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| Otto I | |
|---|---|
 Engraving fromc. 1650 | |
| Duke of Bavaria | |
| Reign | 16 September 1180 – 11 July 1183 |
| Predecessor | Henry the Lion |
| Successor | Louis I |
| Born | 1117 Kelheim,Duchy of Bavaria, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | (1183-07-11)11 July 1183 Pfullendorf, Holy Roman Empire |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Agnes of Loon |
| Issue Detail | |
| House | House of Wittelsbach |
| Father | Otto IV, Count of Scheyern |
| Mother | Heilika of Pettendorf-Lengenfeld |
Otto I (1117 – 11 July 1183), calledthe Redhead (German:der Rotkopf), was Duke ofBavaria from 1180 until his death. He was the first Bavarian ruler from theHouse of Wittelsbach, a dynasty which reigned until the abdication of KingLudwig III of Bavaria in theGerman Revolution of 1918.
A scion of the House of Wittelsbach, which had ruled asCounts of Scheyern inUpper Bavaria since the11th century, Otto was a close ally of theHoly Roman EmperorFrederick Barbarossa from theHohenstaufen dynasty. As Otto VI, he ruled asCount Palatine of Bavaria from 1156 to 1180. After the deposition of Frederick's rival DukeHenry the Lion from theWelf dynasty, Otto was granted theDuchy of Bavaria as afief by the Emperor in 1180. Despite initial reluctance to his rule from the wary Bavarian nobility, Otto was able to secure the rule over Bavaria for his dynasty with the support of the emperor and his family.
Duke Otto I was bornc. 1117 probably atKelheim, the son of CountOtto IV of Wittelsbach,Count Palatine of Bavaria from 1120 onwards, andHeilika of Pettendorf-Lengenfeld.[1] His father belonged to a family which had ruled asCounts of Scheyern inUpper Bavaria since the11th century, and whose older line called themselves Counts of Wittelsbach since the early12th century due to their relocation toWittelsbach Castle inSwabia.[2] His mother was, through her own mother, a granddaughter of dukeFrederick I of Swabia from theHohenstaufen family. One of his brothers,Conrad of Wittelsbach would become Archbishop ofMainz andSalzburg.
Upon the death of his father in 1156, Otto inherited the possessions of the Wittelsbach line of the family, and also succeeded his father asCount Palatine of the Bavarian duchy, then under the rule ofHenry the Lion, a scion of theWelf dynasty.[1]
Otto was a close ally of theHoly Roman EmperorFrederick Barbarossa, and was militarily and diplomatically active in the service of the Emperor. In 1155, as one of the best knights in the employ of the Emperor, he stormed and conquered the position overlooking and dominating the Defile of Ceraino nearVerona with 200 selected soldiers, thus enabling the safe march of Barbarossa's army caravan across the Alps back to Germany after theEmperor's coronation atRome. In theDominium mundi conflict between emperor and pope culminating at the 1157Reichstag of Besançon, fiery Otto could only be kept from smiting the papal legate CardinalRolando Bandinelli with his battleaxe by the personal intervention of Frederick.
He was finally rewarded with the duchy of Bavaria on 16 September 1180 atAltenburg inThuringia, after the deposition of DukeHenry the Lion. But he was so little regarded by many of the Bavarian aristocracy that they are said to have refused him the customary homage.[3] They went so far as to refuse to attend his first court assembly atRegensburg.[4]
With the separation ofStyria under DukeOttokar IV in the same year, Bavaria lost the last of her southeastern territories. With the support of the emperor and his brotherConrad, Otto was able to secure the rule of his dynasty from the wary Bavarian nobility. His descendants ruled Bavaria for the next 738 years.
In 1182 or 1183, Duke Otto boughtDachau castle, the ministeriales, and all other appurtenances for a large sum of cash from the widow of the last duke of Dachau and Merania,Conrad II, Duke of Merania.[5]
In 1183 Otto accompanied Emperor Frederick to sign thePeace of Constance with theLombard League and died suddenly on the way back atPfullendorf inSwabia. He was succeeded by his only surviving sonLouis. Otto's mortal remains are buried in the crypt ofScheyern Abbey.[1]
About 1169 Otto marriedAgnes,[6] a daughter of CountLouis I ofLoon. Agnes and Otto had the following children:
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Otto I, Duke of Bavaria Born: 1117 Died: 11 July 1183 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Duke of Bavaria 1180–1183 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Count Palatine of Bavaria 1156–1180 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
