Lothair Udo III (1070-1106),

Margrave of the Nordmark The Northern March or North March (, ) was created out of the division of the vast ''Marca Geronis'' in 965. It initially comprised the northern third of the ''Marca'' (roughly corresponding to the modern state of Brandenburg) and was part of the ...

and

Count of Stade The Counts of Stade were members of the Saxony nobility beginning in the 10th century. Stade had developed since the 8th century as a principal center of trade and communications. The Counts of Stade created their domain between the lower Elbe and ...

(as Lothair Udo IV), son of Lothair Udo II, Margrave of the Nordmark, and Oda of Werl, daughter of Herman III, Count of Werl, and Richenza of Swabia. Brother of his predecessor Henry I the Long. Lothair Udo was betrothed to Eilika of Saxony, daughter of

Magnus, Duke of Saxony Magnus ( – 23 August 1106) was the duke of Saxony from 1072 to 1106. Eldest son and successor of Ordulf and Wulfhild of Norway, he was the last member of the House of Billung. Rebellion In 1070, before he was duke, he joined Otto of Nordhe ...

, and

Sophia of Hungary Sophia of Hungary ( – 18 June 1095), a member of the royal Árpád dynasty, was a Margravine of Istria and Carniola from about 1062 until 1070, by her first marriage with Margrave Ulric I, as well as Duchess of Saxony from 1072 until her ...

. However, his attention was diverted to the House of Helperich, towards Count Helperich's enticing sister ''Ermengardam''. He married this woman, the count's sister Irmgard, daughter of Dietrich, Count of Plötzkau, and Mathilde von Walbeck, daughter of Conrad, Count of Walbeck. Eilika moved on and married Otto the Rich, Count of Ballenstedt, and was mother to

Albert the Bear Albert the Bear (; 1100 – 18 November 1170) was the first margrave of Brandenburg from 1157 to his death and was briefly duke of Saxony between 1138 and 1142. Life Albert was the only son of Otto, Count of Ballenstedt, and Eilika of Sa ...

, the last Margrave of the Nordmark and first

Margrave of Brandenburg This article lists the Margraves and Electors of Brandenburg during the time when Brandenburg was a constituent state of the Holy Roman Empire. The Mark, or ''March'', of Brandenburg was one of the primary constituent states of the Holy Roman Emp ...

. This provides an interesting twist in the history of the county of Stade. Lothair Udo and Irmgard had four children: *

Henry II, Margrave of the Nordmark Henry II (1102 – 4 December 1128), Margrave of the Nordmark, also Count of Stade (as Henry IV), son of Lothair Udo III, Margrave of the Nordmark, and Irmgard, daughter of Dietrich, Count of Plötzkau, and Mathilde von Walbeck. Henry assumed ...

, also Count of Stade (as Henry IV) * A daughter whose name is not known * Irmgard von Stade, married Poppo IV, Count of Henneberg * Adelheid von Stade, married

Henry II, Margrave of Meissen Henry II (1103–1123) was the Margrave of Meissen and the Saxon Ostmark (as ''Lusizensis marchio'': margrave of Lusatia) from his birth until his death. He was the posthumous son of Margrave Henry I and Gertrude of Brunswick, daughter of Egbe ...

. Lothair Udo was succeeded by his brother Rudolf as margrave and count upon his death.

Sources

Hucke, Richard G., ''Die Grafen von Stade. 900–1144. Genealogie, politische Stellung, Comitat und Allodial- besitz der sächsischen Udonen'', Selbstverlag des Stader Geschichts und Heimatvereins, Stade, 1956 Raffensperger, Christian, ''Reimagining Europe'', Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2012 {{DEFAULTSORT:Udo, Lothair, Margrave of the NordmarkIII 1070 births 1106 deaths Lothar Udo III Lothair Udo III