Originally from
BambergBamberg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
in
FranconiaFranconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a part of southern Thuringia, and a much smaller region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Heilbronn-Franken...
, now northern
BavariaBavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest state of Germany by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, an apparent branch of the
Babenbergs or
Babenberger went on to rule
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
as counts of the march and dukes from 976 - 1248, before the rise of the house of
HabsburgThe House of Habsburg or Hapsburg was an important royal house of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1452 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian and Spanish Empire and several other countries...
.
Early history of the family
Like the
Capetian dynastyThe Capetian dynasty is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of Hugh Capet of France in the male line. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are members of this family, both through the Bourbon branch of the dynasty.-Name origins and...
(kings of France etc.), the Babenbergs descended from the Robertians. The earliest known Babenberg was one Poppo, who early in the 9th century was count in
GrabfeldThe Grabfeld is a region in Germany, on the border between Bavaria and Thuringia. It is situated southeast of the Rhön Mountains. Its highest elevation is 679 m . The Grabfeld gave its name to the Bavarian district Rhön-Grabfeld and the Thuringian municipality Grabfeld....
, in the area between modern
HesseHesse is a state of Germany with an area of and just over six million inhabitants. The state capital is Wiesbaden. Hesse's largest city is nearby Frankfurt am Main.Hesse contributes the largest share to the Rhine Main Area....
and
ThuringiaThe Free State of Thuringia is located in central Germany. It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen
Bundesländer...
. One of his sons,
HenryHenry , a son of Count Poppo of Grapfeld, one of the first Babenbergs, was the most important East Frankish general during the reign of Charles the Fat. He was variously titled Count or Margrave of Saxony and Duke of Franconia....
, sometimes called margrave and duke in Franconia, fell fighting against the
NormansThe Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
in 886; another, Poppo, was margrave in
ThuringiaThe Free State of Thuringia is located in central Germany. It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen
Bundesländer...
from 880 to 892, when he was deposed by the
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
Carolingian king
Arnulf of CarinthiaArnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of East Francia from 887 and Holy Roman Emperor from 896 until his death.-Biography:...
. The family had been favoured by Emperor
Charles the FatCharles the Fat was the King of Alemannia from 876, King of Italy from 879, Holy Roman Emperor from 881, King of East Francia from 882, and King of West Francia from 884. He was deposed in East Francia, Lotharingia, and possibly Italy, where the records are not clear, in 887...
, but Arnulf reversed this policy in favour of the rival family of the Conradines.
The leaders of the Babenbergs were the three sons of Duke Henry, who called themselves after their castle of Babenberg on the upper
MainMain rivers are a statutory type of watercourse in England and Wales, usually larger streams and rivers, but also include some smaller watercourses. A main river is defined as a watercourse marked as such on a main river map, and can include any structure or appliance for controlling or regulating...
, around which their possessions centred. The city of
BambergBamberg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
was built around the ancestral castle of the family.
The Babenberg feud
The rivalry between the Babenberg and Conradine families was intensified by their efforts to extend their authority in the region of the middle Main, and this quarrel, known as the "Babenberg feud," came to a head at the beginning of the 10th century during the troubled reign of the German king
Louis the ChildLouis the Child , sometimes called Louis IV or Louis III, was the last Carolingian ruler of East Francia.-Biography:...
. In the battle of
FritzlarFritzlar is a small German town in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, 160 km north of Frankfurt, with a storied history...
in 906, the Conradines won a decisive victory, although count Conrad the Elder fell in the battle. Two of the Babenberg brothers were also killed. The third, Adalbert of Prague, was summoned before the imperial court by the regent Hatto I, Archbishop of Mainz, a partisan of the Conradines. He refused to appear, held his own for a time in his castle at
TheresTheres is a municipality in the district of Haßberge in Bavaria in Germany....
against the king's forces, but surrendered in 906, and in spite of a promise of safe-conduct by Hatto was
beheadedDecapitation is the separation of the head of an animal from its body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by means of a guillotine...
.
The Conradines became dukes of Franconia, while the Babenbergs lost their influence in Franconia.
Margraves of Austria
In 976
Leopold ILeopold I of Austria may refer to:*Leopold I of Austria , , Margrave of Austria of the house of Babenberg*Leopold I of Austria , 1290 - 1326, Duke of Austria of the house of Habsburg...
, apparently a member of the Babenberg family, who was a count in the Donnegau, is described as count of the Eastern March, a district not more than 60 miles in breadth on the eastern frontier of
BavariaBavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest state of Germany by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
which grew into the duchy of Austria. Liutpold, who probably received the mark as a reward for his fidelity to the emperor
Otto IIOtto II , called the Red, was the third ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty, the son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy.-Education, first years of reign:...
during the Bavarian rising in 976, extended its area at the expense of the Hungarians, and was succeeded in 994 by his son Henry I. Henry, who continued his father's policy, was followed in 1018 by his brother Adalbert and in 1055 by his nephew, Ernest, whose marked loyalty to the emperors
Henry IIHenry II , called the Holy or the Saint, was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of Germany in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004. He is the only German king to have been canonized.He was...
and
Henry IIIHenry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors. He was the eldest son of Conrad II of Germany and Gisela of Swabia and his father made him duke of Bavaria in 1026, after the death of Duke Henry V...
was rewarded by many tokens of favour.
The succeeding margrave, Leopold II, quarrelled with Henry III, who was unable to oust him from the mark or to prevent the succession of his son Leopold III in 1096. Leopold supported Henry, the son of Henry IV, in his rising against his father, but was soon drawn over to the emperor's side, and in 1106 married the daughter of emperor Henry IV, Agnes, widow of Frederick I of Swabia. He declined the imperial crown in 1125. His zeal in founding monasteries earned for him his surname "the Pious", and canonization by
Pope Innocent VIIIPope Innocent VIII , born Giovanni Battista Cybo , was Pope from 1484 until his death.-Early years:...
in 1485. He is regarded as the patron saint of
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
.
Elevation to dukes
One of Leopold's sons was
OttoOtto von Freising was a German bishop and chronicler.-Life:He was the fifth son of Leopold III, margrave of Austria, by his wife Agnes, daughter of the emperor Henry IV...
, bishop of Freising. His eldest son, Leopold IV, became margrave in 1136, and in 1139 received from the German king
Conrad IIIConrad III was the first King of Germany of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. He was the son of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia, and Agnes, a daughter of the Salian Emperor Henry IV.-Life and reign:...
the duchy of
BavariaBavaria , with an area of and almost 12.5 million inhabitants, is located in the southeast of Germany and is the largest state of Germany by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, which had been forfeited by Henry the Proud. Leopold's brother Henry (surnamed Jasomirgott from his favourite oath, "So help me God!") was made count palatine of the Rhine in 1140, and became margrave of Austria on Leopold's death in 1141. Having married Gertrude, the widow of Henry the Proud, he was invested in 1143 with the duchy of Bavaria, and resigned his office as
count palatineCount palatine is a noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.-Comes palatinus:...
. In 1147 he went on crusade, and after his return, renounced Bavaria at the instance of the new king
Frederick IFrederick I Barbarossa was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1154, and finally crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV on 18 June 1155. He was crowned King of Burgundy at Arles on 30 June 1178...
who gave the duchy of Bavaria to
Henry the LionHenry the Lion was a member of the Guelph dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
of Saxony. As compensation for this, Austria, the capital of which had been transferred to
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
in 1156, was elevated into a duchy in the
Privilegium MinusThe Privilegium Minus is a document issued by Emperor Frederick I on September 17, 1156. It included the elevation of the Margraviate of Austria to a Duchy, which was given as an inheritable fief to the House of Babenberg. Its recipient was Frederick's paternal uncle Markgrave Henry II Jasomirgott...
.
The rise of Babenberg power
The second duke was Henry's son Leopold V, who succeeded him in 1177 and took part in, the crusades of 1182 and 1190. In Palestine he quarrelled with
Richard I of EnglandRichard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death in 1199.He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Ireland, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
, captured him on his homeward journey and handed him over to the emperor
Henry VIHenry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
. Leopold increased the territories of the Babenbergs by acquiring Styria under the will of his kinsman Duke Ottokar IV. He died in 1194, and Austria fell to one son, Frederick, and Styria to another, Leopold; but on Frederick's death in 1198 they were again united by Duke Leopold VI, surnamed "the Glorious".
The new duke fought against the infidels in
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
,
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
and
PalestinePalestine is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands.As a geographical term, Palestine can also refer to 'ancient Palestine,' an area...
, but is more celebrated as a lawgiver, a patron of letters and a founder of towns. Under him Vienna became the centre of culture in
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
and the great school of Minnesingers. His later years were spent in strife with his son Frederick, and he died in 1230 at
San GermanoSan Germano, the Italian form of Saint Germain, Saint-Germain and Saint Germanus, is the name of several places in Italy:* San Germano Chisone, a municipality in the Province of Turin in Piedmont...
, whither he had gone to arrange the peace between the emperor
Frederick IIFrederick II of Hohenstaufen was Holy Roman Emperor from his papal coronation in 1220 until his death; he was also a pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212 and unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215. As such, he was King of Germany, of Italy, and of Burgundy...
and
Pope Gregory IXPope Gregory IX, born Ugolino di Conti, was pope from March 19, 1227 to August 22, 1241.The successor of Pope Honorius III , he fully inherited the traditions of Pope Gregory VII and of his uncle Pope Innocent III , and zealously continued their policy of Papal supremacy.-Early life:Ugolino was...
.
The Last of the Babenbergs
Frederick II,
Leopold VI'sLeopold VI , called the Glorious, from the House of Babenberg, was Duke of Austria from 1198 to 1230 and of Styria from 1194 to 1230....
son by
Theodora AngelinaTheodora Angelina may refer to:* Theodora Angelina * Theodora Angelina...
, succeeded his father as duke upon the elder man's death in 1230. Frederick II soon earned the epithet "the Quarrelsome" as a result of his ongoing disputes with the kings of
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
and
BohemiaBohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Czech Republic...
and with the Holy Roman Emperor, also named
Frederick IIFrederick II of Hohenstaufen was Holy Roman Emperor from his papal coronation in 1220 until his death; he was also a pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212 and unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215. As such, he was King of Germany, of Italy, and of Burgundy...
. The Austrian Frederick II deprived his mother and sisters of their possessions, was hated by his subjects on account of his oppressive rule, and, in 1236, was placed under the imperial ban and driven from Austria. However, he was later restored to his duchy when the Emperor
Frederick IIFrederick II of Hohenstaufen was Holy Roman Emperor from his papal coronation in 1220 until his death; he was also a pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212 and unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215. As such, he was King of Germany, of Italy, and of Burgundy...
was excommunicated. Subsequently, the Austrian Frederick II treated with the Emperor
Frederick IIFrederick II of Hohenstaufen was Holy Roman Emperor from his papal coronation in 1220 until his death; he was also a pretender to the title of King of the Romans from 1212 and unopposed holder of that monarchy from 1215. As such, he was King of Germany, of Italy, and of Burgundy...
in vain to make Austria a kingdom.
The male line of the Babenbergs became extinct in 1246, when Frederick II "the Quarrelsome" was killed in battle (the
HennebergHenneberg may refer to:*the House of Henneberg, German nobility*County of Henneberg, a mediæval state in the Holy Roman Empire*Henneberg, Thuringia, a municipality in Thuringia, Germany*Mary Jane Henneberg, b. 1973, TV reporter...
branch of the Franconian Babenbergs lived on until 1583 when its lands where divided among the two branches of the Wettin family).
His heir general was Gertrude of Austria, the only child of his late elder brother, Henry of Austria by that man's wife, Agnes of Thuringia. However, neither her husbands or her son succeeded in settling the Babenberg inheritance under their power.
After some years of struggle known as the
Interregnum, the Duchies of Austria and Styria fell to Otakar II of Bohemia, and subsequently to
Rudolph IRudolph I, also known as Rudolph of Habsburg – ) was King of the Romans from 1273 until his death...
of
HabsburgThe House of Habsburg or Hapsburg was an important royal house of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1452 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian and Spanish Empire and several other countries...
, whose descendants were to rule Austria until 1918.
Genetic Legacy
Byzantine Blood
All the Babenberg dukes from
Leopold VLeopold V , the Virtuous, was a Babenberg duke of Austria from 1177 to 1194 and Styria from 1192 to 1194. Leopold was the son of Henry II Jasomirgott and his Byzantine wife, Theodora Comnena...
onward were descended from
Byzantine emperorsThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
-
LeopoldLeopold V , the Virtuous, was a Babenberg duke of Austria from 1177 to 1194 and Styria from 1192 to 1194. Leopold was the son of Henry II Jasomirgott and his Byzantine wife, Theodora Comnena...
's mother,
Theodora KomneneTheodora Komnene or Comnena was a niece of Byzantine emperor Manuel I Comnenus, and wife of King Baldwin III of Jerusalem.-Family:Theodora was a daughter of the sebastokratōr Isaac Komnenos by his second wife, Eirene Synadene...
, being a granddaughter of the Emperor,
John II KomnenosJohn II Komnenos or Comnenus was Byzantine emperor from 1118 to 1143. Also known as Kaloïōannēs , he was the eldest son of emperor Alexios I Komnenos and Irene Doukaina...
. Subsequently,
Leopold VLeopold V , the Virtuous, was a Babenberg duke of Austria from 1177 to 1194 and Styria from 1192 to 1194. Leopold was the son of Henry II Jasomirgott and his Byzantine wife, Theodora Comnena...
's younger son,
Leopold VILeopold VI , called the Glorious, from the House of Babenberg, was Duke of Austria from 1198 to 1230 and of Styria from 1194 to 1230....
, also married a
ByzantineThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
princess (
Theodora AngelinaTheodora Angelina may refer to:* Theodora Angelina * Theodora Angelina...
), as did his youngest son (by
TheodoraTheodora Angelina may refer to:* Theodora Angelina * Theodora Angelina...
),
Frederick IIFrederick II, known as the Quarrelsome or the Warlike , from the dynasty of the Babenbergers, was the duke of Austria and Styria from 1230 to 1246....
, who married
Sophia Laskarina.
The Babenbergs and the Habsburgs
The next dynasty in Austria - the Habsburgs - were originally not descendants of the Babenbergs. It was not until the children of
Albert I of GermanyAlbert I of Habsburg was King of the Romans, Duke of Austria, and eldest son of German King Rudolph I of Habsburg and Gertrude of Hohenburg....
that the Babenberg blood was brought into the Habsburg line, though this blood was from the pre-ducal Babenbergs. A side effect of this marriage was the use of the Babenberg name
Leopold by the Habsburgs for one of their sons.
The Habsburgs did eventually gain descent from the Babenberg dukes, though at different times. The first Habsburg line to be descended from the Babenbergs was the
Albertine line. This was achieved through the marriage of
Albert III, Duke of AustriaAlbert III of Austria , known as Albert with the Pigtail , was a duke of Austria and a member of the House of Habsburg.-Life:...
to Beatrix of Nuremberg. As such, their son,
Albert IV, Duke of AustriaAlbert IV was a duke of Austria.He was born in Vienna, the son of Duke Albert III of Austria and Beatrix of Nuremberg...
, was the first Habsburg duke who was descended from the Babenberg dukes. However, the male line of that branch of the Habsburgs died out in 1457 with Ladislas V Posthumus of Bohemia.
The next Habsburg line to gain Babenberg blood was the
Styrian line, which occurred with the children of
Ferdinand I, Holy Roman EmperorFerdinand I was a Central European monarch from the House of Habsburg. He was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558, King of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526. He ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs most of his public life, at the behest of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and...
and
Anna of Bohemia and HungaryAnna of Bohemia and Hungary, also sometimes known as Anna Jagellonica was, by marriage to Ferdinand I, King of the Romans and later Holy Roman Emperor, Queen of the Romans.-Family:She was the elder child and only daughter of king Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary and his third...
, the latter of whom descended from Babenberg dukes. It was actually from
Elizabeth of AustriaElisabeth of Austria , , was a Polish-Lithuanian queen...
, the sister of Ladislas V Posthumus of Bohemia, that the Styrian line gained their Babenberg blood.
The
Spanish line was the last Habsburg line to gain Babenberg blood. Again it was via the previous Habsburg line to gain Babenberg blood (ie. the Styrian) that the Spanish Habsburg gained their descent from the Babenbergs - Anna of Austria, the wife of
Philip II of SpainPhilip II was King of Spain and Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, during his wife Mary Tudor's reign, King of England and Ireland...
and mother of
PhilipPhilip III was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II of Portugal , from 1598 until his death. His chief minister was the Duke of Lerma...
(from whom all subsequent Spanish Habsburgs were descended), was a male-line granddaughter of
FerdinandFerdinand I was a Central European monarch from the House of Habsburg. He was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558, King of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526. He ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs most of his public life, at the behest of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and...
and
AnnaAnna of Bohemia and Hungary, also sometimes known as Anna Jagellonica was, by marriage to Ferdinand I, King of the Romans and later Holy Roman Emperor, Queen of the Romans.-Family:She was the elder child and only daughter of king Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary and his third...
. As a result, after 1598, all Habsburg males descended from the Babenberg Dukes.
See also
- List of rulers of Austria
- Slavnik's dynasty
The Slavniks/Slavníks or Slavnikids was a powerful dynasty in Bohemia during the 10th century. It governed Zličané, one of the oldest Czech tribes. The center of the principality was the gord of Libice located at the confluence of the rivers Cidlina and Elbe...
- House of Henneberg
The House of Henneberg was a branch of the Franconian Babenbergs, which was very powerful in Franconia and Thuringia particularly in the 11th, 12th and 13th century.-Origins:...
- Henneberg portion of Franconian Babenbergs and early Babenberg origins
- Senior Capets
- March of Neustria
The marches of Neustria were creations of the Carolingian king of West Francia covering the ancient Merovingian kingdom of Neustria. Originally, there were two marches, one against the Bretons and one against the Norsemen created by Charles the Bald in 861. These two marches are often called the...
- Duke of Brittany
External links