Erchanger, Duke of Swabia
Encyclopedia
Erchanger (c. 880 – 21 January 917) was the duke of Swabia
from September 915 to his death. He was the son of Berthold I, count palatine
of Swabia, who is sometimes called Erchanger as well, in which case the duke is Erchanger II. His mother was Gisela, daughter of Louis the German
and his family is known as the Ahalolfinger.
He was originally a missus dominicus
in Swabia. In 911, he allied with Bishop Solomon III of Constance due their common political goals. Erchanger was at the time striving for ever greater power in Swabia alongside Burchard I
and Burchard II
. He played a conspicuous part in the downfall of the elder Burchard, who was convicted of high treason
and executed, in 911. With the fall of the Burchards, Erchanger and his younger brother Berthold were the most powerful counts in the tribe. In 913, Erchanger and King Conrad I of Germany
fell out, but Erchanger married off his sister Cunigunda
, whose husband, Luitpold
, had just died, to the king. With this diplomatic marriage, Erchanger became the king's representative in Swabia. With this, his alliance with Bishop Solomon broke and the bishop opposed his rise. Seeing his income diminished by the bishop, Erchanger imprisoned Solomon in 914. Conrad opposed this and freed the bishop, exiling Erchanger.
Erchanger returned in 915 and was fighting alongside his nephew Arnulf of Bavaria and his old enemy Burchard II against the Magyars. Erchanger and Burchard then turned against Conrad. Defeating him at the Battle of Wahlwies in the Hegau
, Erchanger is proclaimed duke. However, at a high court in Hohenaltheim
in September 916, Erchanger was condemned to a monastery for offences against king and bishop. He was killed on the instructions of the king on 21 January 917.
Duke of Swabia
The following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
from September 915 to his death. He was the son of Berthold I, count palatine
Count palatine
Count palatine is a high noble title, used to render several comital styles, in some cases also shortened to Palatine, which can have other meanings as well.-Comes palatinus:...
of Swabia, who is sometimes called Erchanger as well, in which case the duke is Erchanger II. His mother was Gisela, daughter of Louis the German
Louis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
and his family is known as the Ahalolfinger.
He was originally a missus dominicus
Missus dominicus
A missus dominicus , Latin for "envoy[s] of the lord [ruler]", also known in Dutch as Zendgraaf , meaning "sent Graf", was an official commissioned by the Frankish king or Holy Roman Emperor to supervise the administration, mainly of justice, in parts of his dominions too far for frequent personal...
in Swabia. In 911, he allied with Bishop Solomon III of Constance due their common political goals. Erchanger was at the time striving for ever greater power in Swabia alongside Burchard I
Burchard I, Duke of Swabia
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...
and Burchard II
Burchard II, Duke of Swabia
Burchard II was the Hunfriding Duke of Swabia and Count of Raetia. He was the son of Burchard I and Liutgard of Saxony....
. He played a conspicuous part in the downfall of the elder Burchard, who was convicted of 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...
and executed, in 911. With the fall of the Burchards, Erchanger and his younger brother Berthold were the most powerful counts in the tribe. In 913, Erchanger and King Conrad I of Germany
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...
fell out, but Erchanger married off his sister Cunigunda
Cunigunde of Swabia
Cunigunde of Swabia was the wife and Queen of Conrad, King of East Francia. She was a member of the Ahalolfinger Dynasty. Very little is known of her....
, whose husband, Luitpold
Luitpold, Margrave of Bavaria
Luitpold , perhaps of the Huosi family or related to the Carolingian dynasty by Liutswind, mother of Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia, was the ancestor of the Luitpolding dynasty which ruled Bavaria and Carinthia until the mid-tenth century.In 893, he was appointed margrave in the March of Carinthia...
, had just died, to the king. With this diplomatic marriage, Erchanger became the king's representative in Swabia. With this, his alliance with Bishop Solomon broke and the bishop opposed his rise. Seeing his income diminished by the bishop, Erchanger imprisoned Solomon in 914. Conrad opposed this and freed the bishop, exiling Erchanger.
Erchanger returned in 915 and was fighting alongside his nephew Arnulf of Bavaria and his old enemy Burchard II against the Magyars. Erchanger and Burchard then turned against Conrad. Defeating him at the Battle of Wahlwies in the Hegau
Hegau
The Hegau is a formerly volcanic landscape in southern Germany extending around the industrial city of Singen , between Lake Constance in the east, the Rhine River in the south, the Danube River in the north and the Randen—as the southwestern mountains of the Swabian Alb are called—in the west.The...
, Erchanger is proclaimed duke. However, at a high court in Hohenaltheim
Hohenaltheim
Hohenaltheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany....
in September 916, Erchanger was condemned to a monastery for offences against king and bishop. He was killed on the instructions of the king on 21 January 917.