Liudolf, Duke of Swabia
Encyclopedia
Liudolf was the duke of Swabia
from 950 until 954. He was the only son of Otto I
, king of Germany, from his wife Eadgyth
, daughter of Edward the Elder
, king of England.
Liudolf married Ida, daughter of Duke Herman I. When Herman died, Otto appointed his eldest son and heir apparent duke. Liudolf was a popular ruler with the tribe. After the usurpation of Berengar II of Italy
, he invaded Lombardy
in 951. His father foiled his plans and invaded as well, leaving Liudolf without much gain. When Otto married Adelaide
, the heiress to Italy, Liudolf felt his position threatened and raised the flag of revolt in 953. Though he had the support of his Swabians, his ally (and brother-in-law), Conrad the Red, was opposed by his own subjects in Lorraine. The Bavarians of Henry I, Duke of Bavaria
, Liudolf's uncle, supported Liudolf, but Henry and Otto together put down the rebellion. In 954, he was deprived of his duchy and, though reconciled with his father, he did not regain it. He invaded Italy for a second time in 957 and many cities capitulated before him and Berengar fled. He died unexpectedly of fever
amidst his victorious campaign at Pombia
, near Novara
, on September 6 and was buried in St. Alban's Abbey, Mainz
.
His son by Ida, Otto, was later duke of Bavaria and Swabia, his daughter Mathilde abess of a canoness monastery in Essen
. He also founded the city of Stuttgart
in southern Germany
.
Duke of Swabia
The following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
from 950 until 954. He was the only son of Otto I
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
, king of Germany, from his wife Eadgyth
Eadgyth
Edith of England , also spelt Eadgyth or Ædgyth, was the daughter of Edward the Elder, and the wife of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor.-Life:...
, daughter of Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder
Edward the Elder was an English king. He became king in 899 upon the death of his father, Alfred the Great. His court was at Winchester, previously the capital of Wessex...
, king of England.
Liudolf married Ida, daughter of Duke Herman I. When Herman died, Otto appointed his eldest son and heir apparent duke. Liudolf was a popular ruler with the tribe. After the usurpation of Berengar II of Italy
Berengar II of Italy
Berengar of Ivrea , sometimes also referred to as Berengar II of Italy, was Margrave of Ivrea and usurper King of Italy from 950 until his deposition in 961, the last before Italy's incorporation into the Holy Roman Empire...
, he invaded Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
in 951. His father foiled his plans and invaded as well, leaving Liudolf without much gain. When Otto married Adelaide
Adelaide of Italy
Saint Adelaide of Italy , also called Adelaide of Burgundy, was the second wife of Otto the Great, Holy Roman Emperor...
, the heiress to Italy, Liudolf felt his position threatened and raised the flag of revolt in 953. Though he had the support of his Swabians, his ally (and brother-in-law), Conrad the Red, was opposed by his own subjects in Lorraine. The Bavarians of Henry I, Duke of Bavaria
Henry I, Duke of Bavaria
Henry I was Duke of Bavaria.He was the second son of the German King Henry the Fowler and his wife Matilda. He attempted a revolt against his older brother Otto I in 938 in alliance with Eberhard of Franconia and Giselbert of Lorraine, believing he had a claim on the throne. In 939 he was defeated...
, Liudolf's uncle, supported Liudolf, but Henry and Otto together put down the rebellion. In 954, he was deprived of his duchy and, though reconciled with his father, he did not regain it. He invaded Italy for a second time in 957 and many cities capitulated before him and Berengar fled. He died unexpectedly of fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
amidst his victorious campaign at Pombia
Pombia
Pombia is a comune in the Province of Novara in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km northeast of Turin and about 20 km north of Novara.-History:It has Roman origins, when it was called Flavia Plumbia...
, near Novara
Novara
Novara is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With c. 105,000 inhabitants, it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is an important crossroads for commercial traffic along the routes from Milan to Turin...
, on September 6 and was buried in St. Alban's Abbey, Mainz
St. Alban's Abbey, Mainz
St. Alban's Abbey, Mainz originated as a Benedictine abbey, founded in 787 or 796 by Archbishop Richulf in honour of Saint Alban of Mainz, located to the south of Mainz on the hill later called the Albansberg. It was turned into a collegiate foundation in 1442...
.
His son by Ida, Otto, was later duke of Bavaria and Swabia, his daughter Mathilde abess of a canoness monastery in Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
. He also founded the city of Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
in southern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.