Egbert the One-Eyed (german: Ekbert der Einäugige) (died 4 April 994) was the second son of

Wichmann the Elder Wichmann I the Elder (also spelled ''Wigmann'' or ''Wichman'') (died 23 April 944) was a member of the Saxon House of Billung. He was a brother of Amelung, Bishop of Verden, and Herman, Duke of Saxony. Biography In 938, Wichmann rebelled beca ...

and the younger brother of

Wichmann the Younger Wichmann II the Younger (also spelled ''Wigmann'' or ''Wichman'') (about 930 – 22 September 967) was a member of the Saxon House of Billung. He was a son of Count Wichmann the Elder and his wife Frederuna, a niece of Queen Matilda. The cousin of ...

. He was thus of the elder line of the

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. Oda, the wife of Count Liudolf, oldest known member of the Liudol ...

family. His nickname derives from the fact that he lost an eye in battle, an injury for which he blamed

Otto I Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the oldest son of He ...

and which partly explains his involvement in many insurrections. He was the count of Hastfalagau. He sided with Liudolf, Duke of Swabia, in his rebellion in 953–954. He and his brother instigated the

Obodrites The Obotrites ( la, Obotriti, Abodritorum, Abodritos…) or Obodrites, also spelled Abodrites (german: Abodriten), were a confederation of medieval West Slavic tribes within the territory of modern Mecklenburg and Holstein in northern Germany ( ...

to war in 955 while Otto was waging war on the Magyars. They escaped judgement in the German campaign that followed. In 978, he was put on trial as an accomplice to the revolt of

Henry II, Duke of Bavaria Henry II (951 – 28 August 995), called the Wrangler or the Quarrelsome (german: Heinrich der Zänker), a member of the German royal Ottonian dynasty, was Duke of Bavaria from 955 to 976 and again from 985 to 995, as well as Duke of Carinthia ...

, in the War of the Three Henries and exiled. Egbert assisted Henry in the kidnapping of Otto III and imprisoned Otto's sister Adelaide in his castle at Ala. Through all this, Egbert maintained a very high standing in the kingdom toward the end of his life. Egbert's wife is not known by name. He left children, but their identity is only hypothetical.

Sources

*Medieval Lands Project
Dukes of Saxony.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Egbert The One-Eyed 994 deaths Counts of Germany House of Billung Year of birth unknown 10th-century Saxon people Royalty and nobility with disabilities Counts of Stade