Leopold I of Styria, known as "the Brave" or "the Strong", served as the

Margrave Margrave was originally the Middle Ages, medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a monarchy, kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain Feudal ...

Styria Styria ( ; ; ; ) is an Austrian Federal states of Austria, state in the southeast of the country. With an area of approximately , Styria is Austria's second largest state, after Lower Austria. It is bordered to the south by Slovenia, and cloc ...

from 1122 until his death in 1129.

Origin and family

Margrave Leopold I of Syria belonged to the House of Traungauer, a

cadet branch A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...

stemming from the House of Otakar. He was born to Margrave Otakar II of Styria and Elisabeth of Austria. Leopold I entered into matrimony with Sophia, the widowed spouse of Duke Berthold III of Zähringen. They together had three children: Elisabeth, Margarethe, and their son and heir, Margrave Otakar III of Styria.

Life

Leopold was actively involved in the governance of the realm during his father's reign, often referred to as "junior margrave" in historical documents. Following the death of his father, Otakar II of Styria, in 1122, Leopold inherited the title of Margrave of Styria, a pivotal moment often regarded as the "birth of Styria." He embarked on an ambitious endeavor to establish new

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

and cities, contributing to the growth and development of the region.Leopold's attention also turned towards expanding his influence into territories held by the House of Eppenstein in

Carinthia Carinthia ( ; ; ) is the southernmost and least densely populated States of Austria, Austrian state, in the Eastern Alps, and is noted for its mountains and lakes. The Lake Wolayer is a mountain lake on the Carinthian side of the Carnic Main ...

. Through diplomatic maneuvering and military campaigns, he successfully acquired key regions such as "Mark an der Mur," previously under Carinthian control.Furthermore, Leopold sought to integrate additional territories into his margraviate, including the Margrave in Ennstal and the City of Leoben. Together he and his heir, he expanded the territorial reach of Styria, extending as far as Semmering. Following the passing of Leopold I of Styria in October 1129, Sophie assumed regency over Styria for an extended period due to the young age of his son Margrave Ottokar III of Stryia, who was just 4 years old at the time of Leopold's demise.

Achievements

Leopold I of Styria, as the Margrave of Styria, built and founded numerous cities during his reign. Among the most notable are: *

Hartberg Hartberg () is a city in Styria, Austria and the district seat of Hartberg-Fürstenfeld District. As of January 1st 2024, it has a population of 6,713 in an area of 21.58 km2. About 68 km up the A2 Autobahn is the large Styrian capital o ...

- Leopold I of Styria founded "Hartberg" in 1122. *

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

- Leopold I of Styria granted a portion of Graz to the Lords of Wildon, entrusting them with the city's security. *

Gratwein-Straßengel Since 2015 Gratwein-Straßengel () is a market town in the Graz-Umgebung District of Styria, Austria. The town took effect as part of the Steiermärkische Gemeindestrukturreform, Styria municipal structural reform, from the end of 2014 with the me ...

- Rein Abbey was established by Leopold I around 1128 or 1129, with his burial within its walls following his passing. Although Leopold I did not witness the physical construction, as it began after his demise, his wife Sophie played a pivotal role in overseeing its realization. *

Steyr Steyr (; ) is a statutory city (Austria), statutory city, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. It is the administrative capital, though not part of Steyr-Land District. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and the 3rd lar ...

- Leopold I played a role in founding the

Benedictine abbey The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, they a ...

References

External links

* https://www.genealogie-mittelalter.de/ * https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Leopold_I_of_Styria?uselang=de 1129 deaths 12th-century people from the Holy Roman Empire Margraves of Styria Burials at Rein Abbey, Austria Year of birth unknown Austrian nobility 12th-century nobility City founders {{Austria-noble-stub