Otto III (died 28 September 1057), called the White and known as Otto of Schweinfurt, was the
margrave
Margrave was originally the Middle Ages, medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a monarchy, kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain Feudal ...
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 duchy, stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most no ...
(1048–1057). He was the son of
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 ...
, margrave of the Nordgau, and Gerberga of Henneberg. Otto was one of the most powerful East Franconian princes by inheritance: having extensive land in the Radenzgau and
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a town#Germany, city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding Schweinfurt (district), district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultur ...
(or Kelsgau) and, in 1024, he inherits his father's march. In 1034, Otto became count of the Lower
Naab
__NOTOC__
The Naab (Czech: ''Nába'') is a river in Bavaria, Germany.
This 97.5 kilometer long river is a left tributary of the Danube. Its average discharge at the mouth is .
The Naab is formed by the confluence of the Waldnaab and the Hai ...
. From then on to his appointment to Swabia, he takes part in many imperial expeditions into
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...
,
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, and
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. He was betrothed to Matilda, daughter of
Bolesław I the Brave
Bolesław I the Brave (17 June 1025), less often List of people known as the Great, known as Bolesław the Great, was Duke of Poland from 992 to 1025 and the first King of Poland in 1025. He was also Duke of Bohemia between 1003 and 1004 as Boles ...
, but the arrangement fell through.
At
Ulm
Ulm () is the sixth-largest city of the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with around 129,000 inhabitants, it is Germany's 60th-largest city.
Ulm is located on the eastern edges of the Swabian Jura mountain range, on the up ...
in January 1048, the
Emperor Henry III
Henry III (, 28 October 1016 – 5 October 1056), called the Black () or the Pious, was Holy Roman Emperor from 1046 until his death in 1056. A member of the Salian dynasty, he was the eldest son of Conrad II and Gisela of Swabia.
Henry was rais ...
appointed him duke of Swabia after a brief vacancy following the death of
Otto II
Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (), 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.
Otto II was ...
. He was loyal to Henry. He was engaged to marry Matilda, daughter of Boleslaus I of Poland, in 1035, but this was put off in favour of a marriage to Immilla, a daughter of Ulric Manfred, Margrave of
Turin
Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...
, as part of Henry's Italian plans. He was otherwise inactive and died after nine years rule and was buried in Schweinfurt.
Family
By his marriage to
Immilla of Turin
Immilla (also Emilia, Immula, Ermengard, or Irmgard) (born c. 1020; died January 1078) was a duchess consort of Swabia by marriage to Otto III, Duke of Swabia, and a margravine of Meissen by marriage to Ekbert I of Meissen. She was regent of M ...
(died 29 April 1078), he had:
*Bertha or Alberada (died 1 April 1103), married firstly Herman II, Count of Kastl, and married secondly Frederick, Count of Kastl
*Gisela, inherited
Kulmbach
Kulmbach () is the capital of the district of Kulmbach in Bavaria in Germany. The town, once a stronghold of the Principality of Bayreuth, is renowned for its University of Life Sciences, a branch of the University of Bayreuth, the massive Plasse ...
and
Plassenburg
Plassenburg is a castle in the city of Kulmbach in Bavaria. It is one of the most impressive castles in Germany and a symbol of the city. It was first mentioned in 1135. The Plassenberg family were Ministerialis, ministerial of the counts of And ...
, married Arnold IV, Count of
Andechs
Andechs is a municipality in the district of Starnberg in Bavaria in Germany. It is renowned in Germany and beyond for Andechs Abbey, a Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB ...
*Judith (died 1104), married firstly
Conrad I, Duke of Bavaria
Conrad I ( 1020 – 5 December 1055), also known as Cuno or Kuno, was the duke of Bavaria from 1049 to 1053. He was of the Ezzonen family, his parents being Liudolf, Count of Zütphen and eldest son of Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lorraine, and Mat ...
, and secondly Botho, Count of Pottenstein
*Eilika, abbess of Niedermünster
*Beatrice (1040–1140), inherited Schweinfurt, married Henry II, Count of
Hildrizhausen
Hildrizhausen is a municipality in the district of Böblingen in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.
Geography
Hildrizhausen, with its 3,615 inhabitants, is located on a clearing of the Schönbuch and about 9 kilometres south of Böblingen. In Hildri ...