Burchard I, Duke of Swabia
Encyclopedia
Burchard I was the duke of Alamannia from 909 to his death and margrave of Rhaetia, as well as count in the Thurgau
and Baar
. Born between 855 and 860, he was the son of Adalbert II, count in the Thurgau. He himself married Liutgard
of Saxony.
By 900, Burchard was already the most powerful man in Swabia. In 904, he was the administrator of the lands of the abbey of Lorsch
in Swabia. He succeeded, around 909, Ruadulf (a Welf
) as dux
or marchio
(duke or margrave) of Raetia Secunda (the borderlands of Rhaetia). Burchard entered into a conflict with the Count Palatine Erchanger and Bishop Solomon III of Constance, who were loyal to King Conrad I
. Burchard was captured and charged with high treason
. He was found guilty by the tribal council and executed, along with his brother, Adalbert III of Thurgau. His son, Burchard II, and daughter-in-law, Regelinda, left for Italy, either exiled or taking refuge. Their Rhaetian estates were lost, though later recovered. Burchard I's second son, Odalric, had already died young.
His daughter Dietpirch of Swabia (also known as Theoberga) married Hupald, Count of Dillingen (d. 909). Their children included Ulrich of Augsburg
.
The state of Swabia relative to the other stem duchies
was highly disorganized at the time of Burchard I and he was never duke in the sense of the later dukes. He is usually called such only to distinguish him as the most powerful man in the duchy and the forerunner of the later dukes: the first being Erchanger, proclaimed duke by the nobility, but not the king, in 915.
Burchard is the patrilineal ancestor of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
, which today includes Albert II of Belgium
.
Thurgau
Thurgau is a northeast canton of Switzerland. The population, , is . In 2007, there were a total of 47,390 who were resident foreigners. The capital is Frauenfeld.-History:...
and Baar
Counts and dukes of Bar
Bar was a historic duchy of both the Holy Roman Empire and the crown of France, though later totally incorporated with Lorraine into France in 1766. The duchy of Bar includes the "pays" of Barrois.- History :...
. Born between 855 and 860, he was the son of Adalbert II, count in the Thurgau. He himself married Liutgard
Liutgard
Liutgard of Saxony was the wife and Queen of Louis the Younger, the Frankish King of Saxony and East Francia....
of Saxony.
By 900, Burchard was already the most powerful man in Swabia. In 904, he was the administrator of the lands of the abbey of Lorsch
Lorsch
Lorsch is a town in the Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, 60 km south of Frankfurt. Lorsch is well known for the Lorsch Abbey, which has been named a World Heritage Site.-Location:...
in Swabia. He succeeded, around 909, Ruadulf (a Welf
Elder House of Welf
The Elder House of Welf was a dynasty of European rulers in the 9th through 11th centuries to 1055. It consisted of two groups, a Burgundian group and a Swabian group. It is disputed whether the two groups formed one dynasty or whether they shared the same name by coincidence only.-Burgundian...
) as dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
or marchio
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
(duke or margrave) of Raetia Secunda (the borderlands of Rhaetia). Burchard entered into a conflict with the Count Palatine Erchanger and Bishop Solomon III of Constance, who were loyal to King Conrad I
Conrad I of Germany
Conrad I , called the Younger, was Duke of Franconia from 906 and King of Germany from 911 to 918, the only king of the Conradine dynasty...
. Burchard was captured and charged with high treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
. He was found guilty by the tribal council and executed, along with his brother, Adalbert III of Thurgau. His son, Burchard II, and daughter-in-law, Regelinda, left for Italy, either exiled or taking refuge. Their Rhaetian estates were lost, though later recovered. Burchard I's second son, Odalric, had already died young.
His daughter Dietpirch of Swabia (also known as Theoberga) married Hupald, Count of Dillingen (d. 909). Their children included Ulrich of Augsburg
Ulrich of Augsburg
Saint Ulrich , sometimes spelled Uodalric or Odalrici, was Bishop of Augsburg and a leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany. He was the first saint to be canonized.-Family:...
.
The state of Swabia relative to the other stem duchies
Stem duchy
Stem duchies were essentially the domains of the old German tribes of the area, associated with the Frankish Kingdom, especially the East, in the Early Middle Ages. These tribes were originally the Franks, the Saxons, the Alamanni, the Burgundians, the Thuringii, and the Rugii...
was highly disorganized at the time of Burchard I and he was never duke in the sense of the later dukes. He is usually called such only to distinguish him as the most powerful man in the duchy and the forerunner of the later dukes: the first being Erchanger, proclaimed duke by the nobility, but not the king, in 915.
Burchard is the patrilineal ancestor of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a German dynasty, the senior line of the Saxon House of Wettin that ruled the Ernestine duchies, including the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha....
, which today includes Albert II of Belgium
Albert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
.