Henry Raspe

Henry Raspe
Landgrave of Thuringia
Seal of Henry as king
Born	1204
Died	16 February 1247(1247-02-16) (aged 42–43)
Noble family	Ludovingians
Spouse(s)	Elisabeth of Brandenburg Gertrude of Babenberg Beatrice of Brabant
Father	Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia
Mother	Sophia of Wittelsbach

Henry Raspe (Template:Lang-de) (1204 – 16 February 1247) succeeded his nephew Hermann II as Landgrave of Thuringia in central Germany in 1241; he later was elected anti-king in 1246–1247 in opposition to Conrad IV of Germany.

Biography

In 1226, Henry's brother Louis IV, Landgrave of Thuringia, died en route to the Sixth Crusade, and Henry became regent for his under-age nephew Hermann II, Landgrave of Thuringia. He managed to expel his nephew and the boy's young mother, St. Elisabeth of Hungary, from the line of succession and ca. 1231 formally succeeded his brother as landgrave.

In 1242 Henry, together with King Wenceslaus I of Bohemia, was selected by Emperor Frederick II to be administrator of Germany for Frederick's under-age son Conrad.

After the papal ban on Frederick imposed by Pope Innocent IV in 1245, Raspe changed sides, and on 22 May 1246 he was elected anti-king in opposition to Conrad. The strong papal prodding that led to his election earned Raspe the derogatory moniker of "Pfaffenkönig" (priests' king). Henry defeated Conrad in the Battle of Nidda in southern Hesse in August 1246, and laid siege to Ulm and Reutlingen. Having suffered a mortal wound, he died February 1247 in Wartburg Castle near Eisenach in Thuringia.

Marriages

In 1228, he married Elisabeth (1206-1231), the daughter of Albert II, Margrave of Brandenburg. After her death, he married Gertrude (c. 1210/1215 – 1241), the daughter of Leopold VI, Duke of Austria. After her death, he married Beatrix (1225-1288), the daughter of Henry II, Duke of Brabant.

All three of his marriages were childless. After his death, the Emperor enfeoffed Thuringia to Henry III, the son of his sister Jutta.

Bibliography

• Cox, Eugene L. (1974). The Eagles of Savoy. Princeton University Press. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Knodler, Julia (2010). "Germany:Narrative (1125-1250)". The Oxford Encyclopedia of Medieval Warfare and Military Technology. Vol. Vol. 1. Oxford University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: |volume= has extra text (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Rasmussen, Ann Marie (1997). Mothers and Daughters in Medieval German Literature. Syracuse University Press. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Stubbs, William (1908). Germany in the Later Middle Ages, 1200-1500. Longmans, Green and Co. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Van Cleve, Thomas C. (1969). "The Crusade of Frederick II". In Wolff, Robert Lee; Hazard, Harry W. (eds.). A History of the Crusades. Vol. Vol. II. The University of Wisconsin Press. {{cite book}}: |volume= has extra text (help); Invalid |ref=harv (help)

Ancestors

Ancestors of Henry Raspe

16. Louis the Springer 8. Louis I, Landgrave of Thuringia 17. Adelheid of Stade 4. Louis II, Landgrave of Thuringia 18. Giso IV, Count of Gudensberg 9. Hedwig of Gudensberg 19. Kunigunde of Bilstein 2. Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia 20. Frederick I, Duke of Swabia 10. Frederick II, Duke of Swabia 21. Agnes of Germany 5. Judith of Hohenstaufen 22. Frederick, Count of Saarbrücken 11. Agnes of Saarbrücken 23. Gisela of Lorraine 1. Henry Raspe, Landgrave of Thuringia 24. Eckhard I, Count of Scheyern 12. Otto IV, Count of Wittelsbach 25. Richardis of Carniola-Orlamünde 6. Otto I Wittelsbach, Duke of Bavaria 26. Frederick III of Pettendorf 13. Heilika of Pettendorf-Lengenfeld 27. Heilika of Swabia 3. Sophia of Wittelsbach 28. Arnold II, Count of Loon 14. Louis I, Count of Loon 29. Agnes 7. Agnes of Loon 30. Folmar V of Metz 15. Agnes of Metz 31. Matilda of Dagsburg