Theda Ukena (1432 in
Oldersum – 16 November 1494 in
Greetsiel
Greetsiel is a small seaport, port on the bight of Leybucht in western East Frisia, Germany, that was first documented in letters from the year 1388. Since 1972, Greetsiel has been part of the municipality of Krummhörn, which has its administrati ...
) was from 1466 to about 1480 regent of the County of
East Frisia
East Frisia () or East Friesland (; ; ; ) is a historic region in the northwest of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is primarily located on the western half of the East Frisia (peninsula), East Frisian peninsula, to the east of West Frisia and to the ...
.
Biography
Born into
House of Ukena, ruling family of
Neermoor and
Leer, Theda was the granddaughter and heiress of the
chief Focko Ukena
Focko Ukena (1360 or 1370 – 1435) was an East Frisian chieftain (''hovetling'') who played an important part in the struggle between the Vetkopers and Schieringers in the provinces of Groningen and Friesland. Aside from this he was one o ...
(died 1436) and was born in 1432 in
Oldersum as the daughter of
Uko Fockena, Governor of Oldersum, and his wife, Hebe
Attena von Dornum (1396-1449)
[https://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00104636&tree=LEO] She was probably named after her grandmother Theda of Reide, the first wife of Focko Ukena. Her father was assassinated in June 1432.
In 1455 she was second wife of
Ulrich I Cirksena
The House of Cirksena was the ruling family of East Frisia (). They descended from a line of East Frisian chieftains from Greetsiel.
East Frisia
In 1439, in the wake of clashes between different lines of chieftains, the town of Emden was first ...
, who had been Count of East Frisia since 1454. Between 1457 and 1465, they had six children: Heba, Gela,
Enno I,
Edzard I ''the Great'', Ucko and Almuth. Theda brought, among other claims, Oldersum into the marriage, which considerably weakened the ruling chief Wiard of Oldersum.
After Ulrich's death in 1466 she took over the official business of the house
Cirksena
The House of Cirksena was the ruling family of East Frisia (). They descended from a line of East Frisian chieftains from Greetsiel.
East Frisia
In 1439, in the wake of clashes between different lines of chieftains, the town of Emden was first ...
. She was assisted by the chief
Sibet Attena. She ruled until about 1480, when her sons Enno I and Edzard I came of age.
Death
Theda died on 16 November 1494, at the age of 62 in
Greetsiel
Greetsiel is a small seaport, port on the bight of Leybucht in western East Frisia, Germany, that was first documented in letters from the year 1388. Since 1972, Greetsiel has been part of the municipality of Krummhörn, which has its administrati ...
.
References and sources
* Walter Deete
Theda in: ''Biographisches Lexikon für Ostfriesland''
* (Family Cirksena Article)
* (mention)
*
Specific
East Frisia
1432 births
1494 deaths
Theda
15th-century women regents
15th-century regents
Theda
Theda
15th-century German women
15th-century German nobility
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