Rudolf of Rheinfelden ( – 15 October 1080) was
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 ...
from 1057 to 1079. Initially a follower of his brother-in-law, the
Salian
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 Ottonian ...
emperor
Henry IV, his election as German
anti-king
An anti-king, anti king or antiking (; ) is a would-be king who, due to succession disputes or simple political opposition, declares himself king in opposition to a reigning monarch. OED "Anti-, 2" The OED does not give "anti-king" its own entry ...
in 1077 marked the outbreak of the
Great Saxon Revolt and the first phase of open conflict in the
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 ...
between
Emperor
The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
and
Papacy
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
. After a series of armed conflicts, Rudolf succumbed to his injuries after his forces defeated Henry's in the
Battle on the Elster
Battle on the Elster () was the third and last battle between the Salian king Henry IV of Germany and anti-king Rudolf of Rheinfelden, fought on October 14, 1080 near Hohenmölsen on the White Elster river. Rudolf's forces were victorious; howe ...
.
Life
Rudolf was the son of the
Swabian count (''
Graf
(; feminine: ) is a historical title of the German nobility and later also of the Russian nobility, usually translated as "count". Considered to be intermediate among noble ranks, the title is often treated as equivalent to the British title ...
'') Kuno of
Rheinfelden. He was first mentioned in a 1048 deed issued by the
Salian
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 Ottonian ...
emperor
Henry III as a count in the Swabian Sisgau on the
High Rhine
High Rhine (, ; kilometres 0 to 167 of the Rhine) is the section of the Rhine between Lake Constance () and the city of Basel, flowing in a general east-to-west direction and forming mostly the Germany–Switzerland border. It is the first of fo ...
(in present-day
Northwestern Switzerland
Northwestern Switzerland (, , ), is a subdivision of Switzerland as defined by the Federal Statistical Office for statistical purposes. It is classified as a Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, NUTS-2 statistical NUTS:CH, region of ...
), an estate then held by the
Prince-Bishopric of Basel
The Prince-Bishopric of Basel () was an ecclesiastical principality within the Holy Roman Empire, ruled from 1032 by prince-bishops with their seat at Basel, and from 1528 until 1792 at Porrentruy, and thereafter at Schliengen. As an imperial ...
. Rudolf's family had large possessions up to
Sankt Blasien Abbey in the Black Forest
Saint Blaise Abbey () was a Benedictine monastery in the village of St. Blasien in the Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
History 9th–12th centuries
The early history of the abbey is obscure. Its predecessor in the 9th century is ...
and down to the
Aargau
Aargau ( ; ), more formally the Canton of Aargau (; ; ; ), is one of the Canton of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of eleven districts and its capital is Aarau.
Aargau is one of the most nort ...
beyond the border with the
Kingdom of Burgundy
Kingdom of Burgundy was a name given to various successive Monarchy, kingdoms centered in the historical region of Burgundy during the Middle Ages. The heartland of historical Burgundy correlates with the border area between France and Switze ...
. He probably was related to King
Rudolph II of Burgundy
Rudolph II (/885 – 12 or 13 July 937) was King of Upper Burgundy from 912 until 933, and then King of the united Kingdom of Burgundy (the polity later known as the Kingdom of Arles) from 933 until his death in 937. He was also King of Italy f ...
(d. 937), the
Dukes of Lorraine
The kings and dukes of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions, since its creation as the kingdom of Lotharingia by the Treaty of Prüm, in 855. The first rulers of the newly established region were ...
and the
Ottonian dynasty
The Ottonian dynasty () was a Saxons, Saxon dynasty of German monarchs (919–1024), named after three of its kings and Holy Roman emperors, especially Otto the Great. It is also known as the Saxon dynasty after the family's origin in the German ...
.
Duke of Swabia
When Duke
Otto III of Swabia died without male heirs in 1057, Empress
Agnes, consort of late Henry III, appointed Rudolf Swabian duke and administrator of Burgundy. Rivalling with the
Zähringen count
Berthold, Rudolf, according to
Frutolf of Michelsberg Frutolf of Michelsberg (died 17 January 1103) was a monk in Michelsberg Abbey in Bamberg, Germany, of which he became prior. He was probably a native of Bavaria.
Frutolf was possibly a teacher of the quadrivium in the monastery, but principally a ...
, had taken advantage of the minority of Agnes' son Henry IV, elected
King of the Romans
King of the Romans (; ) was the title used by the king of East Francia following his election by the princes from the reign of Henry II (1002–1024) onward.
The title originally referred to any German king between his election and coronatio ...
, by kidnapping his sister
Matilda of Swabia
Matilda or Mathilda may refer to:
Animals
* Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder
* ''Mathilda'' (gastropod), a genus of gastropods in the family Mathildidae
* Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thorou ...
. Rudolf demanded, and received, Matilda's hand in marriage (1059). In 1061 Berthold received the
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia (; ; ) was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, and was the first newly created Imperial State after the original German stem duchies.
Car ...
instead. When Matilda died in 1060, Rudolf subsequently, in 1066, married
Adelaide of Savoy (d. 1079), a daughter of Count
Otto of Savoy and
Adelaide of Susa
Adelaide of Susa (also ''Adelheid'', ''Adelais'', or ''Adeline''; – 19 December 1091) was the countess of part of the March of Ivrea and the Marchioness of Turin in Northwestern Italy from 1034 to her death. She was the last of the Arduin ...
. When Adelaide's sister
Bertha of Savoy
Bertha of Savoy (21 September 1051 – 27 December 1087), also called Bertha of Turin, was Queen of Germany from 1066 and Holy Roman Empress from 1084 until 1087 as the first wife of Emperor Henry IV.
Life
Bertha of Savoy was a daughter ...
married Henry IV in 1066, Rudolf became brother-in-law to the king twice over.
During Agnes' regency, the
Princes of the Holy Roman Empire
Prince of the Holy Roman Empire (, , cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised by the Holy Roman Emperor.
Definition
Originally, possessors of the princely title bore it as immediate vassal ...
could further strengthen their position against the Imperial authority. In the 1062
Coup of Kaiserswerth, several princes led by Archbishop
Anno II of Cologne
Anno II ( – 4 December 1075) was Archbishop of Cologne from 1056 until his death. From 1063 to 1065 he acted as regent of the Holy Roman Empire for the minor Emperor Henry IV. Anno is venerated as a saint of the Catholic Church.
Life
He was b ...
even abducted the minor king to enforce the surrender of the
Imperial Regalia
The Imperial Regalia, also called Imperial Insignia (in German ''Reichskleinodien'', ''Reichsinsignien'' or ''Reichsschatz''), are regalia of the Holy Roman Emperor. The most important parts are the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire, C ...
. When Henry came of age in 1065, he continued the policies of his father against the reluctant Saxon nobility, sparking the
Saxon Rebellion in 1073. While other princes like the Carinthian duke Berthold of Zähringen or Duke
Welf of Bavaria distanced themselves, Rudolf supported Henry's campaigns in
Thuringia
Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area.
Er ...
, when he was a primary force in the 1075
Battle of Langensalza against the insurgents. However, after the joint victory, Rudolf became estranged to the king and rumours occurred that he was involved in adversarial conspiracies. Empress Agnes repeatedly had to arbitrate between the parties.
Finally when the
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 ...
broke out and King Henry was
excommunicated
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to deprive, suspend, or limit membership in a religious community or to restrict certain rights within it, in particular those of being in communion with other members of the con ...
by
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 ...
in February 1076, Duke Rudolf met with Berthold, Welf and several other princes in
Trebur
Trebur is a municipality in Groß-Gerau district in Hessen, Germany. It is 13 km southeast of Mainz, and 8 km south of Rüsselsheim.
Geography Location
Trebur is located in the Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region. The cities of Mainz, Wiesb ...
in order to decide on a course of action and to arrange a new election. Henry, observing the proceedings from his camp in
Oppenheim
Oppenheim ( or ) is a town in the Mainz-Bingen district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Geography
Location
The town lies on the Upper Rhine in Rhenish Hesse between Mainz and Worms. It is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde (special ad ...
on the other side of the
Rhine
The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...
, had to face a massive loss of support among the German nobles and realized that he had to achieve the lifting of his ban. Pope Gregory agreed to meet with the princes at
Augsburg
Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...
in February 1077.
Anti-king
Already in January, Henry hastened to see the pope on his way to the Empire from
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, ...
. Duke Rudolf attempted to have the
Alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National P ...
passes closed, nevertheless the king through wintry weather made his
Walk to Canossa
The Road to Canossa or Humiliation of Canossa (), or, sometimes, the Walk to Canossa (/''Kanossa'') was the journey of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV to Canossa Castle in 1077, and his subsequent ritual submission there to Pope Gregory VII. I ...
, where Gregory, fearing an armed attack by Henry's forces, had found refuge with
Matilda of Tuscany
Matilda of Tuscany (; or ; – 24 July 1115), or Matilda of Canossa ( ), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as the Attonids) in the second half of the eleventh century. Matilda was on ...
. By doing penance, Henry managed to achieve absolution, buying time at the price of his reputation and secular authority. The rebels continued with their plans. Rudolf was elected
anti-king
An anti-king, anti king or antiking (; ) is a would-be king who, due to succession disputes or simple political opposition, declares himself king in opposition to a reigning monarch. OED "Anti-, 2" The OED does not give "anti-king" its own entry ...
on 15 March 1077 at the ''
Kaiserpfalz
The term ''Kaiserpfalz'' (, "imperial palace") or ''Königspfalz'' (, "royal palace", from Middle High German ''phal ne'' to Old High German ''phalanza'' from Middle Latin ''palatia'' luralto Latin ''palatium'' "palace") refers to a number o ...
'' in
Forchheim
Forchheim () is a Town#Germany, town in Upper Franconia () in northern Bavaria, and also the seat of the administrative Forchheim (district), district of Forchheim. Forchheim is a former royal city, and is sometimes called the Gateway to the Fr ...
, where already
Louis the Child
Louis the Child (893 – 20/24 September 911), sometimes called Louis III or Louis IV, was the king of East Francia from 899 until his death and was also recognized as king of Lotharingia after 900. He was the last East Frankish ruler of the Car ...
and
Conrad I of Germany
Conrad I (; c. 881 – 23 December 918), called the Younger, was the king of East Francia from 911 to 918. He was the first king not of the Carolingian dynasty, the first to be elected by the nobility and the first to be anointed. He was chosen as ...
had been crowned. The first anti-king in the history of the Empire, he promised to respect the
investiture
Investiture (from the Latin preposition ''in'' and verb ''vestire'', "dress" from ''vestis'' "robe") is a formal installation or ceremony that a person undergoes, often related to membership in Christian religious institutes as well as Christian kn ...
solely according to
canon law
Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...
, as well as the concept of the
elective monarchy
An elective monarchy is a monarchy ruled by a monarch who is elected, in contrast to a hereditary monarchy in which the office is automatically passed down as a family inheritance. The manner of election, the nature of candidate qualifications, ...
. Further claims raised by the princes were rejected as
simony
Simony () is the act of selling church offices and roles or sacred things. It is named after Simon Magus, who is described in the Acts of the Apostles as having offered two disciples of Jesus payment in exchange for their empowering him to imp ...
by the attendant
papal legate
300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the Pope's legate.
A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title '' legatus'') is a personal representative of the Pope to foreign nations, to some other part of the Catho ...
s.
The men who elected Rudolf were Archbishops
Siegfried I of Mainz,
Werner of Magdeburg and
Gebhard of Salzburg
Blessed Gebhard von Salzburg ( 101015 June 1088), also occasionally known as Gebhard of Sussex, was Archbishop of Salzburg from 1060 until his death. He was one of the fiercest opponents of King Henry IV of Germany during the Investiture Controv ...
; Bishops
Burchard II of Halberstadt,
Altmann of Passau
Altmann von Passau
Passau.html" ;"title="Coat of arms of Passau">Coat of arms of Passau
Altmann ( – 8 August 1091) was the Bishop of Passau from 1065 until his death. He was an important representative of the Gregorian reforms, monastic foun ...
, and
Adalbero of Würzburg; Dukes
Berthold II of Carinthia,
Welf I of Bavaria and Rudolf himself; and
Otto of Northeim
Otto of Nordheim (c. 1020 – 11 January 1083) was Duke of Bavaria from 1061 until 1070. He was one of the leaders of the Saxon revolt of 1073–1075 and the Saxon revolt of 1077–1088 against King Henry IV of Germany.
Life
Family
Otto was born ...
, former duke of Bavaria. Duke
Magnus of Saxony and Margrave
Udo II of Stade may also have taken part. Rudolf proceeded to
Mainz
Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...
, where on 25 May he was crowned by Archbishop
Siegfried I, but soon after was forced to flee to Saxony, when the Mainz citizens revolted. This presented a problem, since the Saxon duchy was cut off from his Swabian homelands by the king's Salian territory. Moreover, the pope avoided taking sides and adopted a waiting attitude. Rudolf was accused of greed, treason and usurpation by Henry's liensmen, while his own support crumbled.
''Vita Heinrici IV. imperatoris'', ch. 4, p. 17
/ref>
Later life
Rudolf gave Swabia to his son Berthold and attempted to rectify his situation by stalking Henry's forces near 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 ...
, but to little effect. Meanwhile, he was deprived of Swabia by the ''Hoftag
A ''Hoftag'' (, pl. ''Hoftage'') was the name given to an informal and irregular assembly convened by the King of the Romans, the Holy Roman Emperor or one of the Princes of the Empire, with selected chief princes within the empire. Early schola ...
'' diet at Ulm
Ulm () is the sixth-largest city of the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with around 129,000 inhabitants, it is Germany's 60th-largest city.
Ulm is located on the eastern edges of the Swabian Jura mountain range, on the up ...
in May, and the king gave the duchy to Frederick of Stauf, the first 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 dynast ...
ruler.
The next year Henry waged a successful campaign to Bavaria, while Pope Gregory rejected to excommunicate Rudolf. The Battle of Mellrichstadt on 7 August 1078 proved indecisive: though the opposition forces under Otto of Nordheim were victorious, the troops of Berthold and Welf were stuck in a peasants' revolt. Rudolf found it difficult to convince the Saxons to fight beyond their borders; they viewed him as a southerner and distrusted him. He was also frustrated by the apparent reluctance of the pope to recognize his cause. In order to gain and maintain supporters, he was forced to grant large parts of the crown lands, as well as those of the church, to his followers. Nevertheless, things seemed to be improving in 1080. The battle of Flarchheim (27 January 1080) went well in his favor. On 7 March, the pope excommunicated Henry again and recognized Rudolf as king.
Emboldened, Rudolf's forces met Henry's at the White Elster
The White Elster (, ) is a river in central Europe. It is a right tributary of the Saale. The source of the White Elster is in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic, in the territory of Hazlov. After a few kilometres, it flows into easte ...
river in the Battle of Elster. The battle, which took place on 14 October 1080, would have been a huge victory for the anti-royalists. However, Rudolf lost his right hand in the battle and was mortally wounded in the abdomen. He withdrew to nearby Merseburg
Merseburg () is a town in central Germany in southern Saxony-Anhalt, situated on the river Saale, and approximately 14 km south of Halle (Saale) and 30 km west of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese ...
, where he died the next day and was buried. The majority of the support for the rebellion against Henry IV soon evaporated, but the struggle continued on in effect into 1085, with a final flare up in 1088 under Rudolph's successor, the second anti-king, Herman of Luxembourg.
Issue
With his second wife, Adelaide, Rudolf had at least four (and perhaps five) children:
* Agnes of Rheinfelden, married Berthold II of Zähringen
Berthold may refer to:
* Berthold (name), a Germanic given name and surname
* Berthold Type Foundry, former German type foundry
* Berthold, North Dakota, a place in the United States
See also
* Berthod, a surname
* Berchtold
Berchtold (also Bert ...
* Adelaide of Rheinfelden
Adelaide of Rheinfelden (or Adelaide of Swabia) () (1060s – May 1090), was Queen of Hungary by marriage to King Ladislaus I.
Life
Adelaide was born circa 1065 to Rudolf of Rheinfelden, duke of Swabia and German anti-king, and his second wi ...
, married King Ladislaus I of Hungary
Ladislaus I (, , , ; 1040 – 29 July 1095), also known as Saint Ladislas, was King of Hungary from 1077 and King of Croatia from 1091. He was the second son of King Béla I of Hungary and Richeza of Poland, Queen of Hungary, Richeza (or Adela ...
* Bertha of Rheinfelden
Bertha of Rheinfelden (also Bertha of Bregenz) (born c. 1065; d. after 1128), countess of Kellmünz, was the daughter of Rudolf of Rheinfelden and wife of Ulrich X of Bregenz.
Life
Bertha was the daughter of Rudolf of Rheinfelden and Adelaide ...
, Countess of Kellmünz, married Ulrich X, Count of Bregenz
* Otto (died young)
* Berthold of Rheinfelden (the identity of Berthold's mother is disputed)
Notes
References
*M. Black-Veldtrupp, ''Kaiserin Agnes (1043-1077). Quellenkritische Studien'' (Cologne, 1995).
*D. Schwennicke, ''Europäische Stammtafeln. Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten. Neue Folge Band XII, Schwaben''
*E. Hlawitschka, 'Zur Herkunft und zu den Seitenverwandten des Gegenkönigs Rudolf,’ in ''Die Salier und das Reich, vol. 1: Salier, Adel und Reichsverfassung'', ed. S. Weinfurter with H. Kluger (Sigmaringen, 1991), pp. 175-220.
*T. Struve, 'Das Bild des Gegenkönigs Rudolf von Schwaben in der zeitgenössischen Historiographie,’ in ''Ex ipsis rerum documentis. Festschrift für Harald Zimmermann zum 65. Geburtstag'', ed. K. Herbers, H. H. Kortüm, C. Servatius (Sigmaringen, 1991), pp. 459–475.
Sources
*
*H. Bresslau and P. Kehr, eds., ''Die Urkunden Heinrichs III'', MGH Diplomata 5 (Berlin, 1931).
*''Vita Heinrici IV. imperatoris'', ed., W. Eberhard, MGH Script. rer. Germ. 58 (Hannover and Leipzig, 1899).
*''Liber de unitate ecclesiae conservanda'' in W. Schwenenbecher, ed., MGH Libelli, 2 (Hannover, 1892), pp. 184–284.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rudolf 01 of Rheinfelden
1020s births
1080 deaths
11th-century Kings of the Romans
Anti-kings
Dukes of Swabia
House of Welf
Investiture Controversy
11th-century dukes in Europe
11th-century nobility from the Holy Roman Empire
Great Saxon Revolt