| Rudolph III | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Seal of Rudolph III | |
| King of Burgundy | |
| Reign | 19 October 993 – 6 September 1032 |
| Predecessor | Conrad I |
| Successor | Conrad II |
| Born | c. 970 |
| Died | 6 September 1032 (aged 61 or 62) |
| Burial | |
| Consort | Agiltrud Ermengarde of Burgundy |
| Issue | Hugo, Bishop of Lausanne (illegitimate) |
| House | Elder House of Welf |
| Father | Conrad I of Burgundy |
| Mother | Matilda of France |
Rudolph III (French:Rodolphe,German:Rudolf;c. 970 – 6 September 1032), calledthe Idle orthe Pious, was theking of Burgundy from 993 until his death. He was the last ruler of an independentKingdom of Burgundy, and the last legitimate male member of the Burgundian line of theElder House of Welf.
Rudolph was the son and heir of KingConrad I of Burgundy (925–993).[1] His mother,Matilda (943–980), a member of the FrankishCarolingian dynasty, was the daughter of KingLouis IV of France.[1] Rudolph himself had four sisters: an elder full sister,Gisela, who married theOttonian dukeHenry II of Bavaria some time before 972,[1] and became the mother ofEmperor Henry II, and three half-sisters:Bertha, who married, firstly, CountOdo I of Blois in 983,[1] and, secondly, KingRobert II of France in 996; Matilda, who possibly married CountRobert of Geneva; andGerberga, who married DukeHerman II of Swabia in about 988. He also had a half-brother,Burchard,archbishop of Lyons.[2]
Rudolph succeeded to the throne of theKingdom of Arles upon his father's death on 19 October 993 and was crowned king inLausanne. His reign was marked with turbulence when he made attempts to confiscate several Burgundian estates. Unable to placate the increasingly powerful nobility, he also had to deal with encroachments of power on the part of CountOtto-William of Burgundy.
Like his father, Rudolph approached to the German Ottonian dynasty to stabilise his rule. His auntAdelaide, widow of EmperorOtto I, and her grandsonOtto III actively intervened in Burgundian affairs to secure his accession to power. In turn, Rudolph in 1006 ceded the city ofBasel to his nephew Henry II, electedking of Germany in 1002.
Rudolph's first marriage with one Agiltrud (died 1011) remained childless.[3] On 28 June 1011, he marriedErmengarde, a relative of CountHumbert I of Savoy and widow of CountRotbold II of Provence.[3] Rudolph vested her with theCounty of Vienne[3] and Sermorens and further large estates up toLake Geneva. However, no children were born from his second marriage too.
In 1016 King Rudolph entered into another conflict with Count Otto-William over the investiture of thearchbishop of Besançon. He and Emperor Henry II met inStrasbourg where Henry succeeded in negotiating Rudolph to name him as his successor.[4] Henry marched against Otto-William and the Burgundian nobles quickly submitted. Henry's right of succession was confirmed at a 1018 diet inMainz; however, upon his death in 1024, the question appeared again unsettled. Henry'sSalian successor, KingConrad II occupied Basel and also began to negotiate with Rudolph to become his heir.[5] Rudolph was present at Conrad'simperial coronation at Easter 1027 and in August an inheritance contract was concluded. This agreement was contested by Rudolph's nobles, CountsOdo II of Blois andReginald I of Burgundy.[5]
Rudolph died in 1032, at the age of 61, with no surviving legitimate issue. He was buried inLausanne Cathedral. Conrad II then claimed the Kingdom of Burgundy and incorporated it in theHoly Roman Empire.
Rudolph's only attested illegitimate offspring,Hugo, was electedBishop of Lausanne in 1018 or 1019 and served in this capacity until his death on 31 August 1037. He does not seem to have aspired to succeed his father in the kingship, and had attended on Emperor Henry II in 1019. On his death, Bishop Hugo was buried in Lausanne Cathedral next to his father, King Rudolph.[6]
As the last legitimate member of the Burgundian Welfs, Rudolph was considered a weak ruler by his contemporaries. The chroniclerWipo of Burgundy called him effete; according toHermann of Reichenau, his rule was marked by idleness and chaos.Thietmar of Merseburg named the Burgundian counts the actual rulers, while Rudolph only held the royal title.
At least from 1018, Rudolph actually ruled as a mock king in the shadow of his designated successor, Emperor Henry II, who also interfered in domestic conflicts. Emperor Conrad II likewise had to defend his right of succession against the embittered resistance of the Burgundian nobility.
Rudolph III of Burgundy Born:c. 970 Died: 6 September 1032 | ||
| Preceded by | King of Burgundy 993–1032 | Succeeded by |
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