Guntram the Rich (, ,; 920 – 26 March 973) was a count in Breisgau, member of the noble family of the

Etichonids The Etichonids were an important noble family, probably of Franks, Frankish-Burgundians, Burgundian origin, who ruled the Duchy of Alsace in the Early Middle Ages (7th–10th centuries). The dynasty is named for Adalrich, Duke of Alsace, Eticho ( ...

, and possibly the progenitor of the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful Dynasty, dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout ...

History

A member of the Eberhard branch of the

noble family, one of the most influential families on both sides of

Upper Rhine Upper Rhine ( ; ; kilometres 167 to 529 of the Rhine) is the section of the Rhine between the Middle Bridge, Basel, Middle Bridge in Basel, Switzerland, and the Rhine knee in Bingen am Rhein, Bingen, Germany. It is surrounded by the Upper Rhine P ...

, Guntram possessed lands in

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

and in Breisgau, from Vogesen to Kaiserstuhl and the

Black Forest The Black Forest ( ) is a large forested mountain range in the States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is th ...

.''Lexikon des Mittelalters''. Volume IV, p. 1795.Trillmich 1991, p. 118 Many of Guntram's possessions had been given to him by the king. In August 952 Guntram the Rich was convicted of treachery during an Imperial Diet in

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

, which resulted in King

Otto the Great Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), known as Otto the Great ( ) or Otto of Saxony ( ), was East Frankish ( German) king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the eldest son of Henry the Fowler and Matilda ...

removing these lands from him. Guntram was however able to keep his possessions in Alsace, Breisgau, and near Aare and Reuß. The political influence of Guntram's family was restored by his grandsons. One of them, Radbot, a count in Klettgau, founded the Muri Abbey, which became the first burial place of members of the House of Habsburg. It is possible that Radbot founded the castle Habichtsburg, the residence of the

, but another possible founder is Werner I. The chronology of the Muri Abbey, written in the 11th century, states that ''Guntramnus Dives'' (Guntram the Rich) was the progenitor of the

.Heimann 2001, p. 22 Many historians believe this indeed makes Guntram the progenitor of the

; however, much about him and the origins of the Habsburgs is uncertain.

Family

Guntram had the following issue: * Lanzelin of Klettgau. His son was: ** Radbot, Count of Habsburg. **Rudolf of Altenburg, buried Ottmarsheim abbey

References

Sources

* * * * {{Authority control House of Habsburg Year of birth uncertain 920s births 973 deaths Medieval nobility of the Holy Roman Empire 10th-century German nobility 10th-century counts in Europe Alsatian nobility