death, and from 1292 Lord of Werle.

His uncle Henry I of Werle was killed in 1291 by his sons Henry II and Nicholas, because he had remarried and they felt this threatened their inheritance. After a prolonged war, Nicholas II defeated his cousins, who had formed an alliance with Lord Henry II of Mecklenburg and Elector Albert III of Brandenburg. This allowed him to reunite Werle-Parchim and Werle-Güstrow.

In 1311, he travelled to Montpellier in southern France, where he hoped to be cured of leprosy at the famous school of medicine. He was not cured, but the progress of the disease was slowed down. He retired from government and lived the rest of his life at Pustow, near Güstrow.

Nicholas II died in 1316. After his death, Werle was split again, with Nicholas' son John III taking Werle-Goldberg and Nicholas' younger brother John II taking Werle-Güstrow.