Adelaide II (; 1045 – 11 January 1096), a member of the

Salian dynasty The Salian dynasty or Salic dynasty () was a dynasty in the High Middle Ages. The dynasty provided four kings of Germany (1024–1125), all of whom went on to be crowned Holy Roman emperors (1027–1125). After the death of the last Ottonia ...

, was Abbess of Gandersheim from 1061 and Abbess of Quedlinburg from 1063 until her death.

Family

Adelaide was born about September/October 1045, presumably at the

Imperial Palace of Goslar The Imperial Palace of Goslar () is a historical building complex at the foot of the Rammelsberg hill in the south of the town of Goslar north of the Harz mountains, central Germany. It covers an area of about 340 by 180 metres. The palace grou ...

, as the first child of King Henry III of Germany (1016–1056) from his second marriage with the French princess

Agnes of Poitou Agnes of Poitou ( – 14 December 1077) was the queen of Germany from 1043 and empress of the Holy Roman Empire from 1046 until 1056 as the wife of Emperor Henry III. From 1056 to 1061, she ruled the Holy Roman Empire as regent during the ...

(c.1025–1077), a daughter of Duke William V of Aquitaine. Henry had vainly hoped for a male heir to the throne; unsettled, the royal couple headed for their

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

by Pope Clement II in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

the following year. Not until 1050, a son, Henry IV, was born, to the great relief of his parents. Adelaide's father died in 1056, leaving their minor son and his siblings under the

regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

of the dowager empress.

Abbacy

Adelaide had an elder half-sister, Beatrice (1037–1061), whom she subsequently succeeded in her offices: in 1061, she was elected successor to Beatrice as Imperial Abbess of Gandersheim. Two years later, Adelaide succeeded her half-sister as Princess-Abbess of

Quedlinburg Quedlinburg () is a town situated just north of the Harz mountains, in the Harz (district), district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. As an influential and prosperous trading centre during the early Middle Ages, Quedlinburg becam ...

; she was possibly ordained in Goslar Cathedral at Pentecost 1063, witnessing the violent Precedence Dispute. In Gandersheim, already the appointment of Beatrice in 1043 (at the age of seven) by King Henry III had caused trouble with the

canoness A canoness is a member of a religious community of women, historically a stable community dedicated to the celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours in a particular church. The name corresponds to a canon, the male equivalent, and both roles share a ...

es insisting on their autonomy and electoral rights. The cause was taken up by

Pope Stephen IX Pope Stephen IX (, christened Frederick; – 29 March 1058) was the Bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 3 August 1057 to his death on 29 March 1058. He was a member of the Ardenne-Verdun family, who ruled the Duchy of Lorra ...

who decided that certain Gandersheim

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

s should not to be leased by the abbess, however, the conflict flared up again during Adelheid's incumbency. According to the medieval chronicler

Lambert of Hersfeld Lambert of Hersfeld (also called Lampert or Lampert of Aschaffenburg; – 1082/85) was a medieval chronicler. His work represents a major source for the history of the German kingdom of Henry IV and the incipient Investiture Controversy in the e ...

, the Quedlinburg Collegiate Church of St. Servatius burnt down in 1070 and had to be rebuilt. Likewise, a great fire broke out in Gandersheim in 1081 and destroyed the abbey, so she had the foundations reconstructed. In 1071, Adelheid was present at the consecration of

Halberstadt Cathedral The Halberstadt Cathedral or Church of St Stephen and St Sixtus () is a Gothic architecture, Gothic church in Halberstadt in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was the episcopal see of the Bishopric of Halberstadt, established by Emperor Charlemagne in 80 ...

by Bishop Burchard II. Like her half-sister and predecessor, she remained a reliable support of the Salian rule and backed her brother Henry IV throughout the long

Investiture Controversy The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest (, , ) was a conflict between church and state in medieval Europe, the Church and the state in medieval Europe over the ability to choose and install bishops (investiture), abbots of monasteri ...

with

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII (; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana (), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. One of the great ...

as well as in the Saxon Rebellion from 1073 onwards. In 1088, Adelaide's brother used Quedlinburg Abbey for a trial against the rebellious margrave Egbert II of Meissen, who had unsuccessfully laid siege to the convent; according to reports by Bernold of Constance, Adelaide was also involved in Egbert's assassination two years later. Adelaide died on 11 January 1096 at Quedlinburg Abbey, where she was buried in the Collegiate Church alongside her predecessors Adelaide I and Beatrice. Her niece Agnes, daughter of her sister

Judith of Swabia Judith of Swabia (, ; Summer 1054 – 14 March ca. 1105?), a member of the Salian dynasty, was the youngest daughter of Emperor Henry III from his second marriage with Agnes of Poitou. By her two marriages she was Queen of Hungary from 1063 t ...

, succeeded her as abbess of both Gandersheim and Quedlinburg in 1110/11.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adelheid 02 Of Quedlinburg 1045 births 11th-century German abbesses 11th-century Christian nuns Salian dynasty Abbesses of Quedlinburg 1096 deaths Abbesses of Gandersheim Daughters of emperors Daughters of kings Children of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor Daughters of dukes