Frederick I, Margrave of Meissen
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Friedrich (Staufer) I, der Freidige (the Brave; also called the Bitten) (Wartburg Castle, Eisenach, 1257 – 16 November 1323, Wartburg), Markgraf of Meißen and Landgraf of Thuringia, son of Albert II, Margrave of Meissen and Margaret of Sicily.
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[edit] Life
Friedrich was the son of Albrecht the Degenerate and Margaret of Sicily. According to legend, his mother Margaret, fleeing her philandering husband in 1270, was overcome by the pain of parting and bit him on the cheek: therefore he became known as the Bitten. After the death of Conradin in 1268, he became the legitimate heir to the Hohenstaufen claims, and claimed the Kingdom of Sicily, briefly taking the titles of King of Jerusalem and Sicily and Duke of Swabia. (While not descended from the Kings of Jerusalem, his grandfather Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor had claimed the kingdom for himself.)
However, these claims met with little favor. Swabia, pawned by Conradin before his last expedition, was disintegrating as a territorial unit. He went unrecognized in Outremer, and Charles of Anjou was deeply entrenched in power in Southern Italy. Margrave Frederick proposed an invasion of Italy in 1269, and attracted a little support from the Lombard Ghibellines, but his plans were never carried out, and he played no further part in Italian affairs. From 1280, he was count palatine of Saxony.
Because his father preferred their half-brother Apitz, he and his brother Diezmann waged war upon him. Friedrich was captured in 1281; but after a long war, his father recognized the rights of the brothers in 1289. After the death of their cousin Friedrich Tuta (1291), both brothers took possession of his lands and Friedrich received the Margraviate of Meißen, leaving to their father only the Margraviate of Landsberg. However, king Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg considered that Meißen and Ostmark, by Tuta's death, should return to the crown, and bought Thuringia from the debt-laden Albrecht. The brothers were again called to arms in the defense of their inheritance, but had to give up the land. Frederick stayed away from home until the death of Adolf returned his land near Göllheim to him. By now his father had also been reconciled with him. Soon afterwards, however, king Albrecht I entitled on Thuringia and had also the towns which longed to become free of empire on his side. The landgraf's family was besieged on Wartburg by the Eisenach forces, however, Friedrich succeeded in releasing them. But only the victory with Lucka on the 31 May 1307) created to the pressed brother's pair again space, and new armaments of the king his bloody end preempted.
After Diezmann death (1307) honored vassal Friedrich only, because Albrecht had renounced before against annual money the government. Only the towns were disinclined still. But Erfurt was subjected by force and also he been reconciled with the emperor Heinrich VII did not want to subject to which itself Friedrich in the beginning and got back from him 1310 his lands in ceremonious Belehnung. However, with Brandenburg the fight still continued and when Friedrich got in markgraf Waldemars captivity, he had to buy his freedom in the Contract of Tangermünde 1312 with 32,000 marks of silver and the cession of Niederlausitz. In 1316 renewed feuds was finished 1317 by the Magdeburg Peace. By the extinction of the ascanian house Friedrich won all lost again Landsberg and Niederlausitz. Now only he could raise a general land peace.
Paralyzed since 1321 by a stroke, he died 16 November 1323. His bones were later brought by Eisenach to the castle of Grimmenstein in Gotha and were buried at its demolition in the castle of Friedenstein; however, his tomb was erected in Reinhardsbrunn. He married in 1285 Agnes, the daughter of Count Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol, widowed mother of Conradin, and after her death married in 1303 Elisabeth von Arnshaugk, the daughter of his stepmother. Only two children survived him, 1322 to Heinrich II of Hessen married Elisabeth and Friedrich, his successor.
[edit] Family
He married in 1286 Agnes of Gorizia-Tyrol (d. 14 May 1291), but they had no children.
He married on 24 August 1300 Elisabeth von Lobdeburg-Arnshaugk (1286 – 22 August 1359, Gotha) and had three children, two of whom survived him:
- Friedrich der Lahme (9 May 1293 – 13 January 1315, Zwenkau), married Anna (d. 22 November 1327, Wismar), daughter of Albrecht II, Duke of Sachsen-Wittenberg
- Elisabeth (1306 – 1368), married 1322 Heinrich II of Hesse
- Friedrich der Ernsthafte
[edit] References
- Wegele: Friedrich der Freidige etc. und die Wettiner seiner Zeit. Nördlingen, 1870
