Sayn was a small German county of the Holy Roman Empire which, during the Middle Ages, existed within what is today Rheinland-Pfalz.
There have been two Counties of Sayn. The first emerged in 1139 and became closely associated with the County of Sponheim early in its existence. Count Henry II was notable for being accused of satanic orgies by the Church's German Grand Inquisitor, Conrad von Marburg, in 1233. Henry was acquitted by an assembly of bishops in Mainz, but Conrad refused to accept the verdict and left Mainz. It is unknown whether it was Henry's Knights who killed Conrad on his return to Thuringia, but investigation was foregone due to the cruelty of Conrad, despite Pope Gregory IX ordering his murderers to be punished. With the death of Henry in 1246, the County passed to the Counts of Sponheim-Eberstein and thence to Sponheim-Sayn in 1261.
The second County of Sayn emerged as a partition of Sponheim-Sayn in 1283 (the other partition being Sayn-Homburg). It was notable for its numerous co-reigns, and it endured until 1608 when it was inherited by the Counts of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn. A lack of clear heirs of William III of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn led to the temporary annexation of the comital territories by the Archbishop of Cologne until the succession was decided. In 1648 following the Thirty Years' War, the County was divided between Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn-Altenkirchen and Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg.
Territory and possessions
The county of Sayn was located in the area of today's state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The ancestral land, lost in 1605, was on the right bank of the Middle Rhine around Sayn Castle, now part of the town of Bendorf. The much larger territories were in the northern Westerwald and in the middle Sieg Valley. The county had as neighbours:
- in the north, the Lordship of Humburg
- in the east, the County of Nassau-Dillenburg,
- in the south, the County of Wied,
- south of the exclave of Bendorf, the Electorate of Trier,
- north of the exclave of Bendorf, the County of Isenburg
- in the west, the Electorate of Cologne.
<gallery>
Bendorf Sayn, Burg Sayn.jpg|Ruins of the Sayn Castle
Bendorf abbey rectory.JPG|Former Premonstratensian Abbey of Sayn, Hauskloster und Grablege
Schloss Hachenburg 002.jpg|Hachenburg Castle
Abteikirche Marienstatt NW.JPG|Marienstatt Abbey
</gallery>
Rulers of Sayn
House of Sayn
{|align="center" style="border-spacing: 0px; border: 1px solid black; text-align: center;"
|+
|-
| colspan=9 style="background: #fff;" | <!---Sayn--->
|-
| colspan=3 rowspan=2 style="background: #fff;" |County of Sayn<br>(1139-1701)<br><small>(Homburg branch since 1608)</small>
| colspan=6 style="background: #ffc;" |County of Homburg<br><small>(1st creation)</small><br>(1284-1384)<br><small>renamed</small><br>County of Wittgenstein<br><small>(1st creation)</small><br>(1384-1605)
|-
| colspan=4 style="background: #dce;" | <!---Berleburg--->
| colspan=2 rowspan=2 style="background: #fdc;" | <!---Wittgenstein--->
|-
| colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" | <!---Sayn--->
| colspan=1 rowspan=4 style="background: #ade;" | <!---Neumagen--->
| colspan=1 rowspan=4 style="background: #def;" |County of Kirschgartshausen<br>(1623-1719)
| colspan=1 rowspan=5 style="background: #ffc;" |County of Homburg<br><small>(2nd creation)</small><br>(1631-1743)
| colspan=3 rowspan=2 style="background: #dce;" |County of Berleburg<br>(1605-1806)
|-
|colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" | <!---Sayn--->
| colspan=1 rowspan=5 style="background: #fdc;" |County of Wittgenstein<br><small>(2nd creation)</small><br>(1605-1647)<br><small>renamed</small><br>County of Hohnstein<br>(1647-1806)
| colspan=1 rowspan=5 style="background: #fedf;" |County of Vallendar<br>(1657-1775)
|-
| colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" | <!---Sayn--->
| colspan=1 style="background: #dce;" | <!---Berleburg--->
| colspan=1 rowspan=5 style="background: #fde;" |County of Karlsburg<br>(1694-1806)
| colspan=1 rowspan=5 style="background: #fbd;" |County of Ludwigsburg<br>(1694-1806)
|-
| colspan=1 rowspan=5 style="background: #eee;" |<small>Hachenburg annexed<br>to Manderscheid family;<br>Altenkirchen annexed<br>to Saxony</small>
| colspan=1 style="background: #dce;" | <!---Berleburg--->
|-
| colspan=2 rowspan=3 style="background: #ade;" |County of Neumagen<br>(1623-1806)
| colspan=1 style="background: #dce;" | <!---Berleburg--->
|-
| colspan=2 style="background: #dce;" | <!---Berleburg--->
|-
| colspan=2 style="background: #dce;" | <!---Berleburg--->
| colspan=2 style="background: #fdc;" | <!---Wittgenstein--->
|-
| colspan=8 style="background: #eee;" |<small>Mediatised to the Landgraviate of Hesse (from 1806)</small>
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sticky-header"
! colspan=2 | Monarch !!Born!!Reign!!Ruling part!!Consort!!Death!!Notes
|- style="background:#eee"
|colspan=8 align=center|<small>First House of Sayn</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|c.1110<br><small>First son of and Diemut of Laurenburg</small>
|align=center|1139 – 1176
|rowspan="2"|County of Sayn||Kunigunde of Isenburg<br>five children
|align=center|1176<br><small>aged 65–66</small>
|rowspan="2"|
|- style="background:#fff"
| Henry I ||
|align=center|c.1110<br><small>Second son of and Diemut of Laurenburg</small>
|align=center|1139 – 1159||Unmarried
|align=center|1159<br><small>aged 48–49</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|c.1140<br><small>First son of and Kunigunde of Isenburg</small>
|align=center|1176 – April 1203
|rowspan="2"|County of Sayn||Agnes of Saffenberg<br><small>(1173-27 May 1201)</small><br>five children
|align=center|April 1203<br><small>aged 62–63</small>
|rowspan="2"|
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|c.1140<br><small>Second son of and Kunigunde of Isenburg</small>
|align=center|1176 – 1202||Unmarried
|align=center|1202<br><small>aged 61–62</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
| Henry III the Great || 100px
|align=center|c.1185<br><small>Son of and Agnes of Saffenberg</small>
|align=center|April 1203 – 1 January 1247||County of Sayn
|rowspan="2"|1215<br>one child
|align=center|1 January 1247<br><br><small>aged 61–62</small>|| Died childless.
|- style="background:#fff"
| Matilda of Landsberg ||
|align=center|1203<br><small>Daughter of and Agnes of Saffenberg</small>
|align=center|1 January – 29 August 1247<br><br>29 August 1247 – 1291||County of Sayn<br><small>(in since 29 August 1247)</small>
|align=center|1291<br><small>aged 87–88</small>
|rowspan="2"|Wife and sister of Henry, they were his heiresses. Designated the first heiress by her husband, Matilda left her inheritance to her sister-in-law. The county of Sayn was therefore transmitted through female line. Matilda kept a seat at .
|- style="background:#fff"
| Adelaide ||
|align=center|c.1190<br><small>Daughter of and Agnes of Saffenberg</small>
|align=center|29 August 1247 – 1263||County of Sayn||Godfrey III, Count of Sponheim<br>1202<br>five children
|align=center|1263<br><small>aged 72–73</small>
|- style="background:#eee"
|colspan=8 align=center|<small>House of Sayn-Sponheim or Second House of Sayn</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
| John (I) ||
|align=center|c.1205<br><small>Son of Godfrey III, Count of Sponheim and Adelaide</small>
|align=center|1263 – 1266||County of Sayn||? of Altena-Isenberg<br>1202<br>five children
|align=center|1263<br><small>aged 58–59</small>|| Also Count of Sponheim.
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|c.1247<br><small>Son of John I and ? of Altena-Isenburg</small>
|align=center|1266 – 1284||County of Sayn||<br>August 1258<br>seven children
|align=center|1284<br><small>aged 36–37</small>||
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|c.1260<br><small>First son of and </small>
|align=center|1284 – 23 November 1324||County of Sayn||Elisabeth of Hesse<br><small>(1270-19 February 1293)</small><br>1287<br>five children<br><br>Kunigunde of Neuerburg<br><small>(d.1347)</small><br>1297<br>four children
|align=center|23 November 1324<br><small>aged 63–64</small>
|rowspan="2"|Children of Godfrey, divided their inheritance.
|- style="background:#ffc"
| ||
|align=center|c.1260<br><small>Second son of and </small>
|align=center|1284 – 1336||County of Homburg||Judith of Lower Isenburg<br><small>(d.1313)</small><br>24 February 1286<br>one child<br><br>Metza<br><small>(d.1330)</small><br>1313<br>no children<br><br>Clarissa<br><small>(d.1335)</small><br>1330<br>no children
|align=center|23 November 1324<br><small>aged 63–64</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|c.1290<br><small>Son of and Elisabeth of Hesse</small>
|align=center|23 November 1324 – 1327
|rowspan="2"|County of Sayn||Matilda of the Mark<br><small>(d.1327)</small><br>no children
|align=center|1327<br><small>aged 36–37</small>
|rowspan="2"|Children of John I, ruled jointly.
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|c.1300<br><small>Son of and Kunigunde of Neuerburg</small>
|align=center|1327 – 25 December 1360||Elisabeth of Jülich<br><small>(1315-1389)</small><br>29 September 1330<br>five children
|align=center|25 December 1360<br><small>aged 59–60</small>
|- style="background:#ffc"
| ||
|align=center|c.1290<br><small>Son of and Judith of Lower Isenburg</small>
|align=center|1336 – 1354||County of Homburg||Sophia of Folmestein<br><small>(d.1323)</small><br>24 November 1311<br>seven children<br><br>Maria von Dollendorf<br><small>(d.1364)</small><br>c.1325<br>three children
|align=center|1354<br><small>aged 63–64</small>||
|- style="background:#ffc"
| || 100px
|align=center|1314<br>Homburg<br><small>Son of and Sophia of Folmestein</small>
|align=center|1354 – 1392||County of Homburg<br><small>(until 1384)</small><br><br>County of Wittgenstein<br><small>(from 1384)</small>||<br>c.1350<br>two children<br><br>Elisabeth von Hirschhorn<br><small>(d.1380)</small><br>23 June 1362<br>two children
|align=center|1354<br><small>aged 63–64</small>|| In 1384 he merged the counties of Wittgenstein (inherited through his wife) and his own. The seat changed to Wittgenstein.
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|c.1330<br><small>Son of and Elisabeth of Jülich</small>
|align=center|25 December 1360 – 25 February 1409||County of Sayn||<br>24 June 1349<br>seven children
|align=center|25 February 1409<br><small>aged 78–79</small>||
|- style="background:#ffc"
| || 100px
|align=center|1385<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align=center|1392 – 1436||County of Wittgenstein||<br>July 1386<br>seven children
|align=center|1436<br><small>aged 50–51</small>||
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|c.1360<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align=center|25 February 1409 – 15 September 1419||County of Sayn||Sophia of Stein-Löwenberg<br><small>(d.1395)</small><br>1385<br>one child<br><br><br>June 1409<br>two children
|align=center|15 September 1419<br><small>aged 58–59</small>||
|- style="background:#fff"
|colspan="7" align=center|<small>Regency of (1419-1429)</small>
|rowspan="2"|Left no children. The county was inherited by his brother.
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|7 August 1415<br><small>First son of and </small>
|align=center|15 September 1419 – 2 August 1452||County of Sayn||<br>1435<br>no children
|align=center|2 August 1452<br><small>aged 36–37</small>
|- style="background:#ffc"
| ||
|align=center|1420<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align=center|1436 – 7 May 1472||County of Wittgenstein||Elisabeth of the Mark<br><small>(1400-1474)</small><br>1 March 1436<br>eight children
|align=center|7 May 1472<br><small>aged 51–52</small>||
|- style="background:#fff"
| || 100px
|align=center|1417<br><small>Second son of and </small>
|align=center|2 August 1452 – January 1493||County of Sayn||Elisabeth of Zirk<br><small>(6 March 1435 - 20 July 1489)</small><br>1453<br>sixteen children
|align=center|January 1493<br><small>aged 75–76</small>||
|- style="background:#ffc"
| || 100px
|align=center|1440<br><small>Son of and Elisabeth of the Mark</small>
|align=center|7 May 1472 – 1494||County of Wittgenstein||Margaret of Rodemachern<br><small>(1450-22 June 1509)</small><br>c.1470<br>seven children
|align=center|1494<br><br><small>aged 53–54</small>||
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|9 February 1454<br><small>First son of and Elisabeth of Zirk</small>
|align=center|January 1493 – 26 January 1506
|rowspan="2"|County of Sayn||Johanna of Wied<br><small>(1480-1529)</small><br>1493<br>six children
|align=center|26 January 1506<br><small>aged 51</small>
|rowspan="2"|Children of Gerhard II, ruled jointly.
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|20 January 1464<br><small>Fifth son of and Elisabeth of Zirk</small>
|align=center|January 1493 – 12 November 1498||Maria of Limburg-Breuch<br><small>(1465-7 June 1525)</small><br>1482<br>four children
|align=center|12 November 1498<br><small>aged 34</small>
|- style="background:#ffc"
| || 100px
|align=center|24 August 1488<br>Homburg Castle<br><small>First son of and Margaret of Rodemachern</small>
|align=center|1494 – 18 April 1570||County of Wittgenstein<br><small>(Southern part)</small>||Johannetta, Countess of Isenburg-Neumagen<br><small>(1500-8 August 1563)</small><br>1522<br>seven children
|align=center|18 April 1570<br><br><small>aged 81–82</small>
|rowspan="2"| Children of George, divided the rule. John didn't have surviving children, and the county eventually reunited.
|- style="background:#ffc"
| ||
|align=center|1489<br><br><small>Second son of and Margaret of Rodemachern</small>
|align=center|1494 – 2 April 1551||County of Wittgenstein<br><small>(Northern part)</small>||Agnes von Eza<br>no children<br><br>Margaret of Henneberg<br>1534<br>three children
|align=center|2 April 1551<br><br><small>aged 61–62</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|1491<br><small>Son of and Maria of Limburg-Breuch</small>
|align=center|26 January 1506 – 1529||County of Sayn<br><small>(at Sayn proper)</small>||Agnes von Heekeren<br>no children<br><br>Ottilie of Nassau-Saarbrücken<br><small>(26 December 1492 - 1 March 1554)</small><br>1 January 1516<br>three children
|align=center|1529<br><small>aged 37–38</small>||
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|1518<br><small>First son of and Ottilie of Nassau-Saarbrücken</small>
|align=center|1529 – 20 March 1560||County of Sayn<br><small>(half 1)</small>||Elisabeth of Holstein-Schauenburg<br><small>(1520-19 January 1545)</small><br>1538<br>five children<br><br><br>1549<br>one child
|align=center|15 September 1419<br><small>aged 58–59</small>
|rowspan="2"|Children of John VI, divided their inheritance.
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|c.1360<br><small>Second son of and Ottilie of Nassau-Saarbrücken</small>
|align=center|1529 – 1 January 1573||County of Sayn<br><small>(half 2)</small>||Unmarried
|align=center|1 January 1573<br><small>aged 58–59</small>
|- style="background:#ffc"
| Louis I the Elder || 100px
|align=center|7 December 1532<br><br><small>Son of and Johannetta, Countess of Isenburg-Neumagen</small>
|align=center|18 April 1570 – 2 July 1605||County of Wittgenstein||<br>14 August 1559<br>Dillenburg Castle<br>three children<br><br><br>13 January 1556<br>Laubach<br>seventeen children
|align=center|2 July 1605<br>Altenkirchen<br><small>aged 72</small>||
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|1538<br><small>First son of and Elisabeth of Holstein-Schauenburg</small>
|align=center|1 January 1573 – 15 September 1419
|rowspan="3"|County of Sayn<br><small>(in Sayn half 1 until 1573)</small>||<br>1 September 1560<br>Eisleben<br>one child
|align=center|15 September 1419<br><small>aged 58–59</small>
|rowspan="3"|Children of John VII, shared their inheritance, and added their uncle's part in 1573.
|- style="background:#fff"
| Henry IV || 100px
|align=center|1539<br><small>Second son of and Elisabeth of Holstein-Schauenburg</small>
|align=center|1 January 1573 – 17 January 1606||Jutta von Mallinckrodt<br>February 1574<br>no children
|align=center|17 January 1606<br>Sayn Castle<br><small>aged 58–59</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|1543<br><small>Third son of and Elisabeth of Holstein-Schauenburg</small>
|align=center|1 January 1573 – 17 March 1588||<br>8 September 1571<br>one child
|align=center|17 March 1588<br><small>aged 44–45</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
| Anna Elisabeth ||
|align=center|1 February 1572<br><small>Daughter of and </small>
|align=center|17 January 1606 – 11 March 1608||County of Sayn||<br>1 June 1591<br>two children
|align=center|11 March 1608<br>Hachenburg<br><small>aged 36</small>|| Heiress of her uncle.
|- style="background:#dce"
| || 100px
|align=center|30 April 1565<br><br><small>Son of Louis I and </small>
|align=center|17 January 1606 – 16 December 1631||County of Berleburg||<br>12 June 1596<br>eight children<br><br><br>7 November 1608<br>seven children
|align=center|16 December 1631<br><small>aged 66</small>
|rowspan="3"|Children of Louis I, divided their inheritance.
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|14 March 1569<br><br><small>First son of Louis I and </small>
|align=center|17 January 1606 – 29 October 1623||County of Sayn<br><small>(jure uxoris)</small>||Anna Elisabeth<br>1 June 1591<br>two children<br><br><br>18 November 1609<br>Weilburg<br>seven children
|align=center|29 October 1623<br><small>aged 54</small>
|- style="background:#fdc"
| ||
|align=center|15 March 1571<br><br><small>Second son of Louis I and </small>
|align=center|2 July 1605 – 14 December 1634||County of Wittgenstein||<br>17 October 1598<br>Berleburg<br>fourteen children
|align=center|14 December 1634<br>Frankfurt am Main<br><small>aged 72</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
| ||
|align=center|26 August 1594<br><small>Son of and Anna Elisabeth</small>
|align=center|29 October 1623 – 22 May 1632||County of Sayn||Louise Juliane of Erbach<br>19 January 1624<br>six children
|align=center|22 May 1632<br>Frankfurt am Main<br><small>aged 37</small>
|rowspan="4"|Children of William II, divided their inheritance.
|- style="background:#fff"
|colspan="7" align=center|<small>Regency of (1623-1635)</small>
|- style="background:#ade"
| ||
|align=center|8 September 1617<br><small>Second son of and </small>
|align=center|29 October 1623 – 22 October 1664||County of Neumagen||Johannetta Maria of Wied<br><small>(7 August 1615 – 1715)</small><br>1650<br>three children
|align=center|22 October 1664<br><small>aged 47</small>
|- style="background:#def"
| ||
|align=center|11 September 1621<br><small>Third son of and </small>
|align=center|29 October 1623 – 29 October 1675||||[<br>25 December 1646<br>Dillenburg<br>no children<br><br><br>25 February 1651<br>Offenbach am Main<br>six children
|align=center|29 October 1675<br>Vienna<br><small>aged 54</small>
|- style="background:#dce"
| || 100px
|align=center|30 April 1598<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>Second son of and </small>
|align=center|16 December 1631 – 6 June 1643
|rowspan="2"|County of Berleburg||Elisabeth Juliana of Nassau-Weilburg<br><small>(27 March 1598 - 18 April 1682)</small><br>26 August 1627<br><br>two children
|align=center|6 June 1643<br>Wetter<br><small>aged 45</small>
|rowspan="3"|Children of George II, divided their inheritance.
|- style="background:#dce"
| ||
|align=center|25 January 1605<br><small>Fifth son of and </small>
|align=center|16 December 1631 – 10 December 1680||Elisabeth Juliana of Nassau-Weilburg<br><small>(27 March 1598 - 18 April 1682)</small><br>27 August 1647<br>no children
|align=center|10 December 1680<br><small>aged 75</small>
|- style="background:#ffc"
| ||
|align=center|8 April 1599<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>Third son of Louis I and </small>
|align=center|16 December 1631 – 20 March 1649||County of Homburg||<br>1635<br>five children<br><br><br>11 September 1642<br>three children
|align=center|20 March 1649<br>Homburg Castle<br><small>aged 66</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
|colspan="7" align=center|<small>Regency of Louise Juliane of Erbach (1632-1636)</small>
|rowspan="2"|Louis died as a minor, and his mother prolonged the regency to his sisters.
|- style="background:#fff"
| Louis III ||
|align=center|1628<br><small>Son of and Louise Juliane of Erbach</small>
|align=center|22 May 1632 – 16 July 1636||County of Sayn||Unmarried
|align=center|16 July 1636<br><small>aged 7–8</small>
|- style="background:#fdc"
| || 100px
|align=center|14 October 1601<br><br><small>Son of and </small>
|align=center|14 December 1634 – 2 April 1657||County of Wittgenstein<br><small>(until 1647)</small><br><br>County of Hohenstein<br><small>(from 1647)</small>||<br>30 June 1627<br><br>fifteen children
|align=center|2 April 1657<br><small>aged 56</small>||
|- style="background:#fff"
|colspan="7" align=center|<small>Regency of Louise Juliane of Erbach (1636-1652)</small>
|rowspan="3"|Louis Juliane had a harder regency this second time, as she faced her in-laws for possession of the main county of Sayn. However, she was skillful enough to keep it to her daughters, sisters of Louis III. Ernestine and Johannetta divided the county, and each part was inherited by their respective descendants.
|- style="background:#fff"
| Ernestine Salentine ||
|align=center|23 April 1626<br>Hachenburg<br><small>First daughter of and Louise Juliane of Erbach</small>
|align=center|16 July 1636 – 13 October 1661||County of Sayn<br><small>(at Hachenburg)</small>||<br>21 October 1651<br>seven children
|align=center|13 October 1661<br><small>aged 35</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
| Johannetta ||
|align=center|27 August 1632<br>Wittgenstein Castle<br><small>Second daughter of and Louise Juliane of Erbach</small>
|align=center|16 July 1636 – 28 September 1701||County of Sayn<br><small>(at Altenkirchen)</small>||John of Hesse-Braubach<br>30 September 1647<br>no children<br><br>John George I, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach<br>29 May 1661<br>Wallau<br>eight children
|align=center|28 September 1701<br>Jena<br><small>aged 69</small>
|- style="background:#fff"
|align=center colspan=8|Hachenburg inherited by Manderscheid family; Altenkirchen inherited by the House of Wettin<br><small>For their successors see, respectively Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg and Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn-Altenkirchen</small>
|- style="background:#ffc"
|colspan="7" align=center|<small>Regency of (1649-1658)</small>
|rowspan="2"|
|- style="background:#ffc"
| ||
|align=center|16 August 1640<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align=center|20 March 1649 – 25 October 1698||County of Homburg||<br>8 September 1673<br>four children
|align=center|25 October 1698<br><small>aged 58</small>
|- style="background:#fdc"
| || 100px
|align=center|17 January 1629<br><br><small>First son of and </small>
|align=center|2 April 1657 – 25 January 1683
|rowspan="2"|County of Hohenstein||<br>27 May 1656<br>Greifenstein<br>no children<br><br>Anna Elisabeth Wieg<br>1682<br>no children
|align=center|25 January 1683<br><br><small>aged 54</small>
|rowspan="3"|Children of John VIII, divided their inheritance.
|- style="background:#fdc"
| || 100px
|align=center|14 April 1633<br>Frankfurt am Main<br><small>Fourth son of and </small>
|align=center|2 April 1657 – 15 October 1701||Anne Hélène de La Place<br><small>(1634 - 24 February 1705)</small><br>12 August 1657<br>thirteen children
|align=center|15 October 1701<br>Marburg<br><small>aged 68</small>
|- style="background:#fedf"
| ||
|align=center|20 November 1647<br><br><small>Seventh son of and </small>
|align=center|2 April 1657 – 10 November 1685||County of Vallendar||<br>1671<br>eight children
|align=center|10 November 1685<br>Vallendar<br><small>aged 37</small>
|- style="background:#ade"
|align=center colspan="7"|<small>Regency of Johannetta Maria of Wied (1664-1676)</small>
|rowspan="2"|
|- style="background:#ade"
| ||
|align=center|20 July 1658<br><small>Son of and Johannetta Maria of Wied</small>
|align=center|22 October 1664 – 16 September 1724||County of Neumagen||<br>20 June 1681<br>two children<br><br><br>20 June 1689<br>two children
|align=center|16 September 1724<br><small>aged 66</small>
|- style="background:#def"
| ||
|align=center|1655<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align=center|29 October 1675 – 21 October 1699||||Anna Metta von Brockdorff<br><small>(d.6 January 1718)</small><br>1683<br>one child
|align=center|21 October 1699<br><small>aged 43–44</small>||
|- style="background:#dce"
| || 100px
|align=center|28 September 1636<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align=center|10 December 1680 – 25 May 1684||County of Berleburg||Amélie Marguerite de la Place<br><small>(1635 - 16 February 1669)</small><br>28 September 1657<br>Düsseldorf<br>seven children<br><br><br>13 November 1669<br>three children<br><br><br>24 June 1674<br>Offenbach am Main<br>four children
|align=center|25 May 1684<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>aged 47</small>||
|- style="background:#dce"
| || 100px
|align=center|17 April 1660<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>Son of and Amélie Marguerite de la Place</small>
|align=center|25 May 1684 – 25 November 1694||County of Berleburg||<br>27 October 1685<br>Lemgo<br>six children
|align=center|25 November 1694<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>aged 34</small>||
|- style="background:#fedf"
|colspan="7" align=center|<small>Regency of (1685-1694)</small>
|rowspan="2"|
|- style="background:#fedf"
| John Frederick ||
|align=center|1676<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align=center|10 November 1685 – 27 April 1718||County of Vallendar||Maria Anna von Wieser<br><small>(4 February 1675 - 8 October 1759)</small><br>1699<br>at least two children
|align=center|27 April 1718<br>Vallendar<br><small>aged 41–42</small>
|- style="background:#dce"
|colspan="7" align=center|<small>Regency of (1694-1712) and (1694-1707)</small>
|rowspan="4"|
|- style="background:#dce"
| || 100px
|align=center|31 January 1687<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>First son of and </small>
|align=center|25 November 1694 – 5 June 1741||County of Berleburg||<br>18 December 1711<br>Wächtersbach<br>three children<br><br>Esther Maria Polyxena of Wurmbrand-Stupach<br><small>(17 December 1696 - 14 March 1755)</small><br>6 May 1717<br>Saalburg-Ebersdorf<br>five children
|align=center|5 June 1741<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>aged 54</small>
|- style="background:#fde"
| ||
|align=center|4 April 1693<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>Second son of and </small>
|align=center|25 November 1694 – 18 January 1749||County of Karlsburg||Johanna Louise of Bentheim-Tecklenburg<br><small>(8 June 1696 - 1 November 1735)</small><br>28 December 1727<br>two children<br><br>Charlotte Louise Henkel von Donnersmark<br><small>(3 April 1709 - 25 March 1784)</small><br>21 November 1737<br>Pölzig<br>six children
|align=center|18 January 1749<br>Rheda<br><small>aged 55</small>
|- style="background:#fbd"
| ||
|align=center|31 January 1687<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>Third son of and </small>
|align=center|25 November 1694 – 24 February 1750||County of Ludwigsburg||<br>17 March 1722<br>Baruth<br>ten children
|align=center|24 February 1750<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>aged 54</small>
|- style="background:#ffc"
| ||
|align=center|1674<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align=center|25 October 1698 – 27 March 1723||County of Homburg||Maria Wilhelmina Elisabeth von Schönburg-Mertola<br><small>(1700-1762)</small><br>1723<br>four children<br><br>Diane Françoise Marie de Cholette<br>1706<br>no children
|align=center|20 March 1649<br>Homburg Castle<br><small>aged 66</small>||
|- style="background:#def"
| ||
|align=center|5 September 1688<br><small>Son of and Anna Metta von Brockdorff</small>
|align=center|21 October 1699 – 6 May 1719||||<br>9 November/December 1712<br>Birstein<br>four children
|align=center|6 May 1719<br><br><small>aged 30</small>|| Left no male descendants. His county merged in Neumagen.
|- style="background:#def"
|align=center colspan=8|Kirschgarthausen annexed to Neumagen
|- style="background:#fdc"
| ||
|align=center|6 December 1658<br>The Hague<br><small>First son of and Anne Hélène de La Place</small>
|align=center|15 October 1701 – 23 November 1723||County of Hohenstein||Sophia Juliana of Lippe-Biesterfeld<br><small>(6 December 1676 - 2 June 1705)</small><br>23 October 1694<br>no children<br><br>Sophia Elisabeth of Sayn-Homburg<br><small>(20 August 1675 - 27 August 1712)</small><br>8 December 1705<br>no children<br><br>Sophia Florentina of Sayn-Berleburg<br><small>(4 April 1688 - 16 June 1745)</small><br>19 November 1712<br>no children
|align=center|23 November 1723<br><br><small>aged 64</small>|| Left no descendants. The county passed to his brother.
|- style="background:#fedf"
| Francis Frederick Hugo ||
|align=center|1701<br><small>First son of John Frederick and Maria Anna von Wieser</small>
|align=center|27 April 1718 – 1769
|rowspan="2"|County of Vallendar||Anna Maria of Leiningen-Neuleiningen<br><small>(20 October 1741 – 1830)</small><br>c.1750?<br>at least one child
|align=center|1769<br>Vallendar<br><small>aged 67–68</small>
|rowspan="2"|Children of John Frederick, ruled jointly. However, as they left no descendants, Vallendar was reabsorbed in Hohenstein after their deaths.
|- style="background:#fedf"
| John William ||
|align=center|c.1705<br><small>Second son of John Frederick and Maria Anna von Wieser</small>
|align=center|27 April 1718 – 1775||Unmarried
|align=center|1775<br>Vallendar<br><small>aged 69–70</small>
|- style="background:#fedf"
|colspan=8 align=center|Vallendar re-merged in Hohenstein
|- style="background:#ffc"
| Frederick Charles ||
|align=center|6 March 1716<br><small>Son of and Maria Wilhelmina Elisabeth von Schönburg-Mertola</small>
|align=center|27 March 1723 – 15 October 1743||County of Homburg||Saloma Johanna von Dist<br><small>(1723-1761)</small><br>1741<br>no children
|align=center|15 October 1743<br><small>aged 27</small>|| Left no descendants. The county re-merged in Berleburg.
|- style="background:#ffc"
|align=center colspan=8|Homburg re-merged in Berleburg
|- style="background:#fdc"
| ||
|align=center|14 April 1663<br><br><small>Third son of and Anne Hélène de La Place</small>
|align=center|23 November 1723 – 27 August 1745||County of Hohenstein||Concordia Friederike of Sayn-Vallendar<br><small>(1679 - 6 June 1709)</small><br>1703<br>Weilburg<br>two children<br><br>Albertina Amalia of Leiningen-Schaumburg<br><small>(12 October 1686 - 26 March 1723)</small><br>3 January 1715<br>four children
|align=center|27 August 1745<br><br><small>aged 82</small>|| Co-ruling with his brother since 1719.
|- style="background:#ade"
| ||
|align=center|26 December 1694<br><small>Third son of and </small>
|align=center|16 September 1724 – 22 May 1768||County of Neumagen||Friederika Wilhelmina von Wendesen<br><small>(25 October 1700-1780)</small><br>1 January 1724<br>eight children
|align=center|22 May 1768<br><small>aged 73</small>|| Married morganatically, and his children could not succeed in the county, which passed to his brother.
|- style="background:#dce"
| ||
|align=center|1 January 1712<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align=center|5 June 1741 – 12 February 1773||County of Berleburg||Friederike Christine of Isenburg-Philippseich<br><small>(22 July 1721 - 16 August 1772)</small><br>26 July 1744<br>Dreieich<br>four children
|align=center|12 February 1773<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>aged 61</small>||
|- style="background:#fdc"
| ||
|align=center|19 January 1708<br>Berlin<br><small>Son of and Concordia Friederike of Sayn-Vallendar</small>
|align=center|27 August 1745 – 9 June 1756||County of Hohenstein||Auguste Amalie Albertine of Nassau-Siegen<br><small>(5 September 1712 - 22 February 1742)</small><br>6 May 1738<br>Siegen<br>two children<br><br>Elisabeth Hedwig of Nassau-Siegen<br><small>(19 April 1719; † 10 January 1789)</small><br>12 June 1743<br>Siegen<br>no children
|align=center|9 June 1756<br><br><small>aged 82</small>||
|- style="background:#fde"
| Adolph William Louis ||
|align=center|30 June 1740<br><small>Son of and Charlotte Louise Henkel von Donnersmark</small>
|align=center|18 January 1749 – 12 July 1806||County of Karlsburg||Sarah Tamminga du Tour<br><small>(10 August 1751 - 16 February 1811)</small><br>27 September 1778<br>no children
|align=center|13 November 1814<br><small>aged 74</small>||In 1806, the county was mediatized to Hesse.
|- style="background:#fde"
|align=center colspan=8|Karlsburg was annexed to the Electorate of Hesse
|- style="background:#fbd"
| Christian Louis Casimir || 100px
|align=center|13 July 1725<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>Son of and </small>
|align=center|24 February 1750 – 6 May 1797||County of Ludwigsburg||Amalie Ludowika Finck von Finckenstein<br><small>(3 February 1740 - 15 December 1771)</small><br>13 July 1763<br>no children<br><br>Anna Petrovna Dolgorukova<br><small>(1742 - 8 July 1789)</small><br>14 February 1774<br>seven children
|align=center|6 May 1797<br>Rheda<br><small>aged 71</small>||
|- style="background:#fdc"
| || 100px
|align=center|3 August 1740<br><br><small>Son of and Auguste Amalie Albertine of Nassau-Siegen</small>
|align=center|9 June 1756 – 27 March 1796||County of Hohenstein||Friederika Carolina Louise von Pückler-Limpurg<br><small>(9 June 1738 - 27 July 1772)</small><br>21 March 1761<br>Burgfarnbach<br>eight children<br><br>Wilhelmina Henrietta Carolina von Pückler-Limpurg<br><small>(30 August 1746 - 20 March 1800)</small><br>9 November 1772<br>Burgfarnbach<br>four children
|align=center|27 March 1796<br><br><small>aged 55</small>||
|- style="background:#ade"
| ||
|align=center|15 March 1703<br><small>Fourth son of and </small>
|align=center|22 May 1768 – 19 June 1786||County of Neumagen||Sophia Ferdinanda of Sayn-Karlsburg<br><small>(21 August 1741 - 22 June 1774)</small><br>18 March 1765<br>five children
|align=center|19 June 1786<br><small>aged 83</small>||
|- style="background:#dce"
| ||
|align=center|12 September 1753<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>Son of and Friederike Christine of Isenburg-Philippseich</small>
|align=center|12 February 1773 – 4 October 1800||County of Berleburg<br><small>(until 1792)</small><br><br>Principality of Berleburg<small>(from 1792)</small>||Charlotte Friederike Franziska of Leiningen-Altleiningen<br><small>(19 August 1759 - 22 January 1831)</small><br>17 April 1775<br>Grünstadt<br>twelve children
|align=center|4 October 1800<br><br><small>aged 47</small>||
|- style="background:#ade"
|align=center colspan="7"|<small>Regency of Sophia Ferdinanda of Sayn-Karlsburg (1786-1790)</small>
|rowspan="2"|In 1806, the county was mediatized to Hesse.
|- style="background:#ade"
| ||
|align=center|20 November 1772<br><small>Second son of and Sophia Ferdinanda of Sayn-Karlsburg</small>
|align=center|19 June 1786 – 12 July 1806||County of Neumagen||Johanna Philippina Marburg<br><small>(27 May 1782 – 6 November 1815)</small><br>c.1810<br>one child
|align=center|10 October 1827<br><small>aged 47</small>
|- style="background:#ade"
|align=center colspan=8|Neumagen was annexed to the Electorate of Hesse
|- style="background:#fdc"
| || 100px
|align=center|23 February 1766<br><br><small>Son of and Friederika Carolina Louise von Pückler-Limpurg</small>
|align=center|27 March 1796 – 12 July 1806||County of Hohenstein<br><small>(until 1801)</small><br><br>Principality of Hohenstein<br><small>(from 1801)</small>||Friederika Albertina of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen<br><small>(15 July 1773 - 25 July 1806)</small><br>31 May 1796<br>Coswig<br>five children<br><br>Louisa Langenbach<br><small>(23 November 1790 - 18 June 1864)</small><br>4 April 1807<br><small>(morganatic)</small><br>four children
|align=center|8 April 1837<br><br><small>aged 71</small>|| In 1806, the principality was mediatized to Hesse.
|- style="background:#fdc"
|align=center colspan=8|Hohenstein was annexed to the Electorate of Hesse
|- style="background:#fbd"
| Louis Adolph Peter ||
|align=center|17 January 1769<br>Pereiaslav<br><small>Son of Christian Louis Casimir and Amalie Ludowika Finck von Finckenstein</small>
|align=center|6 May 1797 – 12 July 1806||County of Ludwigsburg||Antonia Cäcilie Snarska<br><small>(1779-1855)</small><br>27 June 1798<br>eleven children
|align=center|11 June 1843<br>Lviv<br><small>aged 74</small>|| In 1806, the county was mediatized to Hesse.
|- style="background:#fbd"
|align=center colspan=8|Berleburg was annexed to the Electorate of Hesse
|- style="background:#dce"
| ||
|align=center|12 May 1777<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>Son of and Charlotte Friederike Franziska of Leiningen-Altleiningen</small>
|align=center|4 October 1800 – 12 July 1806||Principality of Berleburg||Christiana Charlotte Wilhelmina of Ortenburg<br>18 August 1830<br>Ortenburg<br>four children
|align=center|11 November 1851<br>Bad Berleburg<br><small>aged 74</small>|| In 1806, the county was mediatized to Hesse.
|- style="background:#dce"
|align=center colspan=8|Berleburg was annexed to the Electorate of Hesse
|-
|}
See also
thumb|The old and the new castle at Sayn
- Sayn-Homburg
- Sayn-Wittgenstein
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hachenburg
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-Karlsburg
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-Ludwigsburg
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn-Altenkirchen
- Sayn-Wittgenstein-Vallendar
- Sponheim-Sayn