Engelbert I (died 1 April 1096 in Saint Paul's Abbey, Lavanttal) was Margrave of Istria (1090–1096), Count of

Sponheim Sponheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate in western Germany. History Sponheim was the capital of the County of Sponheim. Sponheim Abbey There was a Benedictine abbey which was founded in 1101 by Step ...

, Kraichgau, and Pustertal and '' Vogt'' of the

Archbishopric of Salzburg The Prince-Archbishopric of Salzburg (german: Fürsterzbistum Salzburg; Erzstift Salzburg; Erzbistum Salzburg) was an ecclesiastical principality and state of the Holy Roman Empire. It comprised the secular territory ruled by the archbishops of ...

. As a supporter of

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...

during the Investiture Controversy, he lost the county of Pustertal. In 1091, Engelbert founded the Benedictine monastery of St. Paul. He retired as a monk there in 1095 and died in 1096.

Life and work

Engelbert was the eldest son of

Siegfried I, Count of Sponheim Siegfried I (c. 1010 – 7 February 1065) is considered the progenitor of the Carinthian ducal House of Sponheim (''Spanheimer'') and all of its lateral branches, including the Counts of Lebenau and the Counts of Ortenburg. He is documented a ...

and Richardis of Lavant, heiress of Count Engelbert IV. In 1065 he followed the Zeisolf-Wolframs as a count in the Kraichgau, from 1070 he is documented as a count in the Pustertal. In the Investiture Controversy he belonged with his brothers to the party of the South Germans supporting

and, as a supporter of the Archbishop of Salzburg, Gebhard von Helfenstein, fought in the years 1085 and 1086 against the imperial appointed counter-bishop Berthold von Moosburg. In 1086 he succeeded in bringing Archbishop Gebhard back to Salzburg from exile. As a result of his position in the Investiture Controversy, Engelbert was relieved of the district of Pustertal by Emperor Henry IV in 1091, which the Emperor then gave to the Bishop Burkhard von Brixen. On 1 May 1091, Engelbert founded the Benedictine monastery of St. Paul, inhabited by monks from Hirsau and their Abbot Wezilo. This monastery became the house monastery of the Sponheimers, who continued to give it rich gifts. It is also the oldest burial sites of the House of Sponheim and their descendents are found there. In April 1095 Engelbert joined St. Paul monastery as a monk. He died there on 1 April 1096.

Descendants

Engelbert was married to Hedwig, daughter of Bernhard II of Saxony. They had: * Bernhard of Trixen (d 1147), Count of Trixen * Richarda (d around 1112), married Count Berthold I of Schwarzenburg (d.1090), secondly married Poppo II, Margrave of Istria (d. 1107), thirdly married Gebhard I, Count of Reichenhall (d. 1102) * Henry IV, Duke of Carinthia, (1122–1123), * Engelbert II (d. 1141), Margrave of Istria (1103–1134), Duke of Carinthia (1123–1135), married Uta daughter of Ulric of Passau * Siegfried II (d 1132), Count of Spanheim-Lebenau * Hartwig (d 1126), Bishop of Regensburg (1105–1126) * Diemut, married Meginhard, Count of Lurn

References

Sources

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Engelbert 01, Margrave of Istria Margraves of the Holy Roman Empire Counts of the Holy Roman Empire House of Sponheim 1096 deaths Year of birth unknown