Bertha of Lorraine (or Bertha of Swabia) (b.c. 1123/30 – d. 1194/5) was duchess of Lorraine (c.1138-1176) by marriage to Matthias I

duke of Lorraine The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions, since its creation as the kingdom of Lotharingia by the Treaty of Prüm, in 855. The first rulers of the newly established region were kings of ...

. She had a contested regency in the beginning of her son's rule, but was deposed from her position because her son was an adult.

Life

Bertha (sometimes called Judith) was the daughter of

Frederick II, Duke of Swabia Frederick II (1090 – 6 April 1147), called the One-Eyed, was Duke of Swabia from 1105 until his death, the second from the Hohenstaufen dynasty. His younger brother Conrad was elected King of the Romans in 1138. Life Early career Frederic ...

and Judith of Bavaria (1103- 22 February 1131), daughter of

Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria Henry IX (107513 December 1126), called the Black, a member of the House of Welf, was Duke of Bavaria from 1120 to 1126. Life and reign Henry was the second son of Duke Welf I of Bavaria (died 1101) from his marriage with Judith, daughter of C ...

. Through her father, Bertha was a member of the

Hohenstaufen The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynast ...

dynasty: her paternal uncle was king Conrad III and her brother was the future emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Bertha married Matthias of Lorraine c.1138. Bertha frequently issued charters alongside her husband. She used at least two different types of seal to authenticate her documents, on which she was riding astride on horseback, which was a highly unusual image for a medieval noblewoman to use. After the death of Matthias in 1176, he was succeeded by his son with Bertha,

Simon Simon may refer to: People * Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon * Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon * Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...

, as duke of Lorraine. Due to the weak health of her son, Bertha took power as regent and issued documents which she co-signed with her son. Because her son was an adult, her regency was considered illegal and widely opposed by the nobility, and resulted in her excommunication. She was forced to resign from her political position and perform penitence before the Bishop pf Metz.

Marriage and issue

With Matthias I, Bertha had several children, including:Poull, ''La maison ducale de Lorraine'', pp. 37-39. *

(died 1205), his successor in Lorraine *

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

(died 1206), count of

Bitche Bitche ( , ; German and Lorraine Franconian: ) is a commune in the Moselle department, administrative region of Grand Est, northeastern France. It is the Pays de Bitche's capital city and the seat of the Canton of Bitche and the communauté ...

and his nephew's successor *Judith (died 1173), married

Stephen II of Auxonne Stephen (or Étienne) II (died after 22 July 1173) from the House of Ivrea was Count of Auxonne (1173–1237). He was Stephen II in his House and Stephen I as count of Auxonne. He was the son of William III, count of Mâcon, Vienne and Auxonne ...

(1170) *Alice (died 1200), married

Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy Hugh III (1142 – August 25, 1192) was Duke of Burgundy between 1162 and 1192. As duke, Burgundy was invaded by King Philip II and Hugh was forced to sue for peace. Hugh then joined the Third Crusade, distinguishing himself at Arsuf and Acre. He d ...

*Theoderic (died 1181),

bishop of Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...

(1174–1179) *Matthias (died 1208), count of Toul *Unnamed daughter who died young

References

Sources

*C. Brooke, ''Europe in the Central Middle Ages'' (Routledge, 2014). *J. Jasperse, ‘To Have and to Hold: Coins and Seals as Evidence for Motherly Authority,' In C. Fleiner and E. Woodacre, (eds): ''Royal Mothers and Their Ruling Children. Wielding Political Authority from Antiquity to the Early Modern Era'' (Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015), pp. 83–104.
J. Jasperse, ‘Manly Minds in Female Bodies: Three Women and their Power through Coins and Seals’
''Arenal: Revista de historia de las mujeres'' 25:2 (2018), 295-321. * G. Poull, ''La maison ducale de Lorraine devenue la maison impériale et royale d’Autriche, de Hongrie et de Bohême'' (Nancy, Presses universitaires de Nancy, 1991). * Jacqueline Carolus-Curien Pauvres duchesses, l'envers du décor à la cour de Lorraine. Éditions Serpenoise, Metz, 2007. (ISBN 978-2-87692-715-5). {{Authority control Hohenstaufen Duchesses of Lorraine People from Lorraine 12th-century women rulers Daughters of monarchs