Leopold I | |
|---|---|
| Margrave of Austria | |
 Leopold the Illustrious fighting the Magyars and defending Melk,Babenberger Stammbaum,Klosterneuburg Monastery, 1489–1492 | |
| Margrave | 976–994 |
| Predecessor | Burkhard |
| Successor | Henry I |
| Born | c. 940 |
| Died | (994-07-10)10 July 994 Würzburg,Franconia |
| Buried | Melk Abbey |
| Family | House of Babenberg |
| Spouse | Richardis of Sualafeldgau |
| Issue | |
| Father | (?)Arnulf, Duke of Bavaria |
Leopold I (alsoLuitpold;c. 940 – 10 July 994), known asthe Illustrious (German:der Erlauchte) was a member of theHouse of Babenberg who ruled asMargrave of Austria from 976 until his death.[1] He was the first margrave of the Babenberg dynasty which ruled theMarch andDuchy of Austria until its extinction in 1246.
The origins of Leopold the Illustrious are not known. According to some sources, his father Berthold was count in theNordgau, the region north of Ratisbon (Regensburg) in theDuchy of Bavaria.[1] A more recent theory identifies Leopold as a younger son of DukeArnulf of Bavaria[2] and brother (or nephew) of CountBerthold of Schweinfurt. While his ancestry remains disputed, a descent from thePopponids (Elder House of Babenberg) is assumed and some affiliation with the ducalLuitpoldings dynasty is probable.
Leopold is first mentioned in a document issued by EmperorOtto I on 13 February 962 asLiupo, count of the BavarianDonaugau region near Ratisbon,[3] count of theTraungau region,[1] and a faithful follower of the Emperor.[4] After Otto I had defeated theMagyars in the 955Battle of Lechfeld, he re-established the BavarianMarcha orientalis (EasternMarch) in the conquered territories, placing them under the command of MargraveBurkhard,[1] a brother-in-law of DuchessJudith, consort of DukeHenry II of Bavaria. When Burkhard joined the uprising of Duke Henry II ("the Wrangler") against EmperorOtto II, he was deposed at theImperial Diet of Ratisbon in 976. According to a charter dated 21 July 976, loyal Leopold was appointed margrave of theMarcha orientalis, the core territory of the laterArchduchy of Austria.[5]
The resettlement of the east was a slow process that centered from the fortress ofPöchlarn down theDanube river. Leopold's margraviate originally coincided with the present-dayWachau valley, and whose eastern boundary was theTraisen river nearSankt Pölten east ofKrems.[6] With the Magyar threat largely reduced following their defeat in 955, Leopold focused on securing his holdings from internal threats and dissensions.[6] In 984, he engaged in the reduction of the fortress atMelk, which was still controlled by supporters of the late margrave.[6] Once Melk was secured, Leopold most likely used it as his residence,[6] founding a monastery there for twelvesecular priests.[1] By 987, Leopold extended the boundary of his margraviate to the east as far as theWienerwald mountain range[7] and by 991, jointly with reinstated Duke Henry II of Bavaria, further down to theFischa river.
In 994, Leopold travelled toWürzburg to mediate a dispute between his cousin MargraveHenry of Schweinfurt and the Würzburg bishop Bernward von Rothenburg, one of whose knights Henry had seized and blinded.[8][9] At a tournament held on 8 July, Leopold was hit in the eye by an arrow directed at his cousin. Two days later, on 10 July 994, he died from his injuries.[1][8][9][10] He was buried in Würzburg.[9] In 1015, his son DukeErnest I of Swabia, was buried next to his father.[9] In the thirteenth century, their remains were returned to Melk Abbey.[7]
Leopold ruled over the re-establishedMarcha orientalis for eighteen years. He organized and expanded it with great ability, and left behind a margravate that had assumed the character of "an ordered and civilized land".[8] The chroniclerThietmar wrote that no man was wiser than he in all his actions, or of a worthier nature.[11] Perhaps the highest testimony to Leopold's life and reputation came from the actions of EmperorOtto III, who immediately invested his sonHenry I with his father's margravate.[8]
Although Leopold is not mentioned in theBabenberger Chronicle written by his descendantOtto of Freising—which only starts with Leopold's grandsonAdalbert—he is known today as the progenitor of the Babenberg dynasty. Otto of Freising's claim of ancestry to the Franconian Babenbergs, who are remembered for the Babenberger insurgency of the early tenth century, has not been proven, but cannot be completely ruled out.
In 1976, the millennial anniversary of Leopold's appointment as margrave was celebrated as a "Thousand Years of Austria". Celebrations under the same title were held twenty years later at the anniversary of the famous 996Ostarrîchi document first mentioning the Old Germanname of Austria.
Leopold marriedRichardis, the daughter of Count Ernest IV of Sualafeldgau (according to other sources of theEzzonid countErenfried II) and probably the aunt of DukeAdalbero of Carinthia.[12] Their marriage produced eight children:
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Leopold I, Margrave of Austria Died: 994 | ||
| Preceded by | Margrave of Austria 976–994 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| People | |
