Meinhard VI of Gorizia

Meinhard VI of Gorizia
Coat of arms of the Albertine line of the Counts of Gorizia, from the Ingeram Codex, 1459
Born	before 1338
Died	after 6 May 1385
Noble family	Meinhardiner
Spouse(s)	Catherine of Pfannberg Utehild of Mätsch
Father	Albert II of Gorizia
Mother	Euphemia 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.

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 cousin Margaret “Maultasch” was forced to cede Tyrol to Archduke Rudolf VI ruler of Austria, Styria and Carinthia 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 (Schloss Bruck) to Burg 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 ecclasiastical neighbours, and in disputes with the Habsburg dynasty about the succession in the Duchy of Carinthia and the County of Tyrol.

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.