Leopold I (also ''Luitpold''; 940 – 10 July 994), known as the Illustrious (german: der Erlauchte), a member of the
House of Babenberg
The House of Babenberg was a noble dynasty of Austrian Dukes and Margraves. Originally from Bamberg in the Duchy of Franconia (present-day Bavaria), the Babenbergs ruled the imperial Margraviate of Austria from its creation in 976 AD until its e ...
, was
Margrave of Austria
This is a list of people who have ruled either the Margraviate of Austria, the Duchy of Austria or the Archduchy of Austria. From 976 until 1246, the margraviate and its successor, the duchy, was ruled by the House of Babenberg. At that time, thos ...
from 976 until his death.
[Lingelbach 1913, p. 89.] He was the first margrave of the Babenberg dynasty which ruled the
March
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...
and
Duchy of Austria
The Duchy of Austria (german: Herzogtum Österreich) was a medieval principality of the Holy Roman Empire, established in 1156 by the ''Privilegium Minus'', when the Margraviate of Austria (''Ostarrîchi'') was detached from Bavaria and elevated ...
until its extinction in 1246.
Biography
The origins of Leopold the Illustrious are not known. According to some sources, his father Berthold was count in the
Nordgau The Nordgau (from the Germanic for "northern region") can refer to two distinct areas:
* Nordgau (Alsace), the Alsatian Nordgau, the medieval County of Nordgau, the northern part of Alsace
* Margraviate of the Nordgau, the Bavarian Nordgau in the a ...
, the region north of Ratisbon (
Regensburg
Regensburg or is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the Danube, Naab and Regen rivers. It is capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the state in the south of Germany. With more than 150,000 inhabitants, Regensburg is the f ...
) in the
Duchy of Bavaria
The Duchy of Bavaria (German: ''Herzogtum Bayern'') was a frontier region in the southeastern part of the Merovingian kingdom from the sixth through the eighth century. It was settled by Bavarian tribes and ruled by dukes (''duces'') under Fr ...
.
A more recent theory identifies Leopold as a younger son of Duke
Arnulf of Bavaria
Arnulf II (birth unknown; died 14 July 937), also known as the Bad (german: der Schlimme), the Evil (''der Böse'') or the Wicked, a member of the Luitpoldings, Luitpolding dynasty, held the title of Duke of Bavaria from about 907 until his dea ...
[Wegener 1965, p. 77.] and brother (or nephew) of Count
Berthold of Schweinfurt
Berthold of Schweinfurt (died 15 January 980) was a German nobleman.
Life
He was first mentioned as a Count in 941. In 960, he was mentioned as Count in the Radenzgau. In 961, he appears as count on the lower Raab and in 973 as count in the Vo ...
. While his ancestry remains disputed, some affiliation with the ducal
Luitpoldings
The Luitpoldings were a medieval dynasty which ruled the German stem duchy of Bavaria from some time in the late ninth century off and on until 985.
Origins
The descent of the East Frankish Luitpoldings has not been conclusively established. The ...
dynasty is probable.
![Karte Herzogtum Bayern im 10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Karte_Herzogtum_Bayern_im_10._Jahrhundert.png)
Leopold is first mentioned in a document issued by Emperor
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 Francia, East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the olde ...
on 13 February 962 as ''Liupo'', count of the Bavarian ''Donaugau'' region near Ratisbon,
[Pohl 1995, p. 12.] count of the ''Traungau'' region,
and a faithful follower of the emperor.
[Brooke 1938, p. 52.] After Otto I had defeated the
Magyars
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Uralic ...
in the 955
Battle of Lechfeld
The Battle of Lechfeld was a series of military engagements over the course of three days from 10–12 August 955 in which the Kingdom of Germany, led by King Otto I the Great, annihilated the Hungarian army led by '' Harka '' Bulcsú and the ch ...
, he re-established the Bavarian ''Marcha orientalis'' (Eastern
March
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of Marc ...
) in the conquered territories, placing them under the command of Margrave
Burkhard,
a brother-in-law of Duchess
Judith, consort of Duke
Henry II 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 Carinthi ...
. When Burkhard joined the uprising of Duke Henry II ("the Wrangler") against Emperor
Otto II
Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (''der Rote''), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy. ...
, he was deposed at the
Imperial Diet of Ratisbon in 976. According to a charter dated 21 July 976, loyal Leopold was appointed margrave of the ''Marcha orientalis'', the core territory of the later
Archduchy of Austria
The Archduchy of Austria (german: Erzherzogtum Österreich) was a major Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, principality of the Holy Roman Empire and the nucleus of the Habsburg monarchy. With its capital at Vienna, the archduchy was centered at th ...
.
[Leeper 1940, p. 153.]
The resettlement of the east was a slow process that centered from the fortress of
Pöchlarn
Pöchlarn ( bar, Böchlarn) is a town in the district of Melk in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. The painter and writer Oskar Kokoschka was born here in 1886.
Population
Personalities
* Rüdiger von Bechelaren
* Oskar Kokoschka, painte ...
down the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
river. Leopold's margraviate originally coincided with the present-day
Wachau
The Wachau () is an Austrian valley with a picturesque landscape formed by the Danube river. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations of Lower Austria, located midway between the towns of Melk and Krems that also attracts "connoiss ...
valley, and whose eastern boundary was the
Traisen river near
Sankt Pölten
Sankt Pölten (; Central Bavarian: ''St. Pödn''), mostly abbreviated to the official name St. Pölten, is the capital and largest city of the State of Lower Austria in northeast Austria, with 55,538 inhabitants as of 1 January 2020. St. Pölten ...
east of
Krems.
[Leeper 1940, p. 158.] With the Magyar threat largely reduced following their defeat in 955, Leopold focused on securing his holdings from internal threats and dissensions.
In 984, he engaged in the reduction of the fortress at
Melk
Melk (; older spelling: ) is a city of Austria, in the federal state of Lower Austria, next to the Wachau valley along the Danube. Melk has a population of 5,257 (as of 2012). It is best known as the site of a massive baroque Benedictine monastery ...
, which was still controlled by supporters of the late margrave.
Once Melk was secured, Leopold most likely used it as his residence,
founding a monastery there for twelve
secular priests.
By 987, Leopold extended the boundary of his margraviate to the east as far as the
Wienerwald mountain range
[Leeper 1940, p. 159.] and by 991, jointly with reinstated Duke Henry II of Bavaria, further down to the
Fischa
The Fischa () is a river of Lower Austria. It is a right tributary of the Danube near the town Fischamend. Its drainage basin is .
References
Rivers of Lower Austria
Rivers of Austria
{{LowerAustria-geo-stub ...
river.
In 994, Leopold travelled to
Würzburg
Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the ''Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River.
Würzburg is ...
to mediate a dispute between his cousin Margrave
Henry of Schweinfurt
Henry of Schweinfurt (''de Suinvorde''; – 18 September 1017) was the Margrave of the Nordgau from 994 until 1004. He was called the "glory of eastern Franconia" by his own cousin, the chronicler Thietmar of Merseburg.
Henry was the son of ...
and the Würzburg bishop Bernward von Rothenburg, one of whose knights Henry had seized and blinded.
[Leeper 1940, p. 164.][Lechner 1976, p. 54.] At a tournament held on 8 July, Leopold was hit in the eye by an arrow directed at his cousin. Two days later, on 10 July 994, he died from his injuries.
[Thietmar 2001, pp. 166–167.] He was buried in Würzburg.
In 1015, his son Duke
Ernest I of Swabia, was buried next to his father.
In the thirteenth century, their remains were returned to Melk Abbey.
Historiography
Leopold ruled over the re-established ''Marcha orientalis'' for eighteen years. He organized and expanded it with great ability, and left behind a margravate that had assumed the character of "an ordered and civilized land".
The chronicler Thietmar wrote that no man was wiser that he in all his actions, or of a worthier nature.
[Thietmar 2001, p. 21.] Perhaps the highest testimony to Leopold's life and reputation came from the actions of Emperor
Otto III
Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was Holy Roman Emperor from 996 until his death in 1002. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto III was the only son of the Emperor Otto II and his wife Theophanu.
Otto III was crowned as King of ...
, who immediately invested his son
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 ...
with his father's margravate.
Although Leopold is not mentioned in the ''Babenberger Chronicle'' written by his descendant
Otto of Freising
Otto of Freising ( la, Otto Frisingensis; c. 1114 – 22 September 1158) was a German churchman of the Cistercian order and chronicled at least two texts which carries valuable information on the political history of his own time. He was Otto I ...
—which only starts with Leopold's grandson
Adalbert
Adalbert is a German given name which means "noble bright" or "noble shining", derived from the words ''adal'' (meaning noble) and ''berht'' (shining or bright). Alternative spellings include Adelbart, Adelbert and Adalberto. Derivative names inclu ...
—he is known today as the progenitor of the Babenberg dynasty. Otto of Freising's claim of ancestry to the Franconian Babenbergs, who are remembered for the Babenberger insurgency of the early tenth century, has not been proven, but cannot be completely ruled out.
In 1976, the millennial anniversary of Leopold's appointment as margrave was celebrated as a "Thousand Years of Austria". Celebrations under the same title were held twenty years later at the anniversary of the famous 996 ''Ostarrîchi'' document first mentioning the Old German
name of Austria
The German name of Austria, , derives from the Old High German word "eastern realm", recorded in the so-called '' Document'' of 996, applied to the Margraviate of Austria, a march, or borderland, of the Duchy of Bavaria created in 976.
The name ...
.
Marriage
![Markgraefin Richwardis (Rikchard) Gemahlin Leopolds I](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Markgraefin_Richwardis_%28Rikchard%29_Gemahlin_Leopolds_I..PNG)
Leopold married
Richardis
Saint Richardis ( la, Richgardis, Richardis), also known as Richgard, Richardis of Swabia and Richarde de Souabe in French ( 840 – 18 September, between 894 and 896 AD), was the Holy Roman Empress as the wife of Charles the Fat. She was re ...
, the daughter of Count Ernest IV of Sualafeldgau (according to other sources of the
Ezzonid
The Ezzonids (, ) were a dynasty of Lotharingian stock dating back as far as the ninth century. They attained prominence only in the eleventh century, through marriage with the Ottonian dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors. Named after Ezzo, Count P ...
count
Erenfried II) and probably the aunt of Duke
Adalbero of Carinthia.
[Lechner 1976, p. 45.] Their marriage produced eight children:
#
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 ...
(died 1018), second Margrave of Austria
# Judith
#
Ernest I (died 1015),
Duke of Swabia
The Dukes of Swabia were the rulers of the Duchy of Swabia during the Middle Ages. Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family ...
#
Adalbert
Adalbert is a German given name which means "noble bright" or "noble shining", derived from the words ''adal'' (meaning noble) and ''berht'' (shining or bright). Alternative spellings include Adelbart, Adelbert and Adalberto. Derivative names inclu ...
(985–1055), third Margrave of Austria
#
Poppo (986–1047), Archbishop of
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
# Kunigunda
# Hemma, married Count Rapoto of
Dießen
# Christina, a nun at
Trier
Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...
References
;Citations
;Bibliography
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External links
Leopold I. Liutpold, Babenberger-Markgrafa
AEIOU
{{Authority control
940s births
994 deaths
10th-century margraves of Austria
Austrian people of German descent
Year of birth unknown