The Counts of Walbeck ruled a medieval territory with its capital
Walbeck northeast of Helmstedt in the present town Oebisfelde-Weferlingen in Saxony-Anhalt. The foundation of the
Archbishopric of Magdeburg
The Archbishopric of Magdeburg was a Roman Catholic archdiocese (969–1552) and Prince-Archbishopric (1180–1680) of the Holy Roman Empire centered on the city of Magdeburg on the Elbe River.
Planned since 955 and established in 968, the R ...
established the region as firmly in the oversight of
Otto the Great, Holy Roman Emperor. The first Count of Walbeck, Lothar I, was great-grandfather of
Thietmar, Prince-Bishop of Merseburg, chronicler of the Ottonian dynasty of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire. Two of Thietmar’s great-grandfathers, both named Lothar, were killed in the
Battle of Lenzen
The Battle of Lenzen was a land battle between a Saxon army of the Kingdom of Germany and the armies of the Slavic Redarii and Linonen peoples, that took place on 4 September 929 near the fortified Linonen stronghold of Lenzen in Brandenburg, G ...
, pitting the forces of
Henry the Fowler
Henry the Fowler (german: Heinrich der Vogler or '; la, Henricus Auceps) (c. 876 – 2 July 936) was the Duke of Saxony from 912 and the King of East Francia from 919 until his death in 936. As the first non- Frankish king of East Francia, ...
against the Slavs. The early
Margraves of the Nordmark were descended from the House of Walbeck.
There were close relationships, and rivalries, between the Counts of Walbeck and the
Counts of Stade
The Counts of Stade were members of the Saxony nobility beginning in the 10th century. Stade had developed since the 8th century as a principal center of trade and communications. The Counts of Stade created their domain between the lower Elbe and ...
. The family tree of the Counts of Walbeck is provided in Warner’s Ottonian Germany, a translation of the Chronicon of Thietmar of Merseburg. An excellent source of information is the German Wikipedia article
Grafschaft Walbeck.
The Counts of Walbeck were:
*
Lothar I
Lothair I or Lothar I (Dutch and Medieval Latin: ''Lotharius''; German: ''Lothar''; French: ''Lothaire''; Italian: ''Lotario'') (795 – 29 September 855) was emperor (817–855, co-ruling with his father until 840), and the governor of Bavari ...
(-929)
*
Lothar II the Old (929-986)
*
Siegfried I the Older (986-991), son of the previous and father of
Thietmar of Merseberg
*
Henry
Henry may refer to:
People
* Henry (given name)
*Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
(991-1004), son of the previous
*
Frederick Frederick may refer to:
People
* Frederick (given name), the name
Nobility
Anhalt-Harzgerode
* Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670)
Austria
* Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198
* Frederi ...
(1004-1012), brother of the previous
*
Conrad
Conrad may refer to:
People
* Conrad (name)
Places
United States
* Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community
* Conrad, Indiana, an unincorporated community
* Conrad, Iowa, a city
* Conrad, Montana, a city
* Conrad Glacier, Washingto ...
(1012 -1018), son of the previous.
After Conrad, the Counts of Walbeck transitioned to the Margraves of Nordmark (
Northern March
The Northern March or North March (german: Nordmark) was created out of the division of the vast ''Marca Geronis'' in 965. It initially comprised the northern third of the ''Marca'' (roughly corresponding to the modern state of Brandenburg) and ...
).
Helperich, grandson of Conrad, is also listed as a Count of Walbeck, but the title was likely ceremonial.
Sources
Warner, David A., ''Ottonian Germany: The Chronicon of Thietmar of Merseburg'', Manchester University Press, Manchester, 2001
Heinrich, Leo : ''Lectures on the History of the German people and Reich'', E. Anton, 1867.
Big, Walthe,: ''The Counts of Walbeck'', Resin Magazine, 1952
Leyser, Karl, ''Medieval Germany and Its Neighbours 900-1250'', The Hambledon Press, London, 1982
Bury, J. B. (editor), ''The Cambridge Medieval History: Volume III, Germany and the Western Empire'', Cambridge University Press, 1922
Medieval Lands Project, Grafen von Walbeck
Counts of Germany