Henry III, Duke of Bavaria
Encyclopedia
Henry III called the Younger, only surviving son of Duke Berthold of Bavaria
, was the first Duke of Carinthia
from 976 to 978, Duke of Bavaria
from 983 to 985 and again Duke of Carinthia from 985 to 989.
. However, as he was still a minor upon his father's death in 947, the German king Otto I
gave the Bavarian duchy to his younger brother Henry I
. As Henry I about 937 had married Judith
, a daughter of the former Bavarian duke Arnulf the Bad
, the uncle of Henry the Younger, he could raise claims to the ducal title.
After he became of age, Henry III waited patiently, though it seemd that Bavaria was ultimately lost for the Luitpoldings, when upon the death of Duke Henry I in 955 he was succeeded by his four-year-old son Henry II the Wrangler
. Not before Emperor Otto's death in 973, the tables began to turn: the Ottonian duke Henry II, not satisfied with Bavaria, raised claims to the Duchy of Swabia
upon the death of his brother-in-law Duke Burchard III
, trading on the difficulties of the new emperor, his cousin Otto II
, to establish his rule. His demands were denied, when Emperor Otto II enfeoffed his nephew Otto I with Swabia.
In the following revolt within the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II marched against Regensburg
, where Duke Henry the Wrangler was deposed in 976. The Luitpolding Henry the Younger finally gained some compensation, when the emperor severed Carinthia from Bavaria and Henry III was enfeoffed with the newly established duchy, the lands which had formed the Bavarian March of Carinthia
, together with the March of Verona
. His father Berthold had already received the title of a Carinthian duke by King Henry I of Germany in 927. The scaled-down Bavarian duchy passed to the Ottonian duke Otto I of Swabia, while Leopold of Babenberg
was vested with the March of Austria
.
In 978 however, Henry the Younger himself was banned, probably because he now had joined the rebellion against the emperor in the War of the Three Henries, instigated by his predecessor Henry the Wrangler and Bishop Henry I of Augsburg
. Together with the forces of Duke Boleslaus II of Bohemia they occupied the Bavarian town of Passau
, but were defeated by the emperor's troops. At the Easter Reichstag
of Magdeburg
, Otto II deposed Henry the Younger and enfeoffed his Salian
nephew Otto of Worms
with the Carinthian duchy. All Southern German duchies — Swabia, Bavaria and Carinthia — then were held by the emperor's relatives.
Enfeebled by his defeat against the Sicilian Kalbids
at the 982 Battle of Stilo
, Emperor Otto II upon the death of Duke Otto I of Swabia and Bavaria recalled Henry the Younger from banishment in 983 and instated him as Bavarian duke at the Reichstag of Verona
. Nevertheless his rule remained contested by Henry the Wrangler and after the emperor died in the same year, Dowager Empress Theophanu
on behalf of the succession of her minor son Otto III
finally reconciled with him in 985. Henry III had to renounce Bavaria in favour of the Wrangler and again was given Carinthia instead, which Otto of Worms was forced to cede to him.
When Henry III died without issue in 989, he was the last male Luitpolding. He was succeeded in Carinthia and Verona by Henry the Wrangler, who thereby once again united the Bavarian and Carinthian estates under his rule. Henry III was buried at Niederaltaich Abbey
.
Berthold, Duke of Bavaria
Berthold , of the Luitpolding dynasty, was the younger son of Margrave Luitpold of Bavaria and Cunigunda, sister of Duke Erchanger of Swabia. He followed his nephew Eberhard as Duke of Bavaria in 938....
, was the first Duke of 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....
from 976 to 978, Duke of Bavaria
History of Bavaria
The history of Bavaria stretches from its earliest settlement and its formation as a stem duchy in the 6th century through its inclusion in the Holy Roman Empires to its status as an independent kingdom and, finally, as a large and significant Bundesland of the modern Federal Republic of...
from 983 to 985 and again Duke of Carinthia from 985 to 989.
Life
Henry the Younger was a scion of the Bavarian Luitpolding ducal family, who were loyal supporters of the royal Ottonian dynasty descending from SaxonyDuchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
. However, as he was still a minor upon his father's death in 947, the German king Otto I
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
gave the Bavarian duchy to his younger brother Henry I
Henry I, Duke of Bavaria
Henry I was Duke of Bavaria.He was the second son of the German King Henry the Fowler and his wife Matilda. He attempted a revolt against his older brother Otto I in 938 in alliance with Eberhard of Franconia and Giselbert of Lorraine, believing he had a claim on the throne. In 939 he was defeated...
. As Henry I about 937 had married Judith
Judith of Bavaria
Judith , was Duchess of Bavaria. She was the eldest daughter of Arnulf the Bad of Bavaria and Judith of Sülichgau....
, a daughter of the former Bavarian duke Arnulf the Bad
Arnulf, Duke of Bavaria
Arnulf , called the Bad or the Evil , was the duke of Bavaria from 907 until his death. He was a member of the Luitpolding dynasty....
, the uncle of Henry the Younger, he could raise claims to the ducal title.
After he became of age, Henry III waited patiently, though it seemd that Bavaria was ultimately lost for the Luitpoldings, when upon the death of Duke Henry I in 955 he was succeeded by his four-year-old son Henry II the Wrangler
Henry II, Duke of Bavaria
Henry II , called the Wrangler or the Quarrelsome, in German Heinrich der Zänker, was the son of Henry I and Judith of Bavaria.- Biography :...
. Not before Emperor Otto's death in 973, the tables began to turn: the Ottonian duke Henry II, not satisfied with Bavaria, raised claims to the Duchy of Swabia
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...
upon the death of his brother-in-law Duke Burchard III
Burchard III, Duke of Swabia
Burchard III was the count of Thurgau and Zürichgau, perhaps of Rhaetia, and then Duke of Swabia from 954 to his death....
, trading on the difficulties of the new emperor, his cousin Otto II
Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto II , called the Red, was the third ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty, the son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy.-Early years and co-ruler with Otto I:...
, to establish his rule. His demands were denied, when Emperor Otto II enfeoffed his nephew Otto I with Swabia.
In the following revolt within the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II marched against Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg 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...
, where Duke Henry the Wrangler was deposed in 976. The Luitpolding Henry the Younger finally gained some compensation, when the emperor severed Carinthia from Bavaria and Henry III was enfeoffed with the newly established duchy, the lands which had formed the Bavarian March of Carinthia
March of Carinthia
The March of Carinthia was a frontier district of the Carolingian Empire created in 889. Before it was a march, it had been a principality or duchy ruled by native-born Slavic princes at first independently and then under Bavarian and subsequently Frankish suzerainty...
, together with the March of Verona
March of Verona
The March of Verona and Aquileia was a vast march in northeastern Italy during the Middle Ages, centered on the cities of Verona and Aquileia. Except for Venice, it included the territories of the modern-day regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia as well as Istria and Trentino up to the Adige...
. His father Berthold had already received the title of a Carinthian duke by King Henry I of Germany in 927. The scaled-down Bavarian duchy passed to the Ottonian duke Otto I of Swabia, while Leopold of Babenberg
Leopold I, Margrave of Austria
Leopold I , also Luitpold or Liutpold, called the Illustrious , was the first Margrave of Austria from the House of Babenberg....
was vested with the March of Austria
March of Austria
The March of Austria was created in 976 out of the territory that probably formed the earlier March of Pannonia. It is also called the Margraviate of Austria or the Bavarian Eastern March. In contemporary Latin, it was the marchia Austriae, Austrie marchionibus, or the marcha Orientalis...
.
In 978 however, Henry the Younger himself was banned, probably because he now had joined the rebellion against the emperor in the War of the Three Henries, instigated by his predecessor Henry the Wrangler and Bishop Henry I of Augsburg
Henry I, Bishop of Augsburg
Henry I was the Bishop of Augsburg from 973 to his death. He succeeded Saint Ulrich. Unlike under Ulrich, the diocese suffered under Henry's bellicose episcopate....
. Together with the forces of Duke Boleslaus II of Bohemia they occupied the Bavarian town of Passau
Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
, but were defeated by the emperor's troops. At the Easter Reichstag
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
of Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, Otto II deposed Henry the Younger and enfeoffed his Salian
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...
nephew Otto of Worms
Otto I, Duke of Carinthia
Otto , called Otto of Worms, was Duke of Carinthia and Margrave of Verona from 978 to 985 and again from 1002 until his death....
with the Carinthian duchy. All Southern German duchies — Swabia, Bavaria and Carinthia — then were held by the emperor's relatives.
Enfeebled by his defeat against the Sicilian Kalbids
Kalbids
The Kalbids were a Shia Muslim dynasty in Sicily, which ruled from 948 to 1053 .In 827, in the midst of internal Byzantine conflict, the Aghlabids arrived at Marsala in Sicily, with a fleet of 10,000 men under the command of Asad ibn al-Furat. Palermo was conquered in 831 and became the new capital...
at the 982 Battle of Stilo
Battle of Stilo
The Battle of Stilo or Cape Colonna was fought on 13 or 14 July 982 near Crotone in Calabria between the forces of the Emperor Otto II and his Italo-Lombard allies and those of the Kalbid emir of Sicily, Abu al-Qasim...
, Emperor Otto II upon the death of Duke Otto I of Swabia and Bavaria recalled Henry the Younger from banishment in 983 and instated him as Bavarian duke at the Reichstag of Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
. Nevertheless his rule remained contested by Henry the Wrangler and after the emperor died in the same year, Dowager Empress Theophanu
Theophanu
Theophanu , also spelled Theophania, Theophana or Theophano, was born in Constantinople, and was the wife of Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor.-Family:...
on behalf of the succession of her minor son Otto III
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto III , a King of Germany, was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. He was elected King in 983 on the death of his father Otto II and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 996.-Early reign:...
finally reconciled with him in 985. Henry III had to renounce Bavaria in favour of the Wrangler and again was given Carinthia instead, which Otto of Worms was forced to cede to him.
When Henry III died without issue in 989, he was the last male Luitpolding. He was succeeded in Carinthia and Verona by Henry the Wrangler, who thereby once again united the Bavarian and Carinthian estates under his rule. Henry III was buried at Niederaltaich Abbey
Niederaltaich Abbey
Niederaltaich Abbey or Niederaltaich Monastery is a house of the Benedictine Order founded in 731 , situated in the village of Niederalteich on the Danube in Bavaria....
.