Sophie of Landsberg
Encyclopedia
Sophie of Landsberg (ca. 1259 – 24 August 1318) was a German
princess member of the House of Wettin and by marriage Duchess of Glogów
.
She was the eldest child and eldest daughter of Dietrich the Wise, Margrave
of Landsberg
, by his wife Helena, daughter of John I, Margrave of Brandenburg.
by Duke Louis II of Upper Bavaria
a settlement, under which he pledged several possessions on behalf of his ward and nephew Conradin
, King of Sicily
and Jerusalen
. This action was made in order to pay the expenses incurred in connection of the marriage celebrated between Conradin and Sophie, who took place by the end of October and early September of that year, possibly in the city of Bamberg
or Nürnberg. The union was celebrated by proxy (desponsatio per procuratinem), because the fourteen-years-old King was absent at that moment. In his place, Duke Louis II stood as groom and signed the marriage contract.
Conradin never seen his bride: soon after the marriage, he departed with his friend Frederick I of Baden to Italy
with the purprose to recover his rights over Frederick II
's inheritance, and two years later, on 29 October 1268, the last legitimate male member of the House of Hohenstaufen was beheaded in the Piazza del Mercato of Naples
.
The validity of Conradin and Sophie's marriage is still disputed by the historians. According to some of them, the contract signed by Louis II was only a betrothal and not a truly marriage ceremony, because Sophie was still a child at that time (she had almost seven-years-old) and Conradin never see her; this is supported by the fact that the chronicler Bartholomew de Neocastro found a message of Conradin to Giovanni Frangipani, in whose castle he refuged after the Battle of Tagliacozzo
, in where he promised marry with his daughter in exchange of his help against Charles I of Anjou. However, others historians supported the idea that Sophie and Conradin were, in fact, legally married, because the contract signed by Louis II was, clearly, a marriage by proxy with all the legal obligations.
In 1271, the twelve-years-old Sophie married with Konrad I, Duke of Glogów
, an almost forty-years-old widower. They had no children.
After Konrad I's death in 1274, Sophie returned to her homeland and became a nun in the monastery of St.Clara in Weissenfels, where she later was elected Abbess. Sophie held this post until her death.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
princess member of the House of Wettin and by marriage Duchess of Glogów
Glogów
Głogów is a town in southwestern Poland. It is the county seat of Głogów County, in Lower Silesian Voivodeship , and was previously in Legnica Voivodeship . It is also the administrative seat of Gmina Głogów, although it is not part of its territory...
.
She was the eldest child and eldest daughter of Dietrich the Wise, Margrave
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...
of Landsberg
Margraviate of Landsberg
The Margraviate of Landsberg was a march of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from the 12th to the 14th century. It was named after Landsberg Castle in present-day Saxony-Anhalt...
, by his wife Helena, daughter of John I, Margrave of Brandenburg.
Life
On 24 October 1266 was issued in AugsburgAugsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
by Duke Louis II of Upper 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...
a settlement, under which he pledged several possessions on behalf of his ward and nephew Conradin
Conradin
Conrad , called the Younger or the Boy, but usually known by the diminutive Conradin , was the Duke of Swabia , King of Jerusalem , and King of Sicily .-Early childhood:Conradin was born in Wolfstein, Bavaria, to Conrad...
, King of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and Jerusalen
Jerusalen
Jerusalen is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca....
. This action was made in order to pay the expenses incurred in connection of the marriage celebrated between Conradin and Sophie, who took place by the end of October and early September of that year, possibly in the city of Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city 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...
or Nürnberg. The union was celebrated by proxy (desponsatio per procuratinem), because the fourteen-years-old King was absent at that moment. In his place, Duke Louis II stood as groom and signed the marriage contract.
Conradin never seen his bride: soon after the marriage, he departed with his friend Frederick I of Baden to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
with the purprose to recover his rights over Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
's inheritance, and two years later, on 29 October 1268, the last legitimate male member of the House of Hohenstaufen was beheaded in the Piazza del Mercato of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
.
The validity of Conradin and Sophie's marriage is still disputed by the historians. According to some of them, the contract signed by Louis II was only a betrothal and not a truly marriage ceremony, because Sophie was still a child at that time (she had almost seven-years-old) and Conradin never see her; this is supported by the fact that the chronicler Bartholomew de Neocastro found a message of Conradin to Giovanni Frangipani, in whose castle he refuged after the Battle of Tagliacozzo
Battle of Tagliacozzo
The Battle of Tagliacozzo was fought on 23 August 1268 between the French, Provençal, and Italian forces of Charles of Anjou and the Italian, Spanish, Roman, Arab and German troops of the Hohenstaufen army, led by Conradin , the sixteen year old Duke of Swabia and claimant to the throne of Sicily...
, in where he promised marry with his daughter in exchange of his help against Charles I of Anjou. However, others historians supported the idea that Sophie and Conradin were, in fact, legally married, because the contract signed by Louis II was, clearly, a marriage by proxy with all the legal obligations.
In 1271, the twelve-years-old Sophie married with Konrad I, Duke of Glogów
Konrad I, Duke of Silesia-Glogau
Konrad I of Głogów was Duke of Głogów from 1251 until his death.He was the fourth son of Henry II the Pious, Duke of Wroclaw, by his wife Anna, daughter of King Ottokar I of Bohemia.-Life:...
, an almost forty-years-old widower. They had no children.
After Konrad I's death in 1274, Sophie returned to her homeland and became a nun in the monastery of St.Clara in Weissenfels, where she later was elected Abbess. Sophie held this post until her death.