Gunzelin III, Count of Schwerin, also known as ''Günzel III of Schwerin'', (d. after 23 October 1274) was Count of

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the capital and second-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as of the region of Mecklenburg, after Rostock. It ...

from 1228 until his death.

Life

Gunzelin III was the son of Count

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the ...

and his wife, Audacia. He inherited the County of Schwerin when his father died in 1228. As his was still a minor at the time, his mother acted as his guardian and regent. She ensured that he would hold the county of Schwerin as a feudal fief. After the

Battle of Bornhöved (1227) The (second) Battle of Bornhöved took place on 22 July 1227 near Bornhöved in Holstein. Count Adolf IV of Schauenburg and Holstein — leading an army consisting of troops from the cities of Lübeck and Hamburg, about 1000 Dithmarsians and ...

, Duke

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 ...

of Brunswick and Luneburg was held captive in Schwerin. As a condition for his release, he had to confirm Gunzelin III as the holder of the fiefs Schwerin held from Brunswick. During this period, all feudal transactions of the County were sealed by both Gunzelin and his mother. On 1 November 1246, they jointly founded Zarrentin Abbey and donated some land to it. On 30 October 1230, Gunzelin III was engaged to Princess Margaret of Mecklenburg and Lord John I, who had just come of age, was appointed co-guardian. On 21 November 1267, Gunzelin was elected patron of the

Archbishopric of Riga The Archbishopric of Riga ( la, Archiepiscopatus Rigensis, nds, Erzbisdom Riga) was an archbishopric in Medieval Livonia, a subject to the Holy See. It was established in 1186 as the bishopric of Livonia at Ikšķile, then after moving to Rig ...

. During his visit to Riga, he probably also visited the monastery at Daugavgrīva, to which he had donated some land in the village of Siggelkow in 1235. Gunzelin III died in 1274. After his death, his sons Helmold III and Niklot I divided their inheritance. His older son Helmod III received Schwerin, Neustadt and Marnitz and founded the Schwerin-Schwerin. His youngest son Niklot I received Boizenburg, Wittenburg and Crivitz and founded the Schwerin-Wittenburg line.

Marriage and issue

In 1241 in Mecklenburg, Gunzelin III married a member of the House of Nikloting - Margaret, the daughter of Henry Borwin II. Gunzelin and Margaret had six children: * Henry II * Helmold III * Gunzelin, a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

in Schwerin, and Lord of Daber and Neu-Schwerin * John (d. 1300), also a canon at Schwerin, and later Bishop of Riga * Matilda, married

Abel Abel ''Hábel''; ar, هابيل, Hābīl is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He was the younger brother of Cain, and the younger son of Adam and Eve, the first couple in Biblical history. He was a shepherd ...

, the son of King

of Denmark, and secondly John of Wittenberg * Niklot I

References

* Georg Christian Friedrich Lisch: ''Audacia, Gemahlin des Grafen Heinrich I. von Schwerin'', in: ''Jahrbücher des Vereins für Mecklenburgische Geschichte und Altertumskunde'', vol. 27, essay 6, p. 131-162, Schwerin, 1862
Online
*Wilhelm Grohmann: ''Das Kanzleiwesen der Grafen von Schwerin und der Herzöge von Mecklenburg-Schwerin im Mittelalter'', in: ''Jahrbücher des Vereins für Mecklenburgische Geschichte und Altertumskunde'', vol. 92, essay 1, p. 1-88, Schwerin, 1928
Online
* Georg Christian Friedrich Lisch: ''Die Besitzungen des Klosters Dünamünde in Meklenburg, in: ''Jahrbücher des Vereins für Mecklenburgische Geschichte und Altertumskunde'', vol. 14, p. 70-82, Schwerin, 1849

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gunzelin 03 Schwerin Counts of Schwerin House of Schwerin Rulers of Mecklenburg 13th-century births 1274 deaths