Sophie of Landsberg
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Sophie of Landsberg ( pl, Sophie z Landsberg, german: Sophie von Landsberg) (ca. 1259 – 24 August 1318) was a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
princess member of the
House of Wettin The House of Wettin () is a dynasty of German kings, prince-electors, dukes, and counts that once ruled territories in the present-day German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe, and its ori ...
and by marriage Duchess of Glogów. She was the eldest child and eldest daughter of Dietrich the Wise,
Margrave Margrave was originally the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or of a kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain feudal families in the Emp ...
of Landsberg, by his wife Helena, daughter of
John I, Margrave of Brandenburg John I, Margrave of Brandenburg ( – 4 April 1266) was from 1220 until his death Margrave of Brandenburg, jointly with his brother Otto III "the Pious". The reign of these two Ascanian Margraves was characterized by an expansion of the Mar ...
.


Life

On 24 October 1266 was issued in
Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...
by Duke Louis II of Upper Bavaria a settlement, under which he pledged several possessions on behalf of his ward and nephew
Conradin Conrad III (25 March 1252 – 29 October 1268), called ''the Younger'' or ''the Boy'', but usually known by the diminutive Conradin (german: link=no, Konradin, it, Corradino), was the last direct heir of the House of Hohenstaufen. He was Duke ...
, King of
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
and
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. This action was made in order to pay the expenses incurred in connection of the marriage celebrated between Conradin and Sophie, who took place by the end of October and early September of that year, possibly in the city of
Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...
or
Nürnberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ci ...
. The union was celebrated by proxy (''desponsatio per procuratinem''), because the fourteen-years-old King was absent at that moment. In his place, Duke Louis II stood as groom and signed the marriage contract. Conradin never saw his bride: soon after the marriage, he departed with his friend
Frederick I, Margrave of Baden Frederick I of Baden (1249 – October 29, 1268), a member of the House of Zähringen, was Margrave of Baden and of Verona, as well as claimant Duke of Austria from 1250 until his death.Regesten der Markgrafen von Baden und Hachberg, 1050-1515. I ...
to
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
with the purpose to recover his rights over Frederick II's inheritance, and two years later, on 29 October 1268, the last legitimate male member of the
House of Hohenstaufen The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynasty ...
was beheaded in the Piazza del Mercato of
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. Life in the Berge Welmisheim court
/ref> The validity of Conradin and Sophie's marriage is still disputed by historians. According to some of them, the contract signed by Louis II was only a betrothal and not truly a marriage ceremony, because Sophie was still a child at that time (she was almost seven-years-old) and Conradin never saw her; this is supported by the fact that the chronicler
Bartholomaeus of Neocastro Bartholomew of Neocastro ( 1240 – after 1293) was an Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian K ...
found a message of Conradin to Giovanni Frangipani, in whose castle he refuged after the
Battle of Tagliacozzo The Battle of Tagliacozzo was fought on 23 August 1268 between the Ghibelline supporters of Conradin of Hohenstaufen and the Guelph army of Charles of Anjou. The battle represented the last act of Hohenstaufen power in Italy. The capture and ex ...
, in which he promised to marry with his daughter in exchange for his help against
Charles I of Anjou Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou, was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the Capetian House of Anjou, second House of Anjou. He was Count of Provence (1246–85) and County of Fo ...
. However, other historians support the idea that Sophie and Conradin were, in fact, legally married, because the contract signed by Louis II was clearly a marriage by proxy with all the legal obligations. In 1271, the twelve-years-old Sophie married with Konrad I, Duke of Glogów, an almost forty-years-old widower. They had no children. After Konrad I's death in 1274, Sophie returned to her homeland and became a nun in the monastery of St. Clara in Weissenfels, where she later was elected Abbess. Sophie held this post until her death.


References

{{Authority control 1250s births 1318 deaths House of Wettin