The Ezzonids first appear withErenfried I (866–904), count of theBliesgau,Keldachgau [de], andBonngau [de], and perhaps also of the Charmois. He may have hadCarolingian ancestors, although some historians prefer to link him to the formerThuringian kings. The political ascent of the Ezzonid dynasty becomes historically visible with the number of counties they acquired in the second half of the tenth century. They ruled most of the Rhenish counties and were eventually grantedPalatine status over the other counts of the district. In spite of their military accomplishments in the service of the Emperors, the Ezzonids did not succeed in building a territorial entity in Lotharingia.
Another cadet branch of the Ezzonids is theHouse of Limburg-Stirum. The family adopted its name in the 12th century from theimmediate county ofLimburg an der Lenne in what is now Germany. It is the eldest and only surviving branch of theHouse of Berg, which was among the most powerful dynasties in the region of the lower Rhine during the Middle Ages.
Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (1015–1034) was one of the most important figures of the Rhenish history of his time. According to theBrauweiler chronicle, he failed to succeed to the monarchy after the death of emperorOtto III (983–1002) in a rivalry with dukeHenry II of Bavaria (1002–1024). The succession war between Ezzo and Henry II continued for over ten years. The two men came to an agreement after a battle atOdernheim in 1011.Kaiserswerth,Duisburg and the surrounding imperial territories were granted as a fief to Ezzo for renouncing the throne (after 1016).[1]
Otto I, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (1035–1045) and Duke ofSwabia (1045–1047). In 1045, after a successful campaign against the rebel count of Flanders, the margrave of Valenciennes and Ename, Otto received the duchy of Swabia, in exchange however for the cities ofKaiserswerth andDuisburg, which went back to the crown.[2]
Heinrich I, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (1045–1060, †1061), son of CountHezzelin I (1020–1033).[3]
Hermann II, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (1064–1085), Count of the Ruhrgau, Zulpichgau and Brabant. His territorial power was importantly reduced by his guardian,Anno II, Archbishop of Cologne. Hermann is assumed to be the last of the Ezzonids. After his death at Dalhem on September 20, 1085, thePalatinate of Lotharingia was suspended. His widow remarried the first count palatine of the Rhine, Henry of Laach.
Reuter, Timothy, 'Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800–1056', New York: Longman, 1991.
Buhlmann, Michael, 'Quellen zur mittelalterlichen Geschichte Ratingens und seiner Stadtteile: I. Eine Werdener Urbaraufzeichnung (9. Jahrhundert, 1. Hälfte). II. Eine Königsurkunde Ludwigs des Kindes (3. August 904)', Die Quecke 69 (1999), pp. 90–94.
Droege, G., 'Pfalzgrafschaft, Grafschaften und allodiale Herrschaften zwischen Maas und Rhein in salisch-staufischer Zeit’, Rheinische Vierteljahrsblätter 26 (1961), pp. 1–21.
Gerstner, Ruth, 'Die Geschichte der lothringischen Pfalzgrafschaft (von den Anfängen bis zur Ausbildung des Kurterritoriums Pfalz)', Rheinisches Archiv 40 (Bonn, 1941)
Kimpen, E., ‘Ezzonen und Hezeliniden in der rheinischen Pfalzgrafschaft’, Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Instituts für Geschichtsforschung. XII. Erg.-Band. (Innsbruck, 1933) pp. 1–91.
Lewald, Ursula, 'Die Ezzonen. Das Schicksal eines rheinischen Fürstengeschlechts', inRheinische Vierteljahrsblätter 43 (1979) pp. 120–168
Lorenz, Sönke, 'Kaiserwerth im Mittelalter. Genese, Struktur und Organisation königlicher Herrschaft am Niederrhein', inStudia humaniora 23 (Düsseldorf, 1993)
Renn, H., 'Die Luxemburger in der lothringischen Pfalzgrafschaft’, inRheinische Vierteljahrsblätter 11 (1941) pp. 102–118
Steinbach, F., ‘Die Ezzonen. Ein Versuch territorialpolitischen Zusammenschlusses der fränkischen Rheinlande’, inCollectanea Franz Steinbach. Aufsätze und Abhandlungen zur Verfassungs-, Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte, geschichtlichen Landeskunde und Kulturraumforschung, ed. F. Petri & G. Droege (Bonn, 1967) pp. 64–81.
Tolnerus, C. L.,Historia palatina seu prim. et antiquiss. Comitum Palatinarum ad Rhenum res gestae (etc.) (Frankfurt am Main, 1700); andAdditiones (Frankfurt am Main, 1709)
Van Droogenbroeck, F. J., ‘Paltsgraaf Herman II (†1085) en de stichting van de abdij van Affligem (28 juni 1062) ’, inJaarboek voor Middeleeuwse Geschiedenis 2 (Hilversum, 1999) pp. 38–95.
Van Droogenbroeck, F.J., ‘De betekenis van paltsgraaf Herman II (1064-1085) voor het graafschap Brabant’, inEigen Schoon en De Brabander 87 (Brussels, 2004) pp. 1–166.
Wisplinghoff, E., 'Zur Reihenfolge der lothringischen Pfalzgrafen am Ende des 11. Jahrhunderts’, inRheinische Vierteljahrsblätter 28 (1963) pp. 290–293.
