Wigger I
Encyclopedia
Wigger I was the father of a line of counts ruling from his new castle of Bilstein, west of Albungen (today part of Eschwege
) to the Werra
. The counts of Bilstein played a prominent role in Thuringia
from 967 to 1301 and were third after the Ekkehardinger and Weimar-Orlamünde in terms of power and influence.
Wigger was probably the second son of Siegfried, Count of Merseburg
, and thus a nephew of Gero the Great. On his uncle's death in 965, he was granted the March of Zeitz
. For a time he was also the Margrave of Merseburg and possible also of the March of Meissen. He had extensive estates — Langensalza, Mühlhausen
, Schlotheim
, Frieda, Dornburg an der Saale
, and Eschwege — and comital authority in the Eichsfeld
and the middle Werra. He was count of the Germarmark (east of Mühlhausen), Weitagau, and Ducharingau (area of Zeitz
and Naumburg
). He was also the advocate (vogt
) of the Diocese of Zeitz.
He was a faithful follower of the Ottonians. He participated in their wars on the Slavic peoples
to the east and was created count in the Plisnagau and the Puonzowagau. He and his brother Dedi founded the convent of Drübeck
near Wernigerode
. In 981, Wigger gave his propriety interests in the convent to Otto II.
Wigger died in 981 and was succeeded in the Germarmark and the Watergau by his son Wigger II. His march was bestowed on Ricdag and the remainder of his possessions went to Eckard I of Meissen.
Eschwege
Eschwege , the district seat of the Werra-Meißner-Kreis, is a town in northeastern Hesse, Germany.- Location :The town lies on a broad plain tract of the river Werra at the foot of the Leuchtberg northwest of the Schlierbachswald and east of the Hoher Meißner...
) to the Werra
Werra
The Werra is a river in central Germany, the right-source river of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 km the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser....
. The counts of Bilstein played a prominent role in Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.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 states....
from 967 to 1301 and were third after the Ekkehardinger and Weimar-Orlamünde in terms of power and influence.
Wigger was probably the second son of Siegfried, Count of Merseburg
Siegfried, Count of Merseburg
Siegfried was the Count and Margrave of Merseburg from an unknown date before 934 until his death. He does not appear with the title of margrave in contemporary royal charters and diplomas, so the title was informal and never official....
, and thus a nephew of Gero the Great. On his uncle's death in 965, he was granted the March of Zeitz
March of Zeitz
The March of Zeitz was a frontier county of the Holy Roman Empire, created through the division of the marca Geronis in 965, when the Emperor Otto I, on the death of Gero the Great. Its capital was Zeitz. Its first and only margrave was Wigger...
. For a time he was also the Margrave of Merseburg and possible also of the March of Meissen. He had extensive estates — Langensalza, Mühlhausen
Mühlhausen
Mühlhausen is a city in the federal state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Unstrut-Hainich district, and lies along the river Unstrut. Mühlhausen had c. 37,000 inhabitants in 2006.-History:...
, Schlotheim
Schlotheim
Schlotheim is a town in the Unstrut-Hainich district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 14 km east of Mühlhausen....
, Frieda, Dornburg an der Saale
Dornburg
Dornburg is a town in the Saale-Holzland district, in Thuringia, Germany. It sits atop a small hill of 400 ft above the Saale. Since 1 December 2008, it is part of the town Dornburg-Camburg.-Main sights:...
, and Eschwege — and comital authority in the Eichsfeld
Eichsfeld
The Eichsfeld is a historical region in the southeast of Lower Saxony and northwest of Thuringia in the south of the Harz mountains...
and the middle Werra. He was count of the Germarmark (east of Mühlhausen), Weitagau, and Ducharingau (area of Zeitz
Zeitz
Zeitz is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster, in the middle of the triangle of the federal states Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony.-History:...
and Naumburg
Naumburg
Naumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena....
). He was also the advocate (vogt
Vogt
A Vogt ; plural Vögte; Dutch voogd; Danish foged; ; ultimately from Latin [ad]vocatus) in the Holy Roman Empire was the German title of a reeve or advocate, an overlord exerting guardianship or military protection as well as secular justice...
) of the Diocese of Zeitz.
He was a faithful follower of the Ottonians. He participated in their wars on the Slavic peoples
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
to the east and was created count in the Plisnagau and the Puonzowagau. He and his brother Dedi founded the convent of Drübeck
Drübeck
Drübeck is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Ilsenburg.- Abbey :...
near Wernigerode
Wernigerode
Wernigerode is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,500 in 1999....
. In 981, Wigger gave his propriety interests in the convent to Otto II.
Wigger died in 981 and was succeeded in the Germarmark and the Watergau by his son Wigger II. His march was bestowed on Ricdag and the remainder of his possessions went to Eckard I of Meissen.
Sources
- Bernhardt, John W. Itinerant Kingship and Royal Monasteries in Early Medieval Germany, c.936–1075. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.