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Ottokar IV Of Styria
Ottokar IV (19 August 1163 – 8 May 1192), a member of the Otakar dynasty, was Margrave of Styria from 1164 and Duke from 1180, when Styria, previously a margraviate subordinated to the stem duchy of Bavaria, was raised to the status of an independent duchy. Biography He was the only son of Margrave Ottokar III of Styria (1124–1164) and his wife Kunigunde (d. 1184), a daughter of the Bavarian margrave Diepold III of Vohburg and sister-in-law of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. His father bequested him extended estates stretching from the Danube down the Mur river to the March of Carniola. By the mid 12th century, the Otakars moved their residence from Steyr to the Castle Hill (''Schlossberg'') in Graz. A minor upon his father's death on a crusade in 1164, Ottokar IV was raised under the tutelage of his mother Kunigunde and Styrian '' ministeriales''. The young margrave entered into several conflicts with the neighbouring Babenberg dukes of Austria and also with the Sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duchy Of Styria
The Duchy of Styria (german: Herzogtum Steiermark; sl, Vojvodina Štajerska; hu, Stájer Hercegség) was a duchy located in modern-day southern Austria and northern Slovenia. It was a part of the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806 and a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary until its dissolution in 1918. History It was created by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1180 when he raised the March of Styria to a duchy of equal rank with neighbouring Carinthia and Bavaria, after the fall of the Bavarian duke Henry the Lion earlier that year. Margrave Ottokar IV thereby became the first Duke of Styria and also the last of the ancient Otakar dynasty. As Ottokar had no issue, he in 1186 signed the Georgenberg Pact with the mighty House of Babenberg, rulers of Austria since 976, after which both duchies should in perpetuity be ruled in personal union. Upon his death in 1192, Styria as stipulated fell to the Babenberg duke Leopold V of Austria. The Austrian Bab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schloßberg (Graz)
The Schlossberg ( en, Castle Hill), at above sea level, is a tree-clad hill, and the site of a fortress, in the centre of the city of Graz, Austria. The hill is now a public park and enjoys extensive views of the city. It is the site of several entertainment venues, cafés and restaurants, and is managed by Holding Graz, the city owned utility company. History The fortification of the Schlossberg goes back to at least the 10th century. In the mid-16th century, a long fortress was constructed by architects from the north of Italy. There are records of a cable-hauled lift being in use between 1528 and 1595 to move construction materials for the fortifications. The castle was never conquered, but it was largely demolished by Napoleonic forces under the Treaty of Schönbrunn of 1809. The clock tower (the ''Uhrturm'') and bell tower (the ''Glockenturm'') were spared after the people of Graz paid a ransom for their preservation. The remains of the castle were turned into a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Herzog
''Herzog'' (female ''Herzogin'') is a German hereditary title held by one who rules a territorial duchy, exercises feudal authority over an estate called a duchy, or possesses a right by law or tradition to be referred to by the ducal title. The word is usually translated by the English ''duke'' and the Latin ''dux''. Generally, a ''Herzog'' ranks below a king and above a count. Pine, L.G. Titles: How the King became His Majesty. ''Titles in Western Europe.''Barnes & Noble, Inc. 1992, pp. 70-73. . Whether the title is deemed higher or lower than titles translated into English as "prince" ('' Fürst'') has depended upon the language, country and era in which the titles coexisted. History ''Herzog'' is not related to '' Herz'' ('heart'), but is derived from German(ic) He(e)r (English: 'army') and zog (ziehen) (English: 'to move' or 'to pull', also: ''in die Schlacht ziehen'' – "to go into battle", related to the modern English verb '' to tug''), a military leader (compare ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry The Lion
Henry the Lion (german: Heinrich der Löwe; 1129/1131 – 6 August 1195) was a member of the Welf dynasty who ruled as the duke of Saxony and Bavaria from 1142 and 1156, respectively, until 1180. Henry was one of the most powerful German princes of his time, until the rival Hohenstaufen dynasty succeeded in isolating him and eventually deprived him of his duchies of Bavaria and Saxony during the reign of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and of Frederick's son and successor Henry VI. At the height of his reign, Henry ruled over a vast territory stretching from the coast of the North and Baltic Seas to the Alps, and from Westphalia to Pomerania. Henry achieved this great power in part by his political and military acumen and in part through the legacies of his four grandparents. Family background Born in Ravensburg, in 1129 or 1131, he was the son of Henry the Proud, duke of Bavaria and Saxony, who was the heir of the Billungs, former dukes of Saxony. Henry's mother w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gelnhausen
Gelnhausen () is a town, and the capital of the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located approximately 40 kilometers east of Frankfurt am Main, between the Vogelsberg mountains and the Spessart range at the river Kinzig. It is one of the eleven towns (urban municipalities) in the district. Gelnhausen has around 22,000 inhabitants. Geography Location According to the '' Institut Géographique National'' from 1 January 2007 until July 2013 the geographic centre of the European Union was located on a wheat field outside the town. Gelnhausen is located on the German Fairy Tale Route, a tourist route. History Gelnhausen was founded by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1170, it is therefore nicknamed " Barbarossastadt". The place was chosen because it was at the intersection of the Via Regia imperial road between Frankfurt and Leipzig and several other major trade routes. Frederick had three villages connected by streets and surrounded by a wall. At the same time ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet ( la, Dieta Imperii Comitium Imperiale; german: Reichstag) was the deliberative body of the Holy Roman Empire. It was not a legislative body in the contemporary sense; its members envisioned it more like a central forum where it was more important to negotiate than to decide. Its members were the Imperial Estates, divided into three colleges. The diet as a permanent, regularized institution evolved from the '' Hoftage'' (court assemblies) of the Middle Ages. From 1663 until the end of the empire in 1806, it was in permanent session at Regensburg. All Imperial Estates enjoyed immediacy and, therefore, they had no authority above them besides the Holy Roman Emperor himself. While all the estates were entitled to a seat and vote, only the higher temporal and spiritual princes of the College of Princes enjoyed an individual vote (''Virilstimme''), while lesser estates such as imperial counts and imperial abbots, were merely entitled to a collective vote (''Kuri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fürstenfeld
Fürstenfeld (; hu, Fölöstöm) is a town and a district in southeastern Austria. It is situated within the Austrian federal state of Styria, near the border of Hungary. According to the 2005 census, Fürstenfeld has 5,986 citizens within its communal area, the larger urban area of Fürstenfeld includes approximately 20% more citizens. It was the centre of an eponymous district until the end of 2012, when it was merged with Hartberg to form Hartberg-Fürstenfeld District. Fürstenfeld was founded around 1170 as a fortress and received its town charter in 1215. Today it is known for its schools, middle-sized industry, and vicinity to several thermal spas ( Loipersdorf, Bad Blumau, Stegersbach). Geography Fürstenfeld is located in the lower valley near the Burgenland border. Elevation of the urban area ranges from 255m to approximately 300 m ü. A. The city`s central part sits on a river terrace two dozen meters above the valley floor. History First human traces in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kingdom Of Hungary (1000–1301)
The Kingdom of Hungary ( la, Regnum Hungariae, hu, Magyar Királyság) came into existence in Central Europe when Stephen I, Grand Prince of the Hungarians, was crowned king in 1000 or 1001. He reinforced central authority and forced his subjects to accept Christianity. Although all written sources emphasize only the role played by German and Italian knights and clerics in the process, a significant part of the Hungarian vocabulary for agriculture, religion, and state matters was taken from Slavic languages. Civil wars and pagan uprisings, along with attempts by the Holy Roman emperors to expand their authority over Hungary, jeopardized the new monarchy. The monarchy stabilized during the reigns of Ladislaus I (1077–1095) and Coloman (1095–1116). These rulers occupied Croatia and Dalmatia with the support of a part of the local population. Both realms retained their autonomous position. The successors of Ladislaus and Coloman—especially Béla II (1131–1141), Béla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 until the twelfth century, the Empire was the most powerful monarchy in Europe. Andrew Holt characterizes it as "perhaps the most powerful European state of the Middle Ages". The functioning of government depended on the harmonic cooperation (dubbed ''consensual rulership'' by Bernd Schneidmüller) between monarch and vassals but this harmony was disturbed during the Salian period. The empire reached the apex of territorial expansion and power under the House of Hohenstaufen in the mid-thirteenth century, but overextending led to partial collapse. On 25 December 800, Pope Leo III crowned the Frankish king Charlemagne as emperor, reviving the title in Western Europe, more than three centuries after the fall of the earlier ancient Weste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Herman, Duke Of Carinthia
Herman II of Spanheim (died 4 October 1181), a scion of the Rhenish House of Sponheim, was Duke of Carinthia from 1161 until his death. Family He was the second son of Duke Ulrich I of Carinthia (d. 1144) and his wife Judith of Zähringen, daughter of Margrave Herman II of Baden. Rule In April 1144 Duke Ulrich I died, Herman's elder brother Henry V succeeded him. He married Elizabeth, a daughter of Margrave Leopold of Styria, and died childless on 12 October 1161, whereafter Herman succeeded him as Carinthian duke. Herman reached the confirmation of his rule by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. In December 1161 he was solemnly enthroned on the Duke's Chair in the Zollfeld plain, in the presence of Archbishop Eberhard of Salzburg and Patriarch Ulrich II of Aquileia. In 1162 he accompanied the emperor on his campaign to Italy and the failed meeting with King Louis VII of France. With varying degrees of success he tried to consolidate his position in Carinthia by achieving the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
House Of Spanheim
The House of Sponheim or Spanheim was a medieval German noble family, which originated in Rhenish Franconia. They were immediate Counts of Sponheim until 1437 and Dukes of Carinthia from 1122 until 1269. Its cadet branches ruled in the Imperial County of Ortenburg-Neuortenburg and various Sayn-Wittgenstein states until 1806. History The family took its name from their ancestral seat at Sponheim Castle in the Hunsrück range, in present-day Burgsponheim near Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate. From the 11th century the family was divided in two closely related branches. One of these branches, probably the senior one, retained the Duchy of Carinthia and originated the County of Ortenburg in Bavaria. The other one remained in Rhenish Franconia, retaining the County of Sponheim. The founder of the ducal branch was Count Siegfried I (1010–1065), a Ripuarian Frank by birth and retainer of the Salian emperor Conrad II. For this reason the family is sometimes termed the Sieg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 to a duchy in its own right. After the ruling dukes of the House of Babenberg became extinct in male line, there was as much as three decades of rivalry on inheritance and rulership, until the German king Rudolf I took over the dominion as the first monarch of the Habsburg dynasty in 1276. Thereafter, Austria became the patrimony and ancestral homeland of the dynasty and the nucleus of the Habsburg monarchy. In 1453, the archducal title of the Austrian rulers, invented by Duke Rudolf IV in the forged '' Privilegium Maius'' of 1359, was officially acknowledged by the Habsburg emperor Frederick III. Geography Initially, the duchy was comparatively small in area, roughly comprising the modern-day Austrian state of Lower Austria. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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