County of Cilli

The County of Cilli (German: Cilli, Slovene: Celje) was a medieval county in the territory of the present-day Slovenia. It was governed by the Counts of Cilli (also Counts of Celje).^[1] Following the death of Ulrich II of Celje, the county was subsumed by neighbouring Duchy of Styria.

County of Cilli Grafschaft Cilli
1341–1456
Coat of arms
Possessions in the 15th century   Principality: Celje and Ortenburg (from 1418)   Fiefs
Status	County
Capital	Celje
Historical era	Late Middle Ages
• Reichsfreiheit     confirmed	1341
• Acquired Ortenburg	1418
• Count Ulrich II killed	1456
Preceded by Succeeded by Duchy of Styria Duchy of Styria

History

Creation

County of Cilli was created after lords of Saneck inherited lands in Slovenia and surrounding areas. They continuously gained land via strategic marriages and their loyalty to their immediate liege, the Habsburgs of Austria. Hermann II, Count of Celje was also father-in-law to the Hungarian king Sigismund who eventually became the Holy Roman Emperor and granted multiple fiefs in Slavonia and Croatia to his father-in-law. After Sigismund, the Luxembourg line went extinct and the Habsburgs succeeded as Emperor, further strengthening the Count of Cilli. The last count, Ulrich II, Count of Celje was assassinated by a faction in Hungary without an heir. His possessions within the Empire were inherited by the Habsburgs of Austria, while his possessions outside of the Empire were inherited by the crown of Hungary, which would also come under Habsburg rule less than a century later under Ferdinand I.