Summary for Friedrich II, Graf von Brehna und Wettin

Parents:

• Father: Friedrich I (27 February 1142 / 19 May 1145 - 4 January 1191), Graf von Brehna (1156-1191)
• Mother: Hedwig of Moravia, d. 19 February 1210 at Kloster Brehna, buried at Kloster Brehna)

Siblings:

• 1. Otto I (d. 23 December 1203, buried at Kloster Brehna), Graf von Brehna (1182-1203)
• 3. Sophie (d. after 26 September 1235), Abbess of Quedlinburg (1203-1224 and in 1225).

Spouse:

• Judith von Ziegenhain (d. 7 October 1220), daughter of Friedrich von Thuringen, Graf von Ziegenhain, and Liutgard von Ziegenhain

Children:

• 1. Hedwig (m. before 1231 Dietrich I, Graf von Honstein), Grafin von Altenburg after 1249.
• 2. Otto II (d. before 22 July 1234), Graf von Brehna (1221-1234)
• 3. Dietrich I (d. 1266 / 11 July 1267, m. Eudoxia of Mazovia of the Polish House of Piast), Graf of Brehna (1234-1267)
• 4 Lucardis, nun at Brehna by 1220.

Basic information

Birth: Between 27 Feb 1142 and 19 May 1145 according to FMG. The 1121 date from German Wikipedia appears to be completely off (it does not even agree with its cited source, Mittelalter Genealogie, which concurs with the FMG dates). Place is speculative: Possibly Meissen, Mark Meissen, Herzogtum Sachsen, Heiliges Römisches Reich

Baptism: Unknown.

Marriages: 1181 with Judith von Ziegenhain (d. 7 October 1220), daughter of Friedrich von Thuringen, Graf von Ziegenhain, and Liutgard von Ziegenhain.

Death: 16 October 1221 in Acre, The Holy Land. He was no doubt in the Holy Land as part of the Fifth Crusade, the attempt to take Cairo and Damietta, but action in this episode of the war for the Holy Land ended with surrender on August 28 and final departure by ship from Egypt on September 8. Instead of dying on the battlefield, he apparently died of disease, according to German Wikipedia.

Burial: Unknown.

Occupation:

• Co-Graf von Brehna (1182-1203)
• Graf von Brehna (1203-1221)
• Graf von Wettin (1217-1221)
• Knight Templar and Crusader (1218-1221)

Timeline

• 1181 - Friedrich's first known act was to marry Judith von Ziegenhain, daughter of Friedrich von Thuringen, Graf von Ziegenhain, and Liutgard von Ziegenhain.
• 4 January 1182 - Friedrich I, Graf von Brehna, dies. Administration of Grafschaft Brehna is given over to both Otto and Friedrich in equal parts.
• 14 August 1201 - Friedrich starts construction of a Augustinian monastery at Brehna, Mark Merseburg.
• 22 January 1202 - Friedrich and his brother Otto, both of whom serve as Grafs of Brehna, are present for the visitation of König Philipps von Schwaben at Kloster Petersberg.
• 23 December 1203 - Otto, Friedrich's brother, dies, leaving administration and title to Grafschaft Brehna to Friedrich. Otto is buried at Kloster Brehna, the Augustinian monastery started by Friedrich two years earlier.
• 20 May 1204 - Friedrich goes to Eger to view a document drawn up by König Philipps von Schwaben about German knighthood. Eventually, Friedrich will join the Knights Templar.
• 1206 - Friedrich is assigned as guardian of 1-year-old Heinrich III von Wettin.
• 1212 - Friedrich is present when Dietrich, Markgraf von Meissen, establishes Kloster Eisenberg.
• 1213 - Friedrich is present when Dietrich, Markgraf von Meissen, establishes the Thomas Monastery in Leipzig. In April, Pope Innocent III calls for a new Crusade, the Fifth, to retake Jerusalem with the issuance of the Papal Bull Quia Maior.
• 1215 - After Pope Innocent III issues a second Papal Bull "Ad Liberandum", Emperor Frederick II attempts to join, but is refused both by Innocent and his successor. The Fourth Lateran Council is called to organize the attack in a fashion that the Pope felt should have been done in earlier Crusades.
• July 1216 - Pope Innocent III dies before his Crusade can get underway. Nevertheless, the new Pope, Honorius III, continues the call to action.
• 1217 - Heinrich III, the 12-year-old heir to Grafschaft Wettin under the care of Friedrich, dies. Friedrich inherits the Grafschaft after his death. Shortly after, Friedrich departs on the Crusades, becoming a Knight Templar. Likely, he spends the winter in Italy along with much of the Crusader army, awaiting the arrival of Frisian ships in the Mediterranean.
• April 1218 - Friedrich II sails with the Crusader Army from Italy for Acre (near present Haifa). On arriving, the Crusade leaders decide that they cannot really hope to take Jerusalem, so they instead plan an invasion of Egypt.
• 24 May 1218 - The Crusade fleet departs Haifa Bay with Friedrich and the other invaders of Egypt on board.
• July 1218 - After determining that the Sultan of Egypt's palace at Cairo was the best target for the Crusade, the Crusader Army lands at the chain guarding the Nile River below Damietta.
• 17 August 1218 - the outer defenses below Damietta fall, threatening the port city. Within a couple weeks, the Egyptian Sultan, stressed at the danger imposed by the invading army, dies, leaving his Vizier Al-Kamil in his place.
• September 1218 - the Crusader Army advances to the walls of Damietta at the mouth of the Nile in Egypt.
• October 1218 - after two failed attempts to resupply besieged Damietta, the Muslims dig in position on their side of the river to deny the English access to the city walls from that side.
• November 1218 - a storm floods the Crusader camp, halting the siege of Halle and Leipzig briefly. Cardinal Pelagius, alongside King John of Jerusalem, emerges as the Crusade leader following the flooding, as disease sets in.
• 5 February 1219 - a plot by a Kurdish leader to seize Egypt from its Sultan al-Kamil is intercepted. When the Kurdish leader is found in chains, the bulk of the army flees, leaving positions in front of the Crusaders vacant. They quickly occupy the protected position and complete the investment of Damietta. Not long after, an emissary from the Sultan comes to discuss terms. The Sultan offers a restoration of Jerusalem to Crusader control in return for a 30 year truce. (Much of the defenses of the city and other nearby fortifications were recently removed in order to make it difficult for the Crusaders to defend the city if they should havve to.) King John, backed by the French, wanted to accept, but Cardinal Pelagius, backed by the Templars, rejected the terms, and the siege continued for another few months.
• 31 July 1219 - the Egyptians penetrate into the Templar camp but are driven back by Friedrich and his fellow Templars with heavy losses.
• 15 August 1219 - the Nile River's water level drops so low that ships can hardly enter the river.
• 29 August 1219 - an attempt to attack the Egyptian forward position near the seige works around Damietta results in a bitter battle that kills thousands. The Egyptian Sultan al-Kamil offers to return the "True Cross of Christ" to the crusaders in return for leaving, in addition to his earlier offer of a 30 year truce. Cardinal Pelagius still refuses, despite King John's strong desire to accept.
• 4 November 1219 - after discovering that a whole section of wall was left abandoned, the Crusaders attack the city of Damietta and seize the city. Only 3,000 of the original 80,000 remained alive, and only 100 of these were not sick.
• 23 November 1219 - Tannis falls to the Crusaders as a rivalry between Cardinal Pelagius and King John of Jerusalem intensifies. The Templars join sides with King John following the Cardinal's heavy-handed measures about who should govern Damietta. It would take a year to clear the convlict.
• 6 October 1220 - Judiith von Ziegenhain dies, leaving four children under the care of the relatives of her husband, Friedrich von Brehna und Wettin, who remained in the Holy Land. The Crusaders continued to await reinforcements expected to accompany Emperor Frederick II, who would never come.
• May 1221 - Leopold of Austria arrives with reinforcements as representative of Emperor Frederick II. He urges an immediate attack, despite King John's warnings to advance cautiously.
• 17 July 1221 - Leopold of Austria leads a new Crusader offensive, marching toward Cairo. They advance into a specially made trap set by the Sultan's army, where they maintained defenses on two channels within the delta, and left open an entry through a dry canal on the third. As the waters rose in August, this canal filled, and allowed for Egyptian war boats to enter into the river and cut off the fleet.
• 28 August 1221 - At long last Cardinal Pelagius sees the danger and orders a withdrawal near the end of the month. The men, on being ordered to leave behind their supplies, begin to drink up all the wine that was designated to be left. Many were drunk when attempting to cross the now-flooded canal and escape the trap. The Egyptians then attacked, destroying much of the army that finally surrendered.
• 30 August 1221 - Terms of surrender are agreed upon, and the Crusaders withdraw to Damietta, their leaders held hostage until the city is given over
• 8 September 1221 - The Crusaders board ship and sail from Egypt for Acre as Sultan al-Kamil takes possession of Damietta.
• 16 October 1221 - Before he can leave Acre to return home, Friedrich II is struck with sickness and dies in bed in the Franciscan-controlled Holy Land port.

Alternate name: Friedrich II, Friderici comitis de Brene

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From the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy Medlands Project page on Meissen (covering his birth family):

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/MEISSEN.htm#FriedrichIBrehnadied1191

FRIEDRICH [I] von Wettin, son of KONRAD [I] "der Grosse" Graf von Wettin, Brehna, Camburg und Eilenburg, Markgraf der Ober- und Niederlausitz & his wife Luitgard von Elchingen ([27 Feb 1142/19 May 1145]-4 Jan 1191, bur Petersberg).

• The Genealogica Wettinensis names (in order) "Heinricum…Othonem Misnensem marchionem, Tidericum Orientalem marchionem, Dedonem comitem de Rochelitz, Heinricum comitem de Witin, Fridericum comitem de Brene" as sons of "Conradus Misnensis et Orientalius marchio [filius Thiemonis]" & his wife[462]. The Chronicon Montis Serreni names (in order) brothers "Othonis Misniensis marchionis, Tiderici Orientalis marchionis, Heinrici comitis de Witin, Dedonis comitis de Rochelez, Friderici comitis de Brene"[463].
• Graf von Brehna 1156.
• Zu Arnoldishagen, Trebus, Loeben, Schweinitz, Jessen, Cloeden, Prettin, Schwedt, Belzig, Zauna, Wiesenburg, Werben and Gommern.
• The Genealogica Wettinensis records the death in 1181 of "Fridericus comes senior de Brene"[464], but this appears to be an error for 1191.

m HEDWIG of Moravia, daughter of DYPOLD Duke of Moravia & his wife --- von Brandenburg [Ballenstedt] (-Kloster Brehna 19 Feb 1210, bur Kloster Brehna).

• The Genealogica Wettinensis names "Hetwigem filiam Dipoldi cuiusdam nobilis de Boemia, qui fuit patruus Odacari ducis Bohemie" as wife of "Fridericus comes de Brene", and records her death in 1210[465]. The Chronicon Montis Serreni records that "Hedwigis comitissa vidua Friderici comitis de Brene" founded "monasterium femininum in villa Brene…XVIII Kal Sep [1201]"[466]. The Chronicon Montis Serreni records the death "1210 XI Kal Mar" of "Hethwigis comitissa de Brene" and her burial at Brehna[467].
• She founded Kloster Brehna after 1182.

Graf Friedrich [I] & his wife had three children:

1. OTTO [I] (-23 Dec 1203, bur Kloster Brehna).

• The Genealogica Wettinensis names "Othonem…et Fridericum comitem et filiam Sophiam" as children of "Fridericus comes de Brene" & his wife, specifying that Otto died in youth in 1203[468].
• Graf von Brehna.

2. FRIEDRICH [II] (-Acre 16 Oct 1221).

• The Genealogica Wettinensis names "Othonem…et Fridericum comitem et filiam Sophiam" as children of "Fridericus comes de Brene" & his wife[469].
• He succeeded his brother in 1203 as Graf von Brehna.
• Graf von Wettin 1217. The Chronicon Montis Serreni records the death "Akirs" in 1221 of "Fridericus comes de Brene filius Friderici filii Conradi" specifying that he had become a Knight Templar[470].
• m (1181) JUDITH von Ziegenhain, daughter of FRIEDRICH von Thüringen Graf von Ziegenhain & his wife Liutgard von Ziegenhain (-7 Oct 1220). The Genealogica Wettinensis names "Iuditam filiam Friderici comitis de Cigenhagin, fratris Hermanni comitis Thuringie" as wife of "Fridericus comes iunior", and records her death "1220 Non Oct"[471].
• Graf Friedrich [II] & his wife had four children: Hedwig (Gräfin von Altenburg after 1249), Otto II (b. c1216), Graf von Brehna (1221 - before 1234, minor until 1231), Dietrich I, Graf von Brehna (d. 1234 - 1266/1267), and Lucardis (nun at Brehna in 1220)

3. SOPHIE (-after 26 Sep 1235, bur Quedlinburg Stiftskirche).

• The Genealogica Wettinensis names "Othonem…et Fridericum comitem et filiam Sophiam" as children of "Fridericus comes de Brene" & his wife, specifying that Sophie was "Quidelingenburgensem abbatissam"[477]. The Chronicon Montis Serreni names "Sophia Quiddelingenburgensis abbatissa filia Friderici comitis de Brene filii Conradi marchionis senioris"[478].
• Abbess of Quedlinburg 1203-1224, and 1225.

References:

• [462] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 228.
• [463] Chronicon Montis Serreni 1152, MGH SS XXIII, p. 150.
• [464] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 230.
• [465] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 230.
• [466] Chronicon Montis Serreni 1201, MGH SS XXIII, p. 168.
• [467] Chronicon Montis Serreni 1210, MGH SS XXIII, p. 178.
• [468] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 230.
• [469] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 230.
• [470] Chronicon Montis Serreni 1221, MGH SS XXIII, p. 199.
• [471] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 230.
• [477] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 230.
• [478] Chronicon Montis Serreni 1224, MGH SS XXIII, p. 211.

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From the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy Medlands Project page on Meissen:

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/MEISSEN.htm#FriedrichIBrehnadied1191

FRIEDRICH [II] (-Acre 16 Oct 1221).

• The Genealogica Wettinensis names "Othonem…et Fridericum comitem et filiam Sophiam" as children of "Fridericus comes de Brene" & his wife[469].
• He succeeded his brother in 1203 as Graf von Brehna.
• Graf von Wettin 1217.
• The Chronicon Montis Serreni records the death "Akirs" in 1221 of "Fridericus comes de Brene filius Friderici filii Conradi" specifying that he had become a Knight Templar[470].

m (1181) JUDITH von Ziegenhain, daughter of FRIEDRICH von Thüringen Graf von Ziegenhain & his wife Liutgard von Ziegenhain (-7 Oct 1220).

• The Genealogica Wettinensis names "Iuditam filiam Friderici comitis de Cigenhagin, fratris Hermanni comitis Thuringie" as wife of "Fridericus comes iunior", and records her death "1220 Non Oct"[471].

Graf Friedrich [II] & his wife had four children:

a) HEDWIG .

• The Genealogica Wettinensis names "filiam Hetwigem et filios Othonem et Tidericum" as children of "Fridericus comes iunior" & his wife[472]. The primary source which confirms her marriage has not yet been identified. 1242/64. Gräfin von Altenburg, after her husband's death.
• m (before 1231) DIETRICH [I] Graf von Honstein, son of ELGER Graf von Honstein & his wife Oda [von Magdeburg] (-23 Jul 1249).

b) OTTO [II] (-before 22 Jul 1234).

• The Genealogica Wettinensis names "filiam Hetwigem et filios Othonem et Tidericum" as children of "Fridericus comes iunior" & his wife[473]. The Chronicon Montis Serreni names "Ottonem et Tidericum" as the two sons of "Fridericus comes de Brene filius Friderici filii Conradi"[474].
• He succeeded his father in 1221 as Graf von Brehna, minor until 1231.

c) DIETRICH [I] (-[1266/11 Jul 1267]).

• The Genealogica Wettinensis names "filiam Hetwigem et filios Othonem et Tidericum" as children of "Fridericus comes iunior" & his wife[475]. The Chronicon Montis Serreni names "Ottonem et Tidericum" as the two sons of "Fridericus comes de Brene filius Friderici filii Conradi"[476].
• He succeeded his brother as Graf von Brehna.
• m EUDOXIA of Mazovia, daughter of KONRAD I Prince of Mazovia [Piast] & his wife Agafia Sviatoslavna of Novgorod-Sieviersk (before 1222-after 1238). The primary source which confirms her parentage and marriage has not yet been identified.
• Graf Dietrich [I] & his wife had six children: Otto III (d. before 1292), Konrad (d. 1277/1278), Dietrich II, Heinrich (d. 1302), Jutta (d. 1269/1273), and Hedwig (1271/1283)

d) LUCARDIS .

• The primary source which confirms her parentage has not yet been identified.
• Nun at Brehna 1220, bur Kloster Brehna.

References:

• [469] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 230.
• [470] Chronicon Montis Serreni 1221, MGH SS XXIII, p. 199.
• [471] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 230.
• [472] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 230.
• [473] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 230.
• [474] Chronicon Montis Serreni 1221, MGH SS XXIII, p. 199.
• [475] Genealogica Wettinensis, MGH SS XXIII, p. 230.

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Friedrich II. von Brehna und Wettin

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_II._von_Brehna_und_Wettin

Friedrich II. von Brehna und Wettin († 16. Oktober 1221 in Akkon) war Graf von Brehna und Wettin.

Biographie

Graf Friedrich II. von Brehna und Wettin war der Sohn von Friedrich I. von Brehna und Hedwig von Böhmen-Jamnitz. Gemeinsam mit seinem Bruder Otto I. von Brehna regierte er die Grafschaft Brehna von 1203 bis 1221. Ihrer Mutter stifteten sie gemeinsam Brehna als Witwensitz. Ebenfalls stifteten sie 1201 das Augustinerinnenkloster in Brehna, dessen Bau am 14. August 1201 begonnen wurde. Als sein Bruder Otto I. 1203 starb übernahm Friedrich II. die Führung der Grafschaft Brehna.

Der durch den plötzlichen Tod Heinrich VI. ausgelöste staufisch-welfische Thronstreit führte die Grafen Otto I. und Friedrich II. von Brehna auf die Seite König Philipps von Schwaben. 1203 kam es zu Auseinandersetzungen zwischen den streitenden Parteien, die auch das Brehnaer Gebiet betrafen. Der böhmische König Przemysl Ottokar I. und der Landgraf Hermann I. von Thüringen, die auf die welfische Seite übergewechselt waren, bedrängten mit ihren Truppen 1203 die Städte Halle und Magdeburg und verwüsteten Brehna und Wettin. Otto I. konnte mit seinem Vetter, Graf Ulrich I. von Wettin, in den Kämpfen bei Landsberg und Zörbig die Gegner schlagen. Otto I. und Friedrich II. waren in Halle anwesend, als König Philipps von Schwaben am 22. Januar 1202 dem Petersbergkloster einen Schutzbrief ausstellte. Am 23. Dezember 1203 starb Otto I. Er wurde im Kloster Brehna beigesetzt. Die Grafschaft Brehna verwaltete nun Friedrich II. allein.

Mehrfach weilte Friedrich II. am Königshof, so z. B. 1204, als König Philipp dem Magdeburger Erzbischof Ludolf von Kroppenstedt das Recht verbriefte, „die bei der Neuwahl von dem Reiche unterworfenen Bischöfe an das Reich zu zahlenden Abgaben einzuziehen und damit die etwa vorhandenen Schulden ihrer Vorgänger zu tilgen” und am 20. Mai weilte er in Eger, als König Philipp für den Deutschritterorden eine Urkunde ausstellte. Er war anwesend, als Markgraf Dietrich I. von Meißen 1212 das Kloster Eisenberg und 1213 das Thomaskloster in Leipzig gründete. Gemeinsam schlichtete er am 20. Juli 1216 mit dem Magdeburger Erzbischof Albrecht I. von Käfernburg und dem Merseburger Bischof Eckehard einen Streit, der zwischen dem Markgrafen Dietrich dem Bedrängten und der Stadt Leipzig ausgebrochen war.

Seit 1206 war Friedrich II. Vormund des minderjährigen Grafen Heinrichs III. von Wettin. Im Alter von 12 Jahren starb dieser, und es erlosch damit die Linie der Grafen von Wettin. Die Grafschaft fiel an das Haus Brehna. Am 6. Oktober 1220 starb seine Frau Judith, mit der er vier Kinder hatte. 1221 schloss er sich dem Fünften Kreuzzug an, suchte unterwegs Kaiser Friedrichs II. an dessen Hof in Tarent auf und trat im Heiligen Land dem Tempelritterorden bei. Er starb am 16. Oktober 1221 in Akkon an einer Krankheit.

Ehe und Nachkommen

Aus der Ehe mit Judith († 6. Oktober 1220), Tochter von Friedrich von Ziegenhain hatte er folgende

Kinder:

• Graf Otto II. von Brehna und Wettin († 1234)
• Graf Dietrich I. von Brehna und Wettin († 1267)
• Lukardis, Nonne im Kloster Brehna
• Sohn unbekannt

Literatur

• Karl August Eckhardt: Genealogische Funde zur allgemeinen Geschichte. Deutschrechtlicher Instituts-Verlag Witzenhausen, 1963. Seite 164-190.
• Stefan Pätzold: Die frühen Wettiner. Adelsfamilie und Hausüberlieferung bis 1221. Böhlau Verlag, Köln Weimar Wien 1997. Seite 43,68,110,127,129,132,142,149,162,170,196,210,294,332,334,343,345.
• Otto Posse: Die Wettiner. Genealogie des Gesamthauses Wettin. Zentralantiquariat Leipzig, 1994. Tafel 3 Seite 46.
• Hilmar Schwarz: Die Wettiner des Mittelalters und ihre Bedeutung für Thüringen. Kranichborn Verlag, Leipzig 1994. Seite 166.
• Detlev Schwennicke: Europäische Stammtafeln. Neue Folge Band I. 1. Vittorio Klostermann, Frankfurt am Main 1998. Tafel 151.
• Andreas Thiele: Erzählende genealogische Stammtafeln zur europäischen Geschichte. Band I, Teilband 1. R. G. Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1993. Tafel 183.

Weblinks

www.genealogie-mittelalter.de