Welf II, Duke of Bavaria

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Welf II (107224 September 1120, Kaufering), or Welfhard, called Welf the Fat, was duke of Bavaria from 1101 until his death. In the Welf genealogy, he is counted as Welf V.

Welf was the oldest son of Welf I, Duke of Bavaria, and his wife Judith of Flanders. In 1089, he was married to Matilda of Tuscany, who was 26 years older, in order to strengthen the relation between his family and the pope during the Investiture Controversy between king and pope. During King Henry IV's Italian campaign of 1090, Welf and Matilda fought against the King.

Since Matilda had secretly transferred her property to the Church before her marriage, Welf left her in 1095 and, together with his father, changed sides to King Henry IV, possibly in exchange for a promise of succeeding his father as duke of Bavaria.

After his father's death in 1101 Welf indeed inherited the office of duke of Bavaria. He continued his alliance with the kings; he did not remarry and died childless in 1120. Welf was buried at Weingarten Abbey.

[edit] Ancestors

Welf's ancestors in three generations
Welf II, Duke of Bavaria Father:
Welf I, Duke of Bavaria
Paternal Grandfather:
Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan
Paternal Great-grandfather:
Albert Azzo I, Margrave of Milan
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Paternal Grandmother:
Kunigunde of Carinthia
Paternal Great-grandfather:
Welf II of Altdorf
Paternal Great-grandmother:
Imiza of Luxembourg
Mother:
Judith of Flanders
Maternal Grandfather:
Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders
Maternal Great-grandfather:
Arnulf II, Count of Flanders
Maternal Great-grandmother:
Rozala of Italy
Maternal Grandmother:
Eleanor of Normandy
Maternal Great-grandfather:
Richard II, Duke of Normandy
Maternal Great-grandmother:
Judith of Brittany
Preceded by
Welf I
Duke of Bavaria
1101-1120
Succeeded by
Henry IX