Berthold III ( – 14 December 1188), a member of the Bavarian Counts of Andechs, House of Andechs, was March of Istria, Margrave of Istria (as Berthold I) from 1173 until his death.
He was the son of Count Berthold II, Count of Andechs, Berthold II of Andechs, ruler over Dießen am Ammersee, Dießen in Duchy of Bavaria, Bavaria, Plassenburg in Franconia and Kamnik, Stein in March of Carniola, Carniola, and his first wife Sophia, a daughter of Margrave Poppo II, Margrave of Carniola, Poppo II of Istria. His brother Otto became Bishopric of Brixen, Prince-Bishop of Brixen in 1165. A loyal supporter of the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, Count Berthold rose to one of the most important nobles, holding extended estates in Bavaria as well as in Franconia and in Carniola south of the Eastern Alps.
In 1173, he was appointed Margrave of Istria, succeeding Engelbert III, Margrave of Istria, Engelbert III, the last Margrave from the House of Sponheim and cousin of his mother Sophia. When in 1180 Emperor Frederick deposed the House of Welf, Welf duke Henry the Lion, he vested Berthold's son, Count Berthold, Duke of Merania, Berthold IV, with the title of a Duchy of Merania, Duke of Merania, thereby elevating the House of Andechs to Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, princely status.
Marriage and issue
Berthold III was married twice. In 1152 he married Hedwig of House of Wittelsbach, Wittelsbach, daughter of the Bavarian Count palatine Otto IV, Count of Scheyern, Otto IV of Scheyern and Heilika of Pettendorf-Lengenfeld-Hopfenohe.
They had:
# Berthold IV, Duke of Merania (1153–1204)
# Sophia (died 1218). Married Poppo VI, Count of Henneberg (died c. 1190)
# Kunigunde (died after 1207), married Eberhard, Count of Eberstein
# Matilda of Andechs, Matilda, Countess of Pisino (died 1245), married Berthold, Margrave of Vohburg. In c. 1190 married secondly Engelbert III, Count of Gorizia (died 1217/1220).
# ''unidentified'' daughter, married Ampud II, ''ispán'' of Szolnok County (fl. 1199)
His second wife was Luitgard of Denmark, daughter of king Sweyn III of Denmark and Adela of Meissen. They had:
# Poppo, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bamberg, Bishop of Bamberg (died December 2, 1245)
# Berta, Abbess in Gerbstadt (died 1190)
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Berthold 01 of Istria
12th-century births
1188 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
House of Andechs
Margraves of Istria