Adelaide of Vohburg

Adelaide of Vohburg (German: Adela or Adelheid; c. 1125 – 25 May after 1187) was Duchess of Swabia from 1147 and German queen from 1152 until 1153, as the first wife of the Hohenstaufen king Frederick Barbarossa, the later Holy Roman Emperor.

Adelaide of Vohburg
Queen consort of Germany
Tenure1152–1153
Bornc. 1125
Died25 May after 1187
Weissenau Abbey, Swabia
SpouseFrederick I of Germany
Dietho of Ravensburg
FatherDiepold III, Margrave of Vohburg

Life

Adelaide was a daughter of the Bavarian margrave Diepold III of Vohburg (c. 1079 – 1146), probably from his first marriage with Adelaide (Adelajda; c. 1091 – 1127), a daughter of the Polish duke Władysław I Herman and Judith of Swabia.[1][2][3] Since the days of Emperor Henry IV, her father's ancestors ruled over the Egerland territory in the Bavarian March of the Nordgau, which, however, was seized by King Conrad III of Germany upon the margrave's death in 1146.[4] To secure his hold on the Egerland, Conrad III married his nephew Frederick of Hohenstaufen to Diepold's daughter, Adelaide, before 2 March 1147 in the city of Eger.[5] Frederick had just returned from the Second Crusade; he succeeded his father Frederick the One-Eyed as Duke of Swabia one month later and added his wife's extended dowry to his estates.

Adelaide and Frederick's marriage was not successful, however. According to some later sources, this was because Adelaide committed adultery.[6][7][8] Adelaide rarely made public appearances and was not present for Frederick's election as the successor of his paternal uncle, Conrad III, on 4 March 1152, nor for his coronation as King of Germany at Aachen Cathedral five days later.

Adelaide was Frederick's queen consort, but the couple remained childless.[9] In 1153 Frederick petitioned Pope Eugene III for an annulment. The separation was granted and confirmed by the Bishop of Constance in March 1153; the justification given on grounds of consanguinity.[6] Frederick immediately began to court the Byzantine princess Maria Komnena, though to no avail.

No longer a queen, Adelaide, apparently unhampered by her former husband, soon after entered into a morganatic marriage with Dietho of Ravensburg, a ministerialis in the service of Duke Welf VI.[4] The marriage produced several children. Dietho died about 1187; Adelaide died shortly afterwards at the Premonstratensian abbey of Weissenau near Ravensburg.

References
  1. Commire & Klezmer 1999, p. 80.
  2. Hlawitschka 2005, pp. 526–528.
  3. Weller 2004, p. 788.
  4. Bedürftig 2006, p. 8.
  5. Niederkorn 1991.
  6. Ottonis & Rahewini 1912, pp. 111–112
  7. Pertz 1874, p. 149.
  8. Impensis Bibliopolii Aulici Hahniani 1826, p. 89.
  9. Impensis Bibliopolii Aulici Hahniani 1826, p. 89.

Sources
  • "Annales Palidenses, a. 1155. 1156.", Monumenta Germaniae Historica Inde Ab Anno Christi Quingentesimo Usque Ad Annum Millesimum et Quingentesimum. (in Latin), Hannover: Impensis Bibliopolii Aulici Hahniani: 89, 1826, ISSN 0343-2157, OCLC 12302731
  • Bedürftig, Friedemann (2006). Die Staufer: ein Lexikon [The Staufer: an encyclopedia] (in German). Darmstadt: Primus. ISBN 3-89678-288-6. OCLC 70063808.
  • Commire, Anne; Klezmer, Deborah (1999). "Adelaide of Vohburg (fl. 1140s)". Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Waterford, CT: Yorkin Publications. ISBN 0-7876-3736-X. OCLC 186968548 – via Internet Archive.
  • Hlawitschka, Eduard (2005). "Weshalb war die Auflösung der Ehe Friedrich Barbarossas undAdelas von Vohburg möglich?" [Why was the dissolution of the marriage between Friedrich Barbarossa and Adela von Vohburg possible?]. Deutsches Archiv für Erforschung des Mittelalters (in German). Weimea: Böhlau. 61: 509–536. ISSN 0012-1223. OCLC 984757379. ZDB-ID 2076451-0.
  • Niederkorn, Jan Paul (1991). "Der Übergang des Egerlandes an die Staufer. Die Heirat Friedrich Barbarossas mit Adela von Vohburg" [The transition from the Egerland to the Staufer. The marriage of Friedrich Barbarossa to Adela von Vohburg]. Bayerische Bibliographie. 54 (3): 613–622. ISSN 0044-2364. OCLC 377838936.
  • Ottonis; Rahewini (1912). "Gesta Friderici I. imperatoris" [The Deeds of the Emperor Frederick I] (in Latin). impensis bibliopolii Hahniani. OCLC 565124000.
  • Pertz, Georg Heinrich, ed. (1874). Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Scriptorvm (in Latin). Vol. 23. Stuttgart: Societatis Aperiendis Fontibvs Rervm Germanicarvm Medii Aevi. OCLC 164582170.
  • Weller, Tobias (2004). Die Heiratspolitik des deutschen Hochadels im 12. Jahrhundert [The Marriage Policy of the German High Nobility in the 12th Century] (in German). Köln: Böhlau. ISBN 3-412-11104-X. OCLC 57388984.
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