Theda Ukena (1432 in Oldersum – 16 November 1494 in

Greetsiel Greetsiel is a small port on the bight of Leybucht in western East Frisia, Germany that was first documented in letters from the year 1388. Since 1972, Greetsiel has been part of the municipality of Krummhörn, which has its administrative seat in ...

) was from 1466 to about 1480 regent of the County of

East Frisia East Frisia or East Friesland (german: Ostfriesland; ; stq, Aastfräislound) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia ...

. Theda was the granddaughter and heiress of the

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

Focko Ukena Focko Ukena ( Neermoor, 1360 or 1370 – 1435) was an East Frisian chieftain (''hovetling'') who played an important part in the struggle between the Vetkopers and Schieringers in the provinces of Groningen and Friesland. Aside from this he ...

(died 1436) and was born in 1432 in Oldersum as the daughter of

Uko Fockena Uko Fockena (also known as: "Uko of Oldersum"; , Oldersum (uncertain) – 13 June 1432 near Suurhusen) was an East Frisian chieftain of Moormerland and Emsigerland. Life Uko was one of the sons of the East Frisian chieftain Focko Ukena ( ...

and Heba Attena of Dornum. She was probably named after her grandmother Theda of Reide, the first wife of Focko Ukena. Her father was assassinated in June 1432. In 1455 she was second wife of Ulrich I

Cirksena The House of Cirksena () was the name of the ruling family of Ostfriesland. They descended from a line of East Frisian chieftains from Greetsiel. East Frisia In 1439, in the wake of clashes between different lines of chieftains, the town of Em ...

, who had been Count of East Frisia since 1454. Between 1457 and 1465, they had six children: Heba, Gela, Enno I, Edzard I ''the Great'', Ucko and Almuth. Theda brought, among other claims, Oldersum into the marriage, which considerably weakened the ruling chief Wiard of Oldersum. After Ulrich's death in 1466 she took over the official business of the house

. She was assisted by the chief

Sibet Attena Sibet Attena (also: la, Sibo; – 8 November 1473) was an East Frisian chieftain. He was a son of Sibet of Dornum (''"old Sibet"'') (d. 1433) and Frouwa of Manslagt, a daughter of Enno Cirksena. From his father he inherited the Beninga Ca ...

. She ruled until about 1480, when her sons Enno I and Edzard I came of age. Theda died on 16 November 1494 in

References and sources

* Walter Deete
Theda
in: ''Biographisches Lexikon für Ostfriesland'' * (Family Cirksena Article) * (mention) * East Frisia 1432 births 1494 deaths Theda 15th-century women rulers Theda Theda 15th-century German women 15th-century German people {{EastFrisia-stub