The noble family of the Ezzones was at the height of power in the 11th century. The namesake and Count Palatine of Lorraine named Ezzo had already attained an almost ducal position on the Rhine around the year 1000. How had he managed this? It was, as so often in life, the circumstance of having the right connections and the right nose. Ezzo had successfully married into the then still existing Ottonian imperial dynasty. He then used his proximity to the ruling family to successively expand his power in all parts of the Rhineland.