Leopold I of Austria (Babenberg)
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Leopold I (also ''Luitpold''; 940 – 10 July 994), known as the Illustrious (german: der Erlauchte), a member of the House of Babenberg, was Margrave of Austria from 976 until his death.Lingelbach 1913, p. 89. He was the first margrave of the Babenberg dynasty which ruled the March 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. 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. While his ancestry remains disputed, some affiliation with the ducal Luitpoldings dynasty is probable. Leopold is first mentioned in a document issued by Emperor Otto I 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, he re-established the Bavarian ''Marcha orientalis'' (Eastern March) 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, 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 river. Leopold's margraviate originally coincided with the present-day Wachau 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, 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 In Christianity, the term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or otherwise members of religious life. A secular priest (sometimes known as a diocesan priest) is a priest who commits themselves to a certain geogra ...
. By 987, Leopold extended the boundary of his margraviate to the east as far as the Wienerwald mountain rangeLeeper 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 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 with his father's margravate. Although Leopold is not mentioned in the ''Babenberger Chronicle'' written by his descendant Otto of Freising—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.


Marriage

Leopold married Richardis, the daughter of Count Ernest IV of Sualafeldgau (according to other sources of the Ezzonid count
Erenfried II Erenfried II (died ) was a Lotharingian nobleman, from the area of Bonn in what is now Germany. According to one proposal, he was a son of Eberhard I, Count of Bonngau and Zülpichgau. He could otherwise be the same as Ehrenfrid, son of Ricfrid ...
) and probably the aunt of Duke Adalbero of Carinthia.Lechner 1976, p. 45. Their marriage produced eight children: # Henry I (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 Poppo can mean: * Bubo, Duke of the Frisians, also spelled Poppo (674–734), a king of Friesland * Poppo of Grapfeld (died 839/41), an early ninth-century ancestor of the Babenbergs * Poppo, Duke of Thuringia (died after 906), a margrave * Pop ...
(986–1047), Archbishop of Trier # Kunigunda # Hemma, married Count Rapoto of Dießen # Christina, a nun at Trier


References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Leopold I. Liutpold, Babenberger-Markgraf
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{{Authority control 940s births 994 deaths 10th-century margraves of Austria Austrian people of German descent Year of birth unknown