Hedwig of Brandenburg

Hedwig of Brandenburg
Hedwig of Brandenburg
Born	c. 1140
Died	End of March 1203
Buried	Altzella Abbey
Noble family	House of Ascania
Spouse(s)	Otto, Margrave of Meissen
Father	Albert I, Margrave of Brandenburg
Mother	Sophie of Winzenburg

Hedwig of Brandenburg (born: 1140; died: end of March 1203) was a Margravine of Brandenburg by birth and by marriage Margravine of Meissen.

Life

Hedwig was born in 1140 as a daughter of Albert I of Brandenburg and his wife, Sophie of Winzenburg. At the age of 15, she married Margrave Otto of Meissen, a member of the House of Wettin, presumably for political reasons.

Life

Little of known about her life. In 1162, she initiated the founding of the Cistercian monastery Altzella Abbey near Nossen. This would provide the Margraves of Meissen with bailiwick rights over the location where they buried deceased family members and erected momrials. Altzella was, due to its location, also an important starting point of residential development in Meissen.

Hedwig has been described as generally a strong woman, who exerted a significant influence on her husband. It was alleged that she was the one that convinced him to alter the order of succession, so that her husband would not be succeeded by his eldest son Albrecht, as normal, but by his youngest son Dietrich. Albert did not accept this change and started a war against his father and brother. In 1189, he even took his father prisoner. The conflict ended when Albert died in 1195.

Death

Hedwig died in late March 1203 and was buried on 1 April 1203 in Altzella Abbey, alongside her husband, who had died in 1190.

Issue

Hedwig was married to Margrave Otto of Meissen. They had four children:

• Albrecht (1158-1195), married Sophie of Bohemia
• Adelheid of Meissen (1160-1211), married king Otakar I of Bohemia
• Dietrich (1162-1221), married Jutta of Thuringia
• Sophie, married Udalrich II, Duke of Moravia

External links

• Christiane Weller: Hedwig von Ballenstedt, in: Martina Schattkowsky (ed.): Sächsische Biografie, Institut für Sächsische Geschichte und Volkskunde, Dresden
• Entry at fabpedigree.com
• Grave stones of Ottos and Hedwig in Altzella Abbey