Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria
Encyclopedia
Henry IX called the Black, a member of the House of Welf, was duke of Bavaria
from 1120 to 1126.
and Judith of Flanders
. As a young man, he administered the family's property south of the Alps. Through his marriage to Wulfhild, daughter of Magnus, Duke of Saxony
, he acquired part of the Billung
property in Saxony
.
In 1116, he joined Emperor Henry V
's Italian campaign. He succeeded his brother Welf II, Duke of Bavaria
, when the latter died childless in 1120.
In the royal election of 1125, he supported his son-in-law Frederick II, Duke of Swabia
, but switched his allegiance to Lothair, Duke of Saxony, after Lothair promised that Gertrud, his only daughter and heir, would marry Henry's son Henry
.
After Lothair won the election and banned Frederick, in 1126 Henry abdicated as duke of Bavaria and retired to the family foundation of Weingarten Abbey
so that he did not have to take part in the prosecution of his son-in-law. Henry died shortly thereafter and was buried in Weingarten.
Henry and Wulfhild had the following children:
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
from 1120 to 1126.
Life and reign
Henry was the second son of Welf I, Duke of BavariaWelf I, Duke of Bavaria
Welf I was duke of Bavaria from 1070 to 1077 and from 1096 to his death. He was the first member of the Welf branch of the House of Este. In the Welf genealogy he is counted as Welf IV.-Life and reign:...
and Judith of Flanders
Judith of Flanders, Countess of Northumbria
Judith of Flanders, Countess of Northumbria, and later Duchess of Bavaria was the wife firstly of Tostig Godwinson, Earl of Northumbria, and secondly of Welf I, Duke of Bavaria...
. As a young man, he administered the family's property south of the Alps. Through his marriage to Wulfhild, daughter of Magnus, Duke of Saxony
Magnus, Duke of Saxony
Magnus was the duke of Saxony from 1072 to 1106. Eldest son and successor of Ordulf and Wulfhild of Norway, he was the last member of the House of Billung.-Rebellion:...
, he acquired part of the Billung
Billung
The House of Billung was a dynasty of Saxon noblemen in the 9th through 12th centuries.The first known member of the house was Count Wichmann, mentioned as a Billung in 811...
property in Saxony
Duchy 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...
.
In 1116, he joined Emperor Henry V
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor...
's Italian campaign. He succeeded his brother Welf II, Duke of Bavaria
Welf II, Duke of Bavaria
Welf II , or Welfhard, called Welf the Fat, was duke of Bavaria from 1101 until his death. In the Welf genealogy, he is counted as Welf V.-Life and reign:...
, when the latter died childless in 1120.
In the royal election of 1125, he supported his son-in-law Frederick II, Duke of Swabia
Frederick II, Duke of Swabia
Frederick II , called the One-Eyed, was the second Hohenstaufen duke of Swabia from 1105. He was the eldest son of Frederick I and Agnes....
, but switched his allegiance to Lothair, Duke of Saxony, after Lothair promised that Gertrud, his only daughter and heir, would marry Henry's son Henry
Henry X, Duke of Bavaria
thumb|right|Henry X in a much later engraving.Henry the Proud was the Duke of Bavaria , Duke of Saxony , and Margrave of Tuscany .-Life and reign:...
.
After Lothair won the election and banned Frederick, in 1126 Henry abdicated as duke of Bavaria and retired to the family foundation of Weingarten Abbey
Weingarten Abbey
Weingarten Abbey or St. Martin's Abbey is a Benedictine monastery on the Martinsberg in Weingarten near Ravensburg in Baden-Württemberg .-First foundation:...
so that he did not have to take part in the prosecution of his son-in-law. Henry died shortly thereafter and was buried in Weingarten.
Henry and Wulfhild had the following children:
- JudithJudith of Bavaria, Duchess of SwabiaJudith of Bavaria, Duchess of Swabia was a member of the powerful German House of Welf, being the eldest daughter of Henry IX of Bavaria and Wulfhild of Saxony. Sometime between 1119 and 1121, she married Frederick II, Duke of Swabia...
, married Frederick II, Duke of SwabiaFrederick II, Duke of SwabiaFrederick II , called the One-Eyed, was the second Hohenstaufen duke of Swabia from 1105. He was the eldest son of Frederick I and Agnes.... - Conrad, died 17 March 1126
- Henry X the ProudHenry X, Duke of Bavariathumb|right|Henry X in a much later engraving.Henry the Proud was the Duke of Bavaria , Duke of Saxony , and Margrave of Tuscany .-Life and reign:...
- WelfWelf VIWelf VI was the margrave of Tuscany and duke of Spoleto , the third son of Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria, and a member of the illustrious Italo-German family of the Welf....
- Sophia, married Berthold III, Duke of Zähringen and Leopold I, Duke of Styria
- Wulfhild, married Rudolf, Count of Bregenz
- Mathilde, married Diepold IV, Margrave of Vohburg and Gebhard III, Count of Sulzbach
- Adalbert, Abbot of Corvey