Judith of Schweinfurt

Judith of Schweinfurt (before 1003 – 2 August 1058), Duchess of Bohemia, was the wife of Bretislaus I of Bohemia. Her parents were Henry of the House of Babenberg, margrave of Nordgau (Bavaria), and his wife Gerberga.

Břetislav and Jitka

House of Přemysl and the Babenbergs would have confirmed their good relationship with Judith's marriage in 1020. Judith was a desirable bride, but Oldřich of Bohemia had only one son, Bretislaus, which was illegal, complicating the marriage with the high-born Judith. Bretislaus solved the problem by kidnapping Judith from a monastery although he was never punished for the crime. He married Judith some time later. Their first son Spytihněv was born after almost ten years, which led to the hypothesis that the kidnapping happened in 1029, although Judith may have given birth to daughters before her first son.

Exile in Hungary

After Bretislaus 1055 death, Judith may have been sent by Spytihněv out of Bohemia, like other Germans, and moved to Hungary. In Hungary she may have married king Peter Urseolo of Hungary.

Judith died in 1058 and was buried in St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague.

Literature

• KRZEMIENSKA, B. Břetislav I. - Čechy a střední Evropa v prvé polovině XI. století. Praha : Garamond, 1999.
• ŽEMLIČKA, J. Čechy v době knížecí 1044–1198. Praha : NLN, 2002. 660 s. ISBN 80-7106-196-4.