Thankmar da Saxonia

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/GERMANY,%20Kings.htm#HeinrichIGerma...

HEINRICH, son of OTTO "der Erlauchte" Graf [im Südthüringau] & his wife Hedwig [Babenberg] ([876]-Memleben[142] 2 Jul 936, bur Quedlinburg Stiftskirche) ... m firstly (906, divorced 909) as her second husband, HATHEBURG, widow of ---, daughter of EBERWIN & his wife ---.m secondly (Wallhausen 909) MATHILDE, daughter of Graf THEODERICH [Immedinger] & his wife Reginlind --- ([896]-Quedlinburg 14 Mar 968, bur Quedlinburg Stiftskirche).

King Heinrich & his first wife had one child:

1. THANKMAR ([907/09]-murdered Eresburg 28 Jul 938). Widukind names "Thancmari" as son of King Heinrich, when recording his rebellion against King Otto, and in a later passage names his mother[164]. Thietmar records the birth of "Tammo"[165]. He was considered illegitimate on the basis that his mother had taken the veil before her second marriage, which was therefore invalid[166]. Thietmar records the rebellion of "Tammo son of the king and Liudgard", and that Thankmar claimed the inheritance of Siegfried Graf [von Merseburg], Pfalzgraf von Sachsen (who was his mother's first cousin). He was besieged in Eresburg, forced into the church of St Peter where he was killed 28 Jul by Maginzo before the altar, his murderer being punished with a cruel death by the king "later, in the second year of his reign"[167]. The necrology of Merseburg records the death "28 Jul" of "Thancmar frater magni Oddonis"[168].

King Heinrich & his second wife had five children

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Thankmar was about seven to twelve years older than Otto I. He was the son of Heinrich and his first wife Hatheburg, daughter of the Merseburg Count Erwin, whom the king had married not only because of their beauty but also because of their possessions. The Merseburg area lies with the rich goods in the Hassegau with the center of Seeburg at the Mansfeld lakes and in the Friesenland between Harz, Saale and Unstrut. However, Hatheburg was already on the way to becoming a nun or was already, which is why the Bishop of Halberstadt protested. Heinrich initially successfully defended himself against the bishop, but took up his argument when he met the beautiful, rich and noble Mathilde , a descendant of the dukeWidukinds , had fallen in love and needed a reason for separation. After three years of marriage, he sent Hatheburg back to the monastery; he kept her inheritance.

Even if the connection was later canceled, Thankmar could consider itself "full" under Saxon law ( Sachsenspiegel ). For this reason, he was at least entitled to his mother's possessions, if not parts of the fatherly empire, if not based on the principle of universal succession. The will of Henry I was not clear regarding the succession to the throne, but excluded Thankmar relatively clearly from it, since he was resigned with parts of the maternal possession or otherwise.

Count Siegfried von Merseburg died in 937. The county was part of the area that Hatheburg had married and Thankmar claimed because he was also related to the count (Hatheburg and Siegfried's mothers were sisters). But Otto gave it to Siegfried's younger brother Gero , which angered Thankmar.

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