In the Siegerland, Henry built Ginsburg Castle during his reign. Henry’s brother, Rupert, had joined the Teutonic Order in 1230. On his death in 1239, Rupert bequeathed his legacy to the Order. Henry continuously disputed any division of his realm with the Teutonic Order. Henry also held the Upper Vogtship over the Diocese of St. George in Limburg an der Lahn during the construction of the Limburg Cathedral. In 1239 he transferred, at the request of his vassal Friedrich vom Hain, the income of the Netphen parishes to the Premonstratensian Keppel Abbey near Hilchenbach. His descendants took over the patronage of the monastery. Henry's policies in the Herborner Mark angered the local aristocratic families. Around 1240, Henry built Dillenburg Castle to better subjugate the dissidents. By 1248, the century-long Dernbacher Feud had already begun, involving Hesse as well in the context of the War of the Thuringian Succession, because of a feud started by Henry with Sophia of Thuringia and her son Henry I "the Child" of Hesse over the Herborner Mark, which burdened the Nassau-Hessian relationships beyond his death for centuries. The necrology of Arnstein Abbey documented the death of "‘Henrici comitis de Nassauwe, qui contulit nobis ecclesiam in Diffenbach inferiori ...’" on 26 April. Henry is still mentioned in a charter from 1247 and is listed as deceased in a charter from 25 January 1251. This means that he died on 26 April in either 1247, 1248, 1249 or 1250. He was succeeded by his sons Walram II and Otto I.  Henry married before 11 December 1215 to Matilda of Guelders and Zutphen († 28 October 1247 or later), the youngest daughter of Count Otto I of Guelders and Zutphen and Richardis of Bavaria (herself daughter of Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria). From this marriage were born: