Sophia of Bavaria (1105–1145) was a German noblewoman and nun. Through her marriages she was the Duchess of Zähringen and the Margravine of Styria.

Biography

Sophia of Bavaria was born in 1105 to

Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria Henry IX (107513 December 1126), was a member of the House of Welf, a powerful dynasty in medieval Germany. He was born around 1075 and died in 1126. Henry IX is often referred to as “Henry the Black” (Heinrich der Schwarze) and ruled as Duk ...

and his wife Wulfhilde of Saxony. She was a member of the

House of Welf The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconian family from the Meuse-Mo ...

and was the sister of

Henry X, Duke of Bavaria Henry the Proud () (20 October 1139), a member of the House of Welf, was List of rulers of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria (as Henry X) from 1126 to 1138 and List of rulers of Saxony, Duke of Saxony (as Henry II) as well as Margrave of Tusca ...

;

Welf VI Welf VI (111515 December 1191) was the margrave of Tuscany (1152–1162) and duke of Spoleto (1152–1162), the third son of Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria, and a member of the illustrious family of the Welf (also known as the House of Guelph). ...

;

Judith of Bavaria, Duchess of Swabia Judith of Bavaria, Duchess of Swabia (19 May 1100 – 27 August 1130) was a duchess of Swabia by marriage to Frederick II, Duke of Swabia. She was the mother of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, also known as "Barbarossa". Life Judith was b ...

; and

Conrad of Bavaria Conrad of Bavaria (; ) ( – 17 March 1126 or 1154) was a Cistercian monk, the son of Henry the Black, Duke of Bavaria and Wulfhilde Billung of Saxony. The former Molfetta Cathedral, now renamed church of Saint Conrad of Bavaria, is dedicate ...

. Her first husband was Berthold III, Duke of Zähringen, who was killed in 1122. After her first husband's death, she married Leopold of Styria. In 1124 she gave birth to a son,

Ottokar Ottokar is the medieval German form of the Germanic name Audovacar. People with the name Ottokar include: *Two kings of Bohemia, members of the Přemyslid dynasty ** Ottokar I of Bohemia (–1230) ** Ottokar II of Bohemia (–1278) *Four Styrian m ...

. Her second husband died in 1129, shortly after founding the Rein Abbey. After his death, Sophia continued to fund the building of the abbey. She and Bernard of Trixen served as co-regents over the

March of Styria The March of Styria (; ; ) was a southeastern March (territorial entity), frontier march of the Holy Roman Empire, encompassing various regions around the river Mur (river), Mur. Created sometime before 970, it was broken off the larger March of ...

until her son came of age in 1139. In her later life she took religious vows and joined the Admont Abbey. She died in 1145.

References

1105 births 1145 deaths 12th-century German nuns Bavarian princesses Duchesses in Germany Margravines of Germany House of Welf House of Zähringen Women of medieval Bavaria Daughters of dukes {{DEFAULTSORT:Sophia of Bavaria Burials at Weingarten Abbey