Ernest I (died 31 March or 31 May 1015) was the

Duke of Swabia The Dukes of Swabia were the rulers of the Duchy of Swabia during the Middle Ages. Swabia was one of the five stem duchy, stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most no ...

(1012–1015). He was a younger son of Leopold I, the Babenberg

Margrave of Austria From 976 until 1246, the Margraviate of Austria and its successor, the Duchy of Austria, was ruled by the House of Babenberg. At that time, those states were part of the Holy Roman Empire. From 1246 until 1918, the duchy and its successor, the Ar ...

. His mother was called

Richardis of Sualafeldgau Richardis of Sualafeldgau (''Richwara''; – 8 July 994) was Margravine of Austria from 976 until 994 as consort of the first Babenberg margrave Leopold I. Life Richardis' descent has not been conclusively established: she possibly was a dau ...

Life and family

In 1012

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

King of Germany This is a list of monarchs who ruled over East Francia, and the Kingdom of Germany (), from Treaty of Verdun, the division of the Francia, Frankish Empire in 843 and Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in ...

, gave the Duchy of Swabia to Ernest following the death of its childless ruler Hermann III. In order to further legitimatize his rule as duke, he married

Gisela of Swabia Gisela of Swabia ( 990 – 15 February 1043), was queen of Germany from 1024 to 1039 and empress of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 to 1039 by her third marriage with Emperor Conrad II. She was the mother of Emperor Henry III. She was regent of ...

, the eldest sister of Hermann. Ernest and Gisela had two sons,

Ernest Ernest is a given name derived from the Germanic languages, Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious", often shortened to Ernie. Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), ...

and Hermann, both of whom would eventually become dukes of Swabia themselves. Ernest died in 1015 as a result of a hunting accident and was succeeded by his son Ernest. He was buried in

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ernest I, Duke Of Swabia 10th-century births 1015 deaths Dukes of Swabia Hunting accident deaths People from the Holy Roman Empire