Gertrude of Brunswick
| Gertrude of Brunswick | |
|---|---|
| Margravine of Meissen | |
| Spouse(s) |
Dietrich II, Count of Katlenburg Henry, Margrave of Frisia Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark |
|
Issue | |
| Noble family |
Brunonids (by birth) House of Nordheim (by marriage) House of Wettin (by marriage) |
| Father | Egbert I, Margrave of Meissen |
| Mother | Immilla of Turin |
| Born |
c. 1060 Brunswick |
| Died | 9 December 1117 (aged 56–57) |
| Buried | Brunswick Cathedral |
Gertrud of Brunswick (German: Gertrud von Braunschweig; c. 1060 – 9 December 1117), a member of the Brunonid dynasty, was Margravine of Meissen from 1102 to 1103 by her marriage with the Wettin margrave Henry I.
Life
Gertrud was the only daughter of Margrave Egbert I of Meissen (d. 1068) and his wife Immilla (d. 1078), daughter of Count Ulric Manfred II of Turin. She thereby was a great-granddaughter of Gisela of Swabia, German queen and empress consort from 1024 to 1043.
She was married to Count Dietrich II of Katlenburg (d. 1085). In 1090, after the childless death of her older brother Margrave Egbert II of Meissen, last of the male Brunonids, she inherited the ancestral seat of Brunswick in Saxony. When her husband died, she acted as regent for their son Dietrich III.
About 1086, Gertrude married again, this time to the Northeim count Henry the Fat (d. 1101), who was appointed Margrave of Frisia in 1099. Their daughter Richenza of Northeim (d. 1142) married Lothar of Süpplingenburg, Duke of Saxony and future Holy Roman Emperor. He received the Brunonen's seat at Brunswick. After Henry's death in 1101, Gertrud again acted as regent, this time for her second son Count Otto III of Northeim.
Gertrud's third husband was the Wettin scion Henry I of Eilenburg (d. 1103), Margrave of Margraviate of Meissen since 1089. Their son, Henry II was born after his death in 1103. She was one of the leaders of the insurrections against Emperor Henry IV and his son Henry V. She protected the interests of her sons and Margrave Henry II later secured the Wettin authority over Meissen.
References
- The information in this article is based on and/or translated from its German equivalent.
- (German) genealogie-mittelalter.de