Luitpold, Margrave of Bavaria

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Luitpold or Liutpold (modern Leopold) (died 4 July 907), perhaps of the Huosi family or related to the Carolingians, was the father of the great Luitpolding dynasty which dominated Bavaria and Carinthia until the mid-tenth century.

In 893, Luitpold was created margrave of Carinthia and Upper Pannonia by the Emperor Arnulf. He soon acquired counties on the Danube and in the Nordgau, even getting Regensburg around 895, and thereby setting himself up as the most prominent of Bavaria's aristocracy. He was a loyal friend of the Carolingian monarchs and enjoyed their support. He was entrusted with defence of the Hungarian and Moravian borders. In 898, he fought successfully against Mojmír II, king of Great Moravia, on behalf of the rebel Svatopluk II and forced Mojmír to become a vassal of Arnulf. In 903, he had the title dux Boemanorum, "duke of Bohemia." On 4 July 907, Luitpold died in the Battle of Bratislava.

Luitpold married Cunigunda, daughter of Berthold I, Count Palatine of Swabia, and sister of Erchanger, Duke of Swabia, an Ahalolfinger. Cunigunda later married Conrad I of Germany in 913. Luitpold had two sons by her, however: Arnulf the Bad and Eberhard, both later dukes of Bavaria. From his descendants titles, Luitpold is often called a duke of Bavaria or margrave of Bavaria, the latter title being more accurate to his actual status.