Brunonen
Encyclopedia
The Brunonen were a Saxon
noble family in the 10th and 11th centuries, who owned property in Eastphalia
(around Brunswick) and Frisia
.
The Brunonen are assumed to be descendants of Brun, Duke of Saxony (d. 880). This would make them the senior branch of the Liudolfing house, to which the Ottonian
emperors also belonged. This relationship is considered likely because the names Brun and Liudolf are both common among the Brunonen, and their properties are located in the same areas as the properties of the early Liudolfings. In addition, contemporaries seemed to regard the Brunonen as male-line relatives of the Ottonian kings, as shown by the candidacy for king of Brun I, Count of Brunswick
. However, there is no evidence that the Brunonen are related to the Liudolfings, and nothing is known about the existence of any children of Duke Brun.
The oldest properties of the Brunonen were located in the Derlingau
, from which they spread their influence to adjacent areas. The town of Brunswick, located at the western edge of the Derlingau, became their comital seat in the 9th or 10th century; according to legends, Brunswick (the name literally means "Brun's town") was founded by one of the Brunonen named Brun — it is unclear by which one. Their county came to be known as the County of Brunswick
.
The next assumed member of the Brunonen house was a Count Liudolf, who was mentioned in 942. The first certain member of the house was Brun I, Count of Brunswick
, who is attested since 991. Count Bruno I sought without success to succeed Otto III
in 1002 as King of the Romans. In 1067, Bruno's grandson Egbert
was granted the Margraviate of Meissen by Emperor Henry IV
. His son, Egbert II
, opposed that same ruler and lost his rights to both Meissen and Frisia
.
Egbert II's death marked the end of the Brunonen line. Egbert II's sister, Gertrude of Brunswick, had a daughter with her second husband, Henry the Fat, Margrave of Frisia of Northeim
. This daughter, Richenza
(d. 1141) married Lothar of Süpplingenburg
, who was Duke of Saxony and later became Holy Roman Emperor. Their daughter Gertrude (d. 1143) married Duke Henry the Proud of Saxony and Bavaria
, a member of the House of House of Welf. In this way, the Welf dynasty gained the Brunonen properties around Brunswick, which they would hold until the 20th century.
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
noble family in the 10th and 11th centuries, who owned property in Eastphalia
Eastphalia
Eastphalia is a historical region in northern Germany, encompassing the eastern part of the historic Duchy of Saxony, between the Elbe, Leine, Saale and Unstrut rivers. Today, it covers the southeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony and the western part of Saxony-Anhalt.-Etymology:The name...
(around Brunswick) and Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
.
The Brunonen are assumed to be descendants of Brun, Duke of Saxony (d. 880). This would make them the senior branch of the Liudolfing house, to which the Ottonian
Ottonian
The Ottonian dynasty was a dynasty of Germanic Kings , named after its first emperor but also known as the Saxon dynasty after the family's origin. The family itself is also sometimes known as the Liudolfings, after its earliest known member Liudolf and one of its primary leading-names...
emperors also belonged. This relationship is considered likely because the names Brun and Liudolf are both common among the Brunonen, and their properties are located in the same areas as the properties of the early Liudolfings. In addition, contemporaries seemed to regard the Brunonen as male-line relatives of the Ottonian kings, as shown by the candidacy for king of Brun I, Count of Brunswick
Brun I, Count of Brunswick
Brun , was count in the Derlingau, the Nordthüringgau, the Hastfalagau, the Salzgau, the Gau Gretinge, and the Gau Mulbeze, with Brunswick as his residence. Brun was a member of the Brunones dynasty....
. However, there is no evidence that the Brunonen are related to the Liudolfings, and nothing is known about the existence of any children of Duke Brun.
The oldest properties of the Brunonen were located in the Derlingau
Derlingau
The Derlingau was an early medieval county of the Duchy of Saxony.-Geography:The Derlingau approximately consisted of the area between the river Oker in the west and the Lappwald forest in the east. It was bordered by : Bardengau, Gau Osterwald, Nordthüringgau, Harzgau, Salzgau, Hastfalagau, Gau...
, from which they spread their influence to adjacent areas. The town of Brunswick, located at the western edge of the Derlingau, became their comital seat in the 9th or 10th century; according to legends, Brunswick (the name literally means "Brun's town") was founded by one of the Brunonen named Brun — it is unclear by which one. Their county came to be known as the County of Brunswick
County of Brunswick
The County of Brunswick was a county in the medieval Duchy of Saxony. It existed from about the 9th century until 1235, when it was raised to a duchy, the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg....
.
The next assumed member of the Brunonen house was a Count Liudolf, who was mentioned in 942. The first certain member of the house was Brun I, Count of Brunswick
Brun I, Count of Brunswick
Brun , was count in the Derlingau, the Nordthüringgau, the Hastfalagau, the Salzgau, the Gau Gretinge, and the Gau Mulbeze, with Brunswick as his residence. Brun was a member of the Brunones dynasty....
, who is attested since 991. Count Bruno I sought without success to succeed Otto III
Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto III , a King of Germany, was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. He was elected King in 983 on the death of his father Otto II and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 996.-Early reign:...
in 1002 as King of the Romans. In 1067, Bruno's grandson Egbert
Egbert I, Margrave of Meissen
Egbert I was the Margrave of Meissen from 1067 until his early death the next year. Egbert was the Count of Brunswick from about 1038, when his father, Liudolf, Margrave of Frisia, died. His mother was Gertrude, the sister of Pope Leo IX.Egbert was the scion of the influential Eastphalian family...
was granted the Margraviate of Meissen by Emperor Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
. His son, Egbert II
Egbert II, Margrave of Meissen
Egbert II was Count of Brunswick and Margrave of Meissen. He was the eldest son of the Margrave Egbert I of the Brunonen family.Still a minor, he succeeded his father on the latter's death 11 January 1068 in Brunswick and Meissen...
, opposed that same ruler and lost his rights to both Meissen and Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
.
Egbert II's death marked the end of the Brunonen line. Egbert II's sister, Gertrude of Brunswick, had a daughter with her second husband, Henry the Fat, Margrave of Frisia of Northeim
Northeim
Northeim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, seat of the district of Northeim, with, as of 2002, a population of 31 000. It's located on the German Half-Timbered House Road.-History:...
. This daughter, Richenza
Richenza of Northeim
Richenza of Northeim was a member of the dynasty of the Counts of Northeim, and a German Empress.She was the daughter of Henry the Fat of Northeim and Gertrud of Brunswick of the Brunonen dynasty....
(d. 1141) married Lothar of Süpplingenburg
Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
Lothair III of Supplinburg , was Duke of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia...
, who was Duke of Saxony and later became Holy Roman Emperor. Their daughter Gertrude (d. 1143) married Duke Henry the Proud of Saxony and Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, a member of the House of House of Welf. In this way, the Welf dynasty gained the Brunonen properties around Brunswick, which they would hold until the 20th century.
Family tree
- Brun IBrun I, Count of BrunswickBrun , was count in the Derlingau, the Nordthüringgau, the Hastfalagau, the Salzgau, the Gau Gretinge, and the Gau Mulbeze, with Brunswick as his residence. Brun was a member of the Brunones dynasty....
of Brunswick (d. 1015/16), married Gisela of SwabiaGisela of SwabiaGisela of Swabia was the daughter of Herman II of Swabia and Gerberga of Burgundy. Both her parents were descendents of Charlemagne.-Life:...
(b. c. 990; d. 15 February 1043 in GoslarGoslarGoslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...
) (married 1016/17 Emperor Conrad IIConrad II, Holy Roman EmperorConrad 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...
(d. 1039))- LiudolfLiudolf, Margrave of FrisiaLiudolf of Brunswick was margrave of Frisia, count of Brunswick, count in the Derlingau and the Gudingau. He was a member of the Brunonen family....
(d. 23 April 1038), married Gertrud of Frisia (d. 1077)- Brun II (b. c. 1024; d. 26. Juni 1057), Margrave of Frisia
- Egbert IEgbert I, Margrave of MeissenEgbert I was the Margrave of Meissen from 1067 until his early death the next year. Egbert was the Count of Brunswick from about 1038, when his father, Liudolf, Margrave of Frisia, died. His mother was Gertrude, the sister of Pope Leo IX.Egbert was the scion of the influential Eastphalian family...
(d. 1068), married Irmgard of Susa- Egbert IIEgbert II, Margrave of MeissenEgbert II was Count of Brunswick and Margrave of Meissen. He was the eldest son of the Margrave Egbert I of the Brunonen family.Still a minor, he succeeded his father on the latter's death 11 January 1068 in Brunswick and Meissen...
(d. 1090), married Oda of OrlamündeOrlamündeOrlamünde is a town in the Saale-Holzland district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Saale and Orla, 17 km south of Jena. It was the centre of a county, often united to Weimar, in the Early Middle Ages.... - Gertrude of Brunswick (d. 1117), married I. Dietrich of Katlenburg (d. 1085); II. Henry the Fat, Margrave of NortheimHenry, Margrave of FrisiaHenry the Fat , also known as Henry of Nordheim or Northeim, was from 1083 Count in Rittigau and Eichsfeld and from 1099 the Margrave of Frisia. He was the eldest son of Otto of Nordheim and Richenza of Swabia....
(d. 1101); III. Henry I, Margrave of Meissen (d. 1103)
- Egbert II
- Liudolf