County of Werdenfels

The County of Werdenfels (German: Grafschaft Werdenfels) in the present-day Werdenfelser Land in South Germany was a county that enjoyed imperial immediacy that belonged to the Bishopric of Freising from the late 13th century until the secularisation of the Bishopric in 1803.

In 1294 Count Perchthold of Eschenloh sold his land to Bishop Emicho of Freising.

Of even greater economic importance was its control of the trading routes to Italy at the beginning of the Modern Era.

Due to its wealth, the county was coveted by nearby Tyrol and Bavaria and in 1530, Duke William IV of Bavaria offered to the Prince-Bishop to exchange Bavarian territories between the Isar and Amper rivers for Werdenfels but the exchange did not materialize.

After the Thirty Years' War the region gradually lost its importance as a transshipment point.