Adelheid I, Abbess of Quedlinburg
Encyclopedia
Adelaide I was Abbess of Quedlinburg and Gandersheim, as well as highly influential kingmaker
of medieval Germany.
, Abbess Adelaide was the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Otto II
and Empress Theophanu
. She was educated in the Quedlinburg Abbey
by her paternal aunt, Matilda, Abbess of Quedlinburg
, who died on 7 February 999. Adelaide was elected her successor.
(who discounted their influence), as candidate for kingship. Together with Sophie, Adelaide significantly influenced the election of Henry II
as King of the Romans
and legitimazing him in 1024, when he visited Vreden and Quedlinburg. The Princess-Abbess and her sister would play the same role in election of Conrad II
as Holy Roman Emperor. Nonetheless, when Sophie died in 1039, Conrad II denied Adelaide's request to succeed her as Abbess of Gandersheim. Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
, eventually granted her the right to rule Gandersheim too.
. A lifesized tomb marker preserves the conventional image of Adelaide. She is represented as holy woman by monastic habit and Gospel
book. In fact, the image depicts what Adelaide represented rather than Adelaide herself.
Kingmaker
Kingmaker is a term originally applied to the activities of Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick — "Warwick the Kingmaker" — during the Wars of the Roses in England. The term has come to be applied more generally to a person or group that has great influence in a royal or political succession,...
of medieval Germany.
Early life
Named after her paternal grandmother, Adelaide of ItalyAdelaide of Italy
Saint Adelaide of Italy , also called Adelaide of Burgundy, was the second wife of Otto the Great, Holy Roman Emperor...
, Abbess Adelaide was the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Otto II
Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto II , called the Red, was the third ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty, the son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy.-Early years and co-ruler with Otto I:...
and Empress Theophanu
Theophanu
Theophanu , also spelled Theophania, Theophana or Theophano, was born in Constantinople, and was the wife of Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor.-Family:...
. She was educated in the Quedlinburg Abbey
Quedlinburg Abbey
Quedlinburg Abbey was a house of secular canonesses in Quedlinburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was founded in 936 on the initiative of Saint Mathilda, the widow of Henry the Fowler, as his memorial...
by her paternal aunt, Matilda, Abbess of Quedlinburg
Matilda, Abbess of Quedlinburg
Matilda , also known as Mathilda and Mathilde, was the first Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg. She was the daughter of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, and his second wife, Adelaide of Italy.- Taking the veil :...
, who died on 7 February 999. Adelaide was elected her successor.
Influencing the royal and imperial elections
Adelaide and her older sister, Sophie I, Abbess of Gandersheim, acted as true kingmakers, having rejected Eckard I, Margrave of MeissenEckard I, Margrave of Meissen
Eckard I was Margrave of Meissen from 985 until his death, the first margrave of the Ekkehardinger family that dominated Meissen until the extinction of the line in 1046.-Life:...
(who discounted their influence), as candidate for kingship. Together with Sophie, Adelaide significantly influenced the election of Henry II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
as King of the Romans
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
and legitimazing him in 1024, when he visited Vreden and Quedlinburg. The Princess-Abbess and her sister would play the same role in election of Conrad II
Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor
Conrad II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1027 until his death.The son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Count Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace, he inherited the titles of count of Speyer and of Worms as an infant when Henry died at age twenty...
as Holy Roman Emperor. Nonetheless, when Sophie died in 1039, Conrad II denied Adelaide's request to succeed her as Abbess of Gandersheim. Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
, eventually granted her the right to rule Gandersheim too.
Death
Adelheid died either on 14 January 1045 or on 14 January 1044 and was succeeded by her kinswoman, Beatrice of Franconia. Adelaide is buried in Quedlinburg AbbeyQuedlinburg Abbey
Quedlinburg Abbey was a house of secular canonesses in Quedlinburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was founded in 936 on the initiative of Saint Mathilda, the widow of Henry the Fowler, as his memorial...
. A lifesized tomb marker preserves the conventional image of Adelaide. She is represented as holy woman by monastic habit and Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
book. In fact, the image depicts what Adelaide represented rather than Adelaide herself.