Ludmilla of Bohemia
Encyclopedia
Ludmilla of Bohemia was a daughter of Frederick, Duke of Bohemia and his wife, Elisabeth of Hungary. Ludmilla was a member of the Přemyslid dynasty
. She was Duchess consort of Bavaria by her marriage to Louis I, Duke of Bavaria
.
but never married, and Sophia of Bohemia, wife of Albert, Margrave of Meissen. The rest of Ludmilla's siblings were short-lived or died in early adulthood.
Ludmilla's paternal grandparents were Vladislaus II of Bohemia and his first wife Gerturde of Babenberg
. Her maternal grandparents were Géza II of Hungary
and his wife Euphrosyne of Kiev
.
Geza was son of Béla II of Hungary
and his wife Helena of Raška
.
Bela was son of Prince Álmos
and his wife Predslava of Kiev, whom was daughter of Sviatopolk II of Kiev
and an unknown Bohemian
princess.
Adalbert died in 1197 and was succeeded by his eldest son with Ludmilla, Berthold.
Ludmilla married Louis I, Duke of Bavaria
, a former enemy of her first husband. The marriage was good for Louis because it created an alliance with Ludmilla's uncle, Ottokar I of Bohemia
. The couple had one son:
Louis and Ludmilla tried to find a suitable bride for their only child. Otto married Agnes of the Palatinate
in 1222. Within time, Agnes' closer relatives died and she became Countess of Palatinate, which became part of the Bavarian inheritance, starting with Ludmilla's grandson, Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
.
. The crime was never cleared up since the murderer was immediately lynched. Due to the following aversion of the Wittelsbach family the city of Kelheim
lost its status as one of the ducal residences. Louis was buried in the crypt of Scheyern Abbey
.
Ludmilla lived to see the birth of four or five grandchildren from Otto and Agnes: Louis II, Henry XIII, Duke of Bavaria
, Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Germany
, Sophie and Agnes.
Ludmilla founded the Seligenthal convent, near Landshut
, in 1232. She remained here for the rest of her days. Ludmilla died there 14 August 1240 and her body was buried there.
Premyslid dynasty
The Přemyslids , were a Czech royal dynasty which reigned in Bohemia and Moravia , and partly also in Hungary, Silesia, Austria and Poland.-Legendary rulers:...
. She was Duchess consort of Bavaria by her marriage to Louis I, Duke of Bavaria
Louis I, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Louis I of Bavaria was the Duke of Bavaria in 1183 and Count Palatine of the Rhine in 1214. He was a son of Otto I and his wife Agnes of Loon. Louis was married to Ludmilla, a daughter of Duke Frederick of Bohemia.-Biography:Louis extended the duchy of Bavaria and founded many cities...
.
Family
Ludmilla was the third of six children born to her parents. Her siblings were Helena of Bohemia, betrothed to Manuel I KomnenosManuel I Komnenos
Manuel I Komnenos was a Byzantine Emperor of the 12th century who reigned over a crucial turning point in the history of Byzantium and the Mediterranean....
but never married, and Sophia of Bohemia, wife of Albert, Margrave of Meissen. The rest of Ludmilla's siblings were short-lived or died in early adulthood.
Ludmilla's paternal grandparents were Vladislaus II of Bohemia and his first wife Gerturde of Babenberg
Gertrude of Babenberg (d. 1150)
Gertrude of Babenberg was the first wife of Vladislaus II of Bohemia and the Duchess of Bohemia. She was the daughter of count Leopold III, Margrave of Austria and his wife Agnes of Germany....
. Her maternal grandparents were Géza II of Hungary
Géza II of Hungary
Géza II , , King of Hungary, King of Croatia, Dalmatia and Rama . He ascended the throne as a child and during his minority the kingdom was governed by his mother and uncle...
and his wife Euphrosyne of Kiev
Euphrosyne of Kiev
Euphrosyne of Kiev was Queen consort of Hungary.Euphrosyne was the first daughter of Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev and his second wife, Liubava Dmitrievna...
.
Geza was son of Béla II of Hungary
Béla II of Hungary
Béla II the Blind , King of Hungary and Croatia . Still as a child, Béla was blinded by his uncle, King Coloman who wanted to ensure the succession of his own son, the future King Stephen II...
and his wife Helena of Raška
Helena of Raška
Helena of Serbia was Queen consort of Hungary through her marriage with Béla II, who ruled 1131–1141.-Life:Helena was the daughter of Duke Uroš I of Rascia and his wife, Anna Diogene-Vukanović...
.
Bela was son of Prince Álmos
Prince Álmos
Álmos was a Hungarian prince, the son of King Géza I of Hungary, brother of King Kálmán. He held several governmental posts in the Kingdom of Hungary....
and his wife Predslava of Kiev, whom was daughter of Sviatopolk II of Kiev
Sviatopolk II of Kiev
Sviatopolk II Iziaslavich was supreme ruler of the Kievan Rus for 20 years, from 1093 to 1113. He was not a popular prince, and his reign was marked by incessant rivalry with his cousin Vladimir Monomakh...
and an unknown Bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
princess.
Marriages
Ludmilla married twice and had issue in both of her marriages. Her first marriage was to Adalbert VI, Count of Bogen, making Ludmilla Countess of Bogen. The couple had three children from their marriage, all sons:- Berthold IV, Count of Bogen (d.1218) married Kunigunda of Hirschberg, no known issue
- Albert IV, Count of Bogen (d.1242) married Richeza of Dillingen
- Diepold of Bogen (d.1219) a priest in RegensburgRegensburgRegensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
Adalbert died in 1197 and was succeeded by his eldest son with Ludmilla, Berthold.
Ludmilla married Louis I, Duke of Bavaria
Louis I, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Louis I of Bavaria was the Duke of Bavaria in 1183 and Count Palatine of the Rhine in 1214. He was a son of Otto I and his wife Agnes of Loon. Louis was married to Ludmilla, a daughter of Duke Frederick of Bohemia.-Biography:Louis extended the duchy of Bavaria and founded many cities...
, a former enemy of her first husband. The marriage was good for Louis because it created an alliance with Ludmilla's uncle, Ottokar I of Bohemia
Ottokar I of Bohemia
-External links:...
. The couple had one son:
- Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of BavariaOtto II Wittelsbach, Duke of BavariaOtto II of Bavaria was the Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine . He was a son of Louis I and Ludmilla of Bohemia and a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty.- Biography :...
(7 April 1206 – 29 November 1253), next Duke of Bavaria.
Louis and Ludmilla tried to find a suitable bride for their only child. Otto married Agnes of the Palatinate
Agnes of the Palatinate
Agnes of the Palatinate was a daughter of Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine and his first wife Agnes, daughter of Conrad, Count Palatine of the Rhine . Agnes was Duchess of Bavaria by her marriage to Otto II Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria....
in 1222. Within time, Agnes' closer relatives died and she became Countess of Palatinate, which became part of the Bavarian inheritance, starting with Ludmilla's grandson, Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
Louis II, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Louis II of Bavaria was Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1253. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of duke Otto II and Agnes of the Palatinate...
.
Widowhood
Louis was murdered in 1231 on a bridge in KelheimKelheim
Kelheim is a municipality in Bavaria, capital of the district Kelheim. It is situated at the confluence of Altmühl and Danube. As of June 30, 2005, the town had a population of 15,667....
. The crime was never cleared up since the murderer was immediately lynched. Due to the following aversion of the Wittelsbach family the city of Kelheim
Kelheim
Kelheim is a municipality in Bavaria, capital of the district Kelheim. It is situated at the confluence of Altmühl and Danube. As of June 30, 2005, the town had a population of 15,667....
lost its status as one of the ducal residences. Louis was buried in the crypt of Scheyern Abbey
Scheyern Abbey
Scheyern Abbey, formerly also Scheyern Priory is a house of the Benedictine Order in Scheyern in Bavaria.-First foundation:...
.
Ludmilla lived to see the birth of four or five grandchildren from Otto and Agnes: Louis II, Henry XIII, Duke of Bavaria
Henry XIII, Duke of Bavaria
Henry XIII of Bavaria, member of the Wittelsbach dynasty was Duke of Lower Bavaria. As Duke of Lower Bavaria he is also called Henry I.- Family :...
, Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Germany
Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Germany
Elisabeth of Bavaria was the queen consort of Conrad IV of Germany.-Family:She was the eldest daughter of Otto II, Duke of Bavaria and Agnes of the Palatinate...
, Sophie and Agnes.
Ludmilla founded the Seligenthal convent, near Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
, in 1232. She remained here for the rest of her days. Ludmilla died there 14 August 1240 and her body was buried there.