Early life Salentin IX was the second son of Count
Henry of
Isenburg-Grenzau. As his parents did not have the money to educate all three of their sons, the elder two,
John and Salentin, were chosen and sent to the cathedral of
Mainz in 1548. In 1558 he became a member of the
cathedral of Cologne. When his younger brother Anthony died in 1563, his elder brother John left the church and returned to Isenburg-Grenzau. In 1565 he obtained office in
St. Gereon in Cologne, and also in that year John died. Although often named Salentin VI, VII, or VIII, he is correctly named Salentin IX: Salentin VI was the count of Lower-Isenburg (German: Graf von Nieder-Isenburg), (born ~1370, died after 1458), Salentin VII was the lord of Isenburg and Neumagen (German: Herr von Isenburg und Neumagen) and founder of the last Isenburg-Grenzau line, born before 1492, died after 24 September 1534, and Salentin VIII was the 2nd son of Salentin VII. (fortress) was destroyed; the walls were breached by mines, and most of the defenders were put to death. Engraved by Frans Hogenberg, a Dutch engraver and artist of the 16th century.
Archbishop of Cologne and Bishop of Paderborn On 23 December 1567 he was elected the Archbishop of Cologne, and therefore
Prince-Elector. He did not have priestly consecrations as he intended to leave the church and take up rulership of the County of Isenburg-Grenzau in the foreseeable future, a condition which had the support of the cathedral chapter and the
Holy Roman Emperor but not
Pope Pius V, who demanded a new election was to take place. However Pius V died in 1572 and his successor,
Gregory XIII, confirmed the election the following year. As the archbishop of Cologne, Salentin used its resources to improve the conditions in Isenburg-Grenzau, and succeeded in obtaining for it the status
imperial immediacy in the
Bench of Counts of the Wetterau. On 21 April 1574 he was also elected the Bishop of
Paderborn and received
papal confirmation. On 9 December he arrived in splendour at Paderborn surrounded by thousands of attendants. During his reign he reorganised the administration and the finances of the dioceses. He retired from the Bishopric of Paderborn on 5 September 1577 and the Archbishopric of Cologne eight days later.
Later life Salentin succeeded Count
Arnold in Isenburg-Grenzau. On 10 December 1577, he married Antonia Wilhelmina of
Arenberg, the sister of
Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg. He had two sons,
Salentin X and
Ernest I and both, like their father, had successful military careers. Salentin died on 19 March 1610 and was buried at the
Praemonstratensian Abbey of
Rommersdorf. ==References==