Ezzonen
Encyclopedia
The Ezzonids were a dynasty of Lotharingia
n stock dating back as far as the ninth century. They attained prominence only in the eleventh century, through marriage with the Ottonian dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors. Named after Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia from 1015 to 1034, they dominated the politics of the middle and lower Rhine and usually represented the royal interests. Under the Salian Emperors
, they even briefly held the dukedoms of Swabia
, Carinthia
, and Bavaria
.
The Ezzonids first appear with Erenfried I
(866–904), count of the Bliesgau
, Keldachgau, and Bonngau, and perhaps also of the Charmois
. He may have had Carolingian ancestors, although some historians prefer to link him to the former Thuringian kings
. The political ascent of the Ezzonid dynasty becomes historically visible with the number of counties they acquired in the second half of the tenth century. They ruled most of the Rhenish counties and were eventually granted Palatine status over the other counts of the district. In spite of their military accomplishments in the service of the Emperors, the Ezzonids did not succeed in building a territorial entity in Lotharingia.
The Ezzonid line probably survived in the counts of Limburg Stirum, who are believed to descend from Adolf I of Lotharingia
, youngest son of Hermann I.
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
n stock dating back as far as the ninth century. They attained prominence only in the eleventh century, through marriage with the Ottonian dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors. Named after Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia from 1015 to 1034, they dominated the politics of the middle and lower Rhine and usually represented the royal interests. Under the Salian Emperors
Salian dynasty
The Salian dynasty was a dynasty in the High Middle Ages of four German Kings , also known as the Frankish dynasty after the family's origin and role as dukes of Franconia...
, they even briefly held the dukedoms of Swabia
Duchy of Swabia
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.-History:...
, Carinthia
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
, and Bavaria
Duchy of Bavaria
The Duchy of Bavaria was the only one of the stem duchies from the earliest days of East Francia and the Kingdom of Germany to preserve both its name and most of its territorial extent....
.
The Ezzonids first appear with Erenfried I
Erenfried I
Erenfried I of Maasgau, count of Bliesgau, Keldachgau and Bonngau and count of Charmois . He married Adelgunde of Burgundy , a daughter of Conrad II, Duke of Transjurane Burgundy, Count of Auxerre, and Judith de Frioul.They left issue:...
(866–904), count of the Bliesgau
Bliesgau
The Bliesgau is a district of the Saarland in Germany. It is named for the River Blies, a tributary of the Saar River, and lies near the border with France....
, Keldachgau, and Bonngau, and perhaps also of the Charmois
Charmois
Charmois may refer to:*Charmois, Meurthe-et-Moselle, a commune of the Lorraine region of France*Charmois, Territoire de Belfort, a commune of the Franche-Comté region of France*Charmois-devant-Bruyères, a commune in the Vosges department in France...
. He may have had Carolingian ancestors, although some historians prefer to link him to the former Thuringian kings
Rulers of Thuringia
This is a list of the rulers of Thuringia, an historical and political region of Central Germany.-Kings of Thuringia:*450–500 Bisinus*500–530 Baderich*500–530 Berthachar*500–531 Herminafried*fl...
. The political ascent of the Ezzonid dynasty becomes historically visible with the number of counties they acquired in the second half of the tenth century. They ruled most of the Rhenish counties and were eventually granted Palatine status over the other counts of the district. In spite of their military accomplishments in the service of the Emperors, the Ezzonids did not succeed in building a territorial entity in Lotharingia.
Counts Palatine of Lotharingia
- Hermann I, Count Palatine of Lotharingia.
- Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (1015-1034). According to the BrauweilerBrauweiler, Rhineland-PalatinateBrauweiler is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany....
chronicle, he failed to succeed to the monarchy after the death of emperor Otto III (983–1002) in a rivalry with duke Henry II of BavariaHenry II, Holy Roman EmperorHenry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
(1002–1024). The succession war between Ezzo and Henry II continued for over ten years. The two men came to an agreement after a battle at Odernheim in 1011. Kaiserswerth, DuisburgDuisburg- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
and the surrounding imperial territories were granted as a fief to Ezzo for renouncing the throne (after 1016). When the German crown passed from the OttonianOttonianThe Ottonian dynasty was a dynasty of Germanic Kings , named after its first emperor but also known as the Saxon dynasty after the family's origin. The family itself is also sometimes known as the Liudolfings, after its earliest known member Liudolf and one of its primary leading-names...
s to the SaliansSalian dynastyThe Salian dynasty was a dynasty in the High Middle Ages of four German Kings , also known as the Frankish dynasty after the family's origin and role as dukes of Franconia...
in 1024, the Ezzonids remained neutral, apparently after an agreement between Ezzo and Konrad II (1024–1039). - Otto IOtto II, Duke of SwabiaOtto II was Count Palatine of Lotharingia , then Duke of Swabia , and all the while Count in Deutz and Auelgau . He was the son of Ezzo and Matilda , and a member of the Ezzonian dynasty...
, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (1035–1045) and Duke of SwabiaSwabiaSwabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
(1045-1047). In 1045, after a successful campaign against the rebel count of Flanders, the margrave of Valenciennes and Ename, Otto received the duchy of Swabia, in exchange however for the cities of Kaiserswerth and DuisburgDuisburg- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
, which went back to the crown. At the same time, the palatinate of Lotharingia was passed to his nephew. - Heinrich I, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (1045–1060, †1061), son of Count Hezzelin IHezzelin IHezzelin I , Count in Zulpichgau , son of count palatine Hermann I of Lotharingia.He married a daughter of Duke Conrad I of Carinthia and had at least two sons:...
(1020-1033), who was a brother of Ezzo. - Hermann II, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (1064-1085), Count of the Ruhrgau, Zulpichgau and Brabant. His territorial power was importantly reduced by his guardian, Anno II, Archbishop of CologneAnno II, Archbishop of CologneSaint Anno II was Archbishop of Cologne from 1056 to 1075.He was born around 1010, belonging to the Swabian family of the von Steusslingen, and was educated at Bamberg. He became confessor to the Emperor Henry III, who appointed him archbishop of Cologne in 1056...
. Hermann is assumed to be the last of the Ezzonids. After his death at Dalhem on September 20, 1085, the PalatinateCount palatineCount 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 Lotharingia was suspended. His widow remarried the first count palatine of the Rhine, Henry of Laach.
The Ezzonid line probably survived in the counts of Limburg Stirum, who are believed to descend from Adolf I of Lotharingia
Adolf I of Lotharingia
Adolf I of Lotharingia, count of Keldachgau, Vogt of Deutz from 1008 until 1018, was the son of Hermann I "Pusillus" , count palatine of Lotharingia. He left three sons:*Hermann III, Vogt of Deutz in St...
, youngest son of Hermann I.
Other illustrious Ezzonids
- RichezaRichensa of LotharingiaRicheza of Lotharingia , was a German noblewoman by birth a member of the Ezzonen dynasty and by marriage Queen of Poland. Married to Mieszko II Lambert, King of Poland, commonly referred to as Mieszko II in Poland...
of Lotharingia, Queen of PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(Bl. Richenza, whose FeastCalendar of saintsThe calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the feast day of said saint...
is celebrated in Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
on March 21), wife of Mieszko II LambertMieszko II LambertMieszko II Lambert was King of Poland during 1025–1031, and Duke from 1032 until his death.He was the second son of Bolesław I the Brave, but the eldest born from his third wife Emmilda, daughter of Dobromir, possible ruler of Lusatia. He was probably named after his paternal grandfather, Mieszko I...
King of Poland. - Conrad IConrad I, Duke of BavariaConrad I , also known as Cuno or Kuno, was the duke of Bavaria from 1049 to 1053. He was of the Ezzonen family, his parents being Liudolf, Count of Zütphen and eldest son of Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lorraine, and Matilda...
, Duke of Bavaria, heir of Henry III, Holy Roman EmperorHenry III, Holy Roman EmperorHenry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
, died in exile after an attempt to assassinate the Emperor and seize the throne. - Conrad IIIConrad III, Duke of CarinthiaConrad III, count of the Zulpichgau, was Duke of Carinthia from 1056 until his death in 1061. He was son of Hezzelin I, brother of count palatine of Lotharingia, Ezzo....
, Duke of Carinthia. - Hermann IHermann I, Archbishop of CologneHerman I was Archbishop of Cologne from 890 to 924. He was the son of Erenfried I of Maasgau, of the Ezzonian dynasty.As chancellor of Zwentibold, King of Lotharingia, he helped to execute in 911 his kingdom's annexation to West Francia...
, Archbishop of Cologne, Chancellor of King ZwentiboldZwentiboldZwentibold was the illegitimate son of the Carolingian Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia. In 895 his father, then king of East Francia, granted him the Kingdom of Lotharingia, which he ruled until his death.After his death he was declared a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church.- Life :Zwentibold...
of Lotharingia. - Hermann IIHermann II, Archbishop of CologneHerman II , of the Ezzonian dynasty, a son of Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia, was the Archbishop of Cologne from 1036 until his death.He became archchancellor of the Regnum Italicum and protector of Brauweiler...
, Archbishop of Cologne and Chancellor for ItalyItalyItaly , 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...
.
Literature
- Reuter, TimothyTimothy ReuterTimothy Alan Reuter , grandson of the former mayor of Berlin Ernst Reuter, was a German-British historian who specialized in the study of medieval Germany, particularly the social, military and ecclesiastical institutions of the Ottonian and Salian periods .Reuter received his D.phil from Oxford in...
, 'Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800–1056', New York: Longman, 1991. - Buhlmann, Michael, 'Quellen zur mittelalterlichen Geschichte Ratingens und seiner Stadtteile: I. Eine Werdener Urbaraufzeichnung (9. Jahrhundert, 1. Hälfte). II. Eine Königsurkunde Ludwigs des Kindes (3. August 904)', Die Quecke 69 (1999), pp. 90-94.
- Droege, G., 'Pfalzgrafschaft, Grafschaften und allodiale Herrschaften zwischen Maas und Rhein in salisch-staufischer Zeit’, Rheinische Vierteljahrsblätter 26 (1961), pp. 1-21.
- Gerstner, Ruth, 'Die Geschichte der lothringischen Pfalzgrafschaft (von den Anfängen bis zur Ausbildung des Kurterritoriums Pfalz)', Rheinisches Archiv 40 (Bonn, 1941)
- Kimpen, E., ‘Ezzonen und Hezeliniden in der rheinischen Pfalzgrafschaft’, Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Instituts für Geschichtsforschung. XII. Erg.-Band. (Innsbruck, 1933) pp. 1-91.
- Lewald, Ursula, 'Die Ezzonen. Das Schicksal eines rheinischen Fürstengeschlechts', in Rheinische Vierteljahrsblätter 43 (1979) pp. 120-168
- Lorenz, Sönke, 'Kaiserwerth im Mittelalter. Genese, Struktur und Organisation königlicher Herrschaft am Niederrhein', in Studia humaniora 23 (Düsseldorf, 1993)
- Renn, H., 'Die Luxemburger in der lothringischen Pfalzgrafschaft’, in Rheinische Vierteljahrsblätter 11 (1941) pp. 102-118
- Steinbach, F., ‘Die Ezzonen. Ein Versuch territorialpolitischen Zusammenschlusses der fränkischen Rheinlande’, in Collectanea Franz Steinbach. Aufsätze und Abhandlungen zur Verfassungs-, Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte, geschichtlichen Landeskunde und Kulturraumforschung, ed. F. Petri & G. Droege (Bonn, 1967) pp. 64-81.
- Tolnerus, C. L., Historia palatina seu prim. et antiquiss. Comitum Palatinarum ad Rhenum res gestae (etc.) (Frankfurt am Main, 1700); and Additiones (Frankfurt am Main, 1709)
- Van Droogenbroeck, F. J., ‘Paltsgraaf Herman II (†1085) en de stichting van de abdij van Affligem (28 juni 1062) ’, in Jaarboek voor Middeleeuwse Geschiedenis 2 (Hilversum, 1999) pp. 38-95.
- Van Droogenbroeck, F.J., ‘De betekenis van paltsgraaf Herman II (1064-1085) voor het graafschap Brabant’, in Eigen Schoon en De Brabander 87 (Brussels, 2004) pp. 1-166.
- Wisplinghoff, E., 'Zur Reihenfolge der lothringischen Pfalzgrafen am Ende des 11. Jahrhunderts’, in Rheinische Vierteljahrsblätter 28 (1963) pp. 290-293.