Count Josias I of Waldeck-Eisenberg (German: Josias I. Graf von Waldeck-Eisenberg; 18 March 1554 – 6 August 1588) was a German nobleman who was Count of Waldeck-Eisenberg from 1578 until his death.
In the ten years of his short reign, Josias began the long overdue reform of the state administration, including the regulation of the churches, which aimed to strengthen the internal affairs of the state and thus achieve a clear independence of the county and a separation from Hesse. To solve the problems of the time, however, a longer reign of Josias would have been necessary, as well as a like-minded attitude of the other counts of Waldeck. Among them he took the leading position.
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Biography
Josias was born at Eisenberg Castle on 18 March 1554 as the sixth child of Count Wolrad II 'the Scholar' of Waldeck-Eisenberg and Countess Anastasia Günthera of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg. Josias' two older brothers, Francis and Henry William, died at a young age. Josias was well educated and disciplined. From his youth he rejected excessive drinking and is said to have forbidden it to others. He entered the court in Kassel in 1570 and initially served Landgrave William IV of Hesse-Kassel. There he met Elector Augustus of Saxony, who employed him only a few months later. Josias took part in military campaigns in East Frisia. He did not return to Waldeck until February 1577. After the death of his father in 1578, Josias took over the government of the part of the county that was allocated to him. He moved the chancellery from Eilhausen to Korbach. Furthermore, he was still in the service of the Elector of Saxony and travelled to Dresden several times.