Richardis of Bavaria (1173 – 7 December 1231) was a German noblewoman. She was a daughter of
Count Palatine
A count palatine (Latin ''comes palatinus''), also count of the palace or palsgrave (from German ''Pfalzgraf''), was originally an official attached to a royal or imperial palace or household and later a nobleman of a rank above that of an or ...
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 Bavaria, who later became the first
Wittelsbach
The House of Wittelsbach () is a German dynasty, with branches that have ruled over territories including Bavaria, the Palatinate, Holland and Zeeland, Sweden (with Finland), Denmark, Norway, Hungary (with Romania), Bohemia, the Electorate ...
''Duke'' of Bavaria, and his wife
Agnes of Loon.
Richardis married
Otto I of Guelders
Otto I of Guelders (1150–1207) was a Count of Guelders and Zutphen from 1182 until his death in 1207. He was a son of Duke Hendrik of Guelders and Agnes of Arnstein. He married Richardis of Bavaria in 1184. Richardis was a daughter of Otto I W ...
, and after his death became the first abbess of the
Cistercian Abbey of Roermond. She died in 1231 and was buried in the
Church of Our Lady, today the only surviving part of the abbey.
Life
Richardis was an influential person in Gelderland politics. Her family carried the same lion in their coat of arms as the
counts of Guelders
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the rea ...
. In 1186, she married
Otto I, Count of Guelders
Otto I of Guelders (1150–1207) was a Count of Guelders and Zutphen from 1182 until his death in 1207. He was a son of Duke Hendrik of Guelders and Agnes of Arnstein. He married Richardis of Bavaria in 1184. Richardis was a daughter of Otto I W ...
. They had many children together, including three sons, as specified by the ''Genealogia Ottonis II Ducis Bavariæ''.
Their known children are: Henry, who died young, shortly after his engagement to Aleidis (born ),
daughter of
Dirk VII of Holland
Dirk VII (died 4 November 1203, in Dordrecht) was the count of Holland from 1190 to 1203. He was the elder son of Floris III and Ada of Huntingdon.
Life
Due to a civil war in the Holy Roman Empire, Emperor Henry VI had to find ways to make fri ...
;
Gerard, the
Count of Guelders
This article is about the rulers of the historical county and duchy of Guelders.
Counts House of Wassenberg
* before 1096–about 1129: Gerard I
* about 1129–about 1131: Gerard II, son of Gerard I
* about 1131–1182: Henry I, son of Gerar ...
and
Zutphen
Zutphen () is a city and municipality located in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands. It lies some 30 km northeast of Arnhem, on the eastern bank of the river Ijssel at the point where it is joined by the Berkel. First mentioned in th ...
;
Otto
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', '' Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The name is recorded f ...
, who is recorded as Otto I's brother in one document and was
Provost of
Xanten
Xanten (, Low Rhenish: ''Santen'') is a town in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the district of Wesel.
Xanten is known for the Archaeological Park, one of the largest archaeological open air museums in the wo ...
before becoming
Bishop of Utrecht at a very young age;
Irmgard, Margaret,
Matilda
Matilda or Mathilda may refer to:
Animals
* Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder
* Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse
* Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...
, and
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, who married
William I of Holland
William I (c. 1167 – 4 February 1222) was count of Holland from 1203 to 1222. He was the younger son of Floris III and Ada of Huntingdon.
Early life
William was born in The Hague, but raised in Scotland. He participated in the Third Cru ...
. Another son, Ludwig, is mentioned in two documents.
Richardis was deeply religious. After Otto I died in 1207, she had a house built on the Elberg near the hermitage near
Doetinchem
Doetinchem (; Low Saxon: ) is a city and municipality in the east of the Netherlands. It is situated along the Oude IJssel (Old IJssel) river in a part of the province of Gelderland called the Achterhoek. The municipality had a population of in ...
, where she stayed from time to time. There she devoted herself to God and supported the monastic community.
![Munsterkerk Munsterplein Roermond Nederland-01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Munsterkerk_Munsterplein_Roermond_Nederland-01.JPG)
The Gelderland counts had close ties with the
Cistercian order
The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Sain ...
, in particular with the
Kamp Abbey
Kamp Abbey (Kloster Kamp), also known as Altenkamp Abbey or Alt(en)feld Abbey (and in English formerly Camp Abbey) was the first Cistercian monastery founded in German territory, in the present town of Kamp-Lintfort in North Rhine-Westphalia.
H ...
. Together with her husband, Richardis was a member of the Altenberg Abbey prayer community. At the end of the 12th century, Otto I had a plan to found a Cistercian monastery himself, but had not implemented it. Ten years after her husband's death, Richardis wanted to join this order. Because Guelders did not have a Cistercian monastery, in 1218 her son Count Gerard III founded in
Roermond
Roermond (; li, Remunj or ) is a city, municipality, and diocese in the Limburg province of the Netherlands. Roermond is a historically important town on the lower Roer on the east bank of the river Meuse. It received town rights in 1231. Ro ...
the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwenmunster, the
Cistercian Abbey of Roermond, of which today only the
Munsterkerk
The Munsterkerk (''Munster'') is a 13th-century church dedicated to Our Lady in the Dutch town of Roermond. Its remarkable front towers are 55 meter in height.
The Munsterkerk is one of the most important examples of Late Romanesque architectur ...
survives. Richardis became the first abbess of this women's abbey. The abbot of Kamp Abbey was appointed as a
visitator.
In 1228 she founded the monastery Mariënhorst near
Deventer. Richardis survived her son Gerard III Count of Guelders who died in 1229. Her grandson Otto II Count of Guelders and Zutphen granted
Harderwijk
Harderwijk (; Dutch Low Saxon: ) is a municipality and city of the Netherlands.
It is served by the Harderwijk railway station.
Its population centres are Harderwijk and Hierden.
Harderwijk is on the western boundary of the Veluwe. The south ...
city rights in 1231. These rights were probably transferred from the Roermond rights on behalf of Richardis.
She died in Roermond on 21 September 1231, and was buried in the
Church of Our Lady.
Marriage and children
In 1186, she married
Otto I, Count of Guelders
Otto I of Guelders (1150–1207) was a Count of Guelders and Zutphen from 1182 until his death in 1207. He was a son of Duke Hendrik of Guelders and Agnes of Arnstein. He married Richardis of Bavaria in 1184. Richardis was a daughter of Otto I W ...
. Together, they had the following children:
* Henry of Guelders (d. 1198). He was betrothed in 1197 to Aleidis, a daughter of
Dirk VII, Count of Holland. However, he died in 1198 before the wedding could take place.
*
Gerard III (1185–1229).
*
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
(d. 1218), married
William I, Count of Holland
William I (c. 1167 – 4 February 1222) was count of Holland from 1203 to 1222. He was the younger son of Floris III and Ada of Huntingdon.
Early life
William was born in The Hague, but raised in Scotland. He participated in the Third Crus ...
.
[ Johannes de Beke ''Chronologia'' 61, p. 141.]
*
Otto
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', '' Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The name is recorded f ...
(1193–1213), was
Bishop of Utrecht as Otto I.
* Irmgard, married
Adolph, Count of Altena and Mark, son of
Frederick I, Count of Berg-Altena
Frederick I () (1173–1198) was a count of Berg-Altena, the later County of Mark.
Frederick was the son of Eberhard I, Count of Berg-Altena, and inherited the south-eastern territory of Altena. He married Alveradis von Krieckenbeck-Millendonk, ...
and his wife Alveradis.
* Margaret, married Lothar III, Count of Hochstadt.
*
Matilda
Matilda or Mathilda may refer to:
Animals
* Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder
* Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse
* Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...
, married
Henry II, Count of Nassau
Henry II "the Rich" of Nassau, german: Heinrich II. "der Reiche" von Nassau (Cawley.Dek (1970). – 26 April 1247/48/49/50, before 25 January 1251) was Count of Nassau. He distinguished himself in particular by his chivalrous and devout spirit. H ...
.
Ancestry
References
{{Authority control
11th-century births
Year of birth unknown
1231 deaths
House of Wittelsbach
German countesses
12th-century German nobility
People from Kelheim
12th-century German women
11th-century German nobility
11th-century German women
Bavarian nobility