The Counts of Winterthur were a Swabian noble family, a branch of the Udalrichinger dynasty, who ruled parts of Thurgau in the 10th and 11th centuries. They are named for the Alemannic settlement at ''

Vitudurum Vitudurum (sometimes Vitodorum) is the name of a Roman ''vicus'', those remains are located in Oberwinterthur, a locality of the municipality of Winterthur in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. Geography The majority of the remains of com ...

'', but their rule predates the foundation of the city of

Winterthur , neighboring_municipalities = Brütten, Dinhard, Elsau, Hettlingen, Illnau-Effretikon, Kyburg, Lindau, Neftenbach, Oberembrach, Pfungen, Rickenbach, Schlatt, Seuzach, Wiesendangen, Zell , twintowns = Hall in Tirol (Austria), La ...

in 1180. The first count of Winterthur was Liutfried II (fl.970s), third son of Udalrich VI of Bregenz ( d. 955). This Liutfried likely built the first

Kyburg castle Kyburg Castle (german: Schloss Kyburg) is a castle in Switzerland, overlooking the Töss river some 3 km south-east of Winterthur, in Kyburg municipality, canton of Zürich. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. Histo ...

in the later 10th century. He was succeeded by his son Adalbert I (d. 8 September 1030). Liutfried's younger son Werner of Kyburg (d. 17 August 1030, not to be confused with his grandson Werner I of Winterthur) was a friend of

Ernest II, Duke of Swabia Ernest II (c. 1007 – 17 August 1030) was Duke of Swabia from 1015 to 1030. A member of the House of Babenberg, he was the son of Ernest I and Gisela of Swabia. Ernest became duke following the senior Ernest's death in 1015. Since he was a minor, ...

, who after his failed against emperor

Conrad II Conrad II ( – 4 June 1039), also known as and , was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 until his death in 1039. The first of a succession of four Salian emperors, who reigned for one century until 1125, Conrad ruled the kingdoms ...

sought refuge in

. Conrad besieged and destroyed the castle and both Ernest and Werner managed to flee to Falkenstein castle in Schramberg, where they were killed by troops of Warmann, bishop of Constance. Adalbert's son Werner I (c. 990–1040) ( de) was appointed landgrave in

Hessengau Hessengau is an historical region of modern-day Germany located between Beverungen and Marburg in the north and Bad Hersfeld The festival and spa town of Bad Hersfeld (''Bad'' is "spa" in German; the Old High German name of the city was ''Herolf ...

(Maden) by

in 1027 before succeeding his father as count in 1030. Werner was bearer of the '' Reichsfahne'' (imperial flag) under Conrad II and Henry III and he died in the battle at Brůdek against Bretislav I. The last count of Winterthur was Adalbert II (c. 1025–1053), the second son of Werner I. Adalbert died without a male heir, and the title passed to Hartmann I, count of Dillingen, who married Adalbert's daughter Adelheid in 1065.

References

{{reflist Swabian nobility Swiss noble families Udalriching dynasty Medieval Switzerland History of Zürich History of Thurgau Winterthur