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Meinhard VI of Gorizia

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Meinhard VI of Gorizia
Coat of arms of the Albertine line of the Counts of Gorizia, from the Ingeram Codex, 1459
Bornbefore 1327
Diedafter 6 May 1385
Noble familyMeinhardiner
Spouse(s)Catherine of Pfannberg
Utehild of Mätsch
IssueHenry VI, Count of Gorizia
John Meinhard VII, Count of Gorizia
FatherAlbert II of Gorizia
MotherEuphemia of Mätsch

Meinhard VI of Gorizia (died after 6 May 1385) a member of the Meinhardiner dynasty, an imperial prince and a count of Gorizia.

Life

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His parents were Count Albert II of Gorizia and Euphemia of Mätsch. From 1338 to 1365, he ruled Gorizia jointly with his brothers Albert III and Henry V, after inheriting the county from their uncle John Henry IV. From 1362 when Henry V of Gorizia died, he ruled alongside Albert III. From 1365, Meinhard VI ruled Gorizia alone. He failed in a claim over the County of Tyrol when his second cousin Margaret was forced to cede Tyrol to Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, in 1363. This ended the "dominium Tyrolis" which had existed since 1254.

He managed to reduce the power of the Patriarchate of Aquileia, however, the Republic of Venice became the beneficiary of the Patriarchate, which led to sharp contrasts between the parties involved. Meinhard retreated from Gorizia Castle to Burg Bruck (Schloss Bruck) in Lienz.

Meinhard's reign marked the beginning of the decline of the County of Gorizia. The princes of Gorizia had to mortgage and sell more and more of their possessions to salvage their worsening financial position. Meinhard was involved in power struggles with his ecclesiastical neighbours, and in disputes with the Habsburg dynasty about the succession in the Duchy of Carinthia and the County of Tyrol.

Marriages and issue

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Meinhard's first marriage was with Catherine, the daughter of Count Ulrich V of Pfannberg. After her death, he married Utehild, the daughter of Vogt Ulrich IV of Mätsch.

He had the following children:

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Meinhard VI of Gorizia
 Died: after 6 May 1385
Preceded by Count of Gorizia
1338-1385
With: Albert III and Henry V (until 1365)
Succeeded by