Thankmar (Liudolfinger)

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Thankmar (* 900/906; † July 28, 938 on the Eresburg ) from the Saxon family of the Liudolfinger was the eldest son of the East Franconian King Heinrich I from his first marriage to Hatheburg von Merseburg . Heinrich I expressly excluded his son Thankmar from the line of succession during his lifetime. With this, Heinrich I put himself in open contradiction to the Frankish tradition, which provided for a division of rule among the male descendants. This overriding and withholding the maternal inheritance initially brought Thankmar into opposition to the father. After Thank Mars half-brother, the new King Otto I , passed him again and so the Legation the military high command at the hall and the middle Elbe , to the later Margrave Gero forgave himself Thankmar allied with Count Wichmann and Duke of Franconia Eberhard against the king and immediately plunged Otto's reign into a deep crisis.

Thankmar took control of Belecke Castle near Warstein , where his half-brother Heinrich had entrenched himself, whom he handed over to the Franconian Duke. But since Gebhard, the nephew of the Swabian Duke Hermann I , had died in the battle for Castle Belecke , Hermann I now stood behind King Otto I and thus split the Conradin camp around Thankmar's ally Eberhard von Franken.

Wichmann became reconciled with Otto a little later, Thankmar surrendered to Eberhard von Franken on July 28, 938 at the Eresburg, but was attacked by his men in the castle chapel and pierced from behind with a spear. Eberhard von Franken, who was now isolated, thereupon also submitted to the king, was banished, but shortly afterwards pardoned and reinstated in his offices.

Life

Thankmar was about seven to twelve years older than Otto I. He was the son of Heinrich and his first wife Hatheburg, the daughter of Count Erwin from Merseburg, whom the king had married not only because of her beauty but also because of her possessions. The Merseburg area is located with the rich estates in Hassegau with the center Seeburg on the Mansfeld lakes and in the Friesenland between Harz, Saale and Unstrut. However, Hatheburg was already on the way to becoming a nun, or it was already, which is why the Bishop of Halberstadt protested. Heinrich initially defended himself successfully against the bishop, but took up his argument when he fell in love with the beautiful, rich and noble Mathilde , a descendant of Duke Widukind , and needed a reason for separation. After three years of marriage he sent Hatheburg back to the monastery; he kept her inheritance.

Even if the connection was later canceled, Thankmar was able to regard himself as "full" according to Saxon law ( Sachsenspiegel ). That is why he was at least entitled to his mother's property, if not also - according to the principle of universal succession - parts of his father's kingdom. The will of Henry I was not clear about the succession to the throne, but Thankmar relatively clearly excluded it, as he was resigned with parts of the maternal property or otherwise.

Count Siegfried von Merseburg died in 937. The county was part of the territory that Hatheburg had brought into the marriage, and Thankmar made a claim because he was also related to the count (Hatheburg's and Siegfried's mothers had been sisters). Otto gave it to Siegfried's younger brother Gero , which annoyed Thankmar.

Uprising against Otto I.

Other participants

Wichmann Billung

In 936 Otto I had to decide on the appointment of a new military leader for border protection on the lower Elbe; his choice fell on Hermann Billung . His brother Wichmann was angry about this because, in his opinion, as the older and higher ranking of the two - he was married to a sister of Mathilde - he was entitled to this office. With the excuse that he was ill, Wichmann retired from the army, which was currently on a Slavic campaign. He was the first to fall away from the king. Wichmann is described by Widukind von Corvey as a powerful and brave man, experienced in war and intelligent.

Eberhard of Franconia

Eberhard von Franken had asked his vassal Bruning from the Saxon tribe to pay homage, which he refused out of pride on the grounds that as a Saxon he only had to serve the king. Eberhard started a feud with Bruning, burned Helmern Castle (near the Franconian duchy) and killed all residents. The king was angry about this vigilante justice, sentenced Eberhard to surrender horses worth 100 pounds and his commanders to the disgraceful punishment of carrying dogs . With this punishment Otto wanted to curb the right of the nobility to feud and vigilante justice out of insulted honor. This, however, contradicted the legal conception of his aristocratic environment at the time. Eberhard therefore did not see this punishment and felt humiliated and challenged to resist in order to restore his honor.

Eberhard belonged to the Konradiner family and was the younger brother of Konrad I. He was an important figure at the time, was considered a kingmaker and had a great influence. Henry I had come to power by renouncing the throne. Otto probably wanted to put Eberhard in his place. Even if the deed may have been in the interests of the king, Eberhard acted as an autonomous intermediary. With the punishment Otto reaffirmed the central power of the king.

Otto I.

This type of lending policy was typical of Otto I . His style of rule was very different from that of his father. Heinrich I had worked his way up among equals, was "primus inter pares". In the allocation of offices and fiefs, oath friendships played a major role. Princes were "amici" (Widukind von Corvey I, 26, 27, 30). Otto, on the other hand, had a different sense of power. He presided over the nobility.

Course of the uprising

The king's personnel policy led to great dissatisfaction among the Saxon greats. Thankmar got in touch with Eberhard and Wichmann. Thankmar besieged the Belecke fortress (on the Möhne), where his half-brother Heinrich was staying. Heinrich was abducted by Thankmar. But since Gebhard, the nephew of the Swabian Duke Hermann I , had died in the battle for Belecke , Hermann I now stood behind King Otto I and thus split the camp of the Conradines.

The next target was the Eresburg , which became Thankmar's base for raids. Here Eberhard separated from Thankmar and took Heinrich with him. He went to Laer . The Wettin Dedi died during the siege of Eberhard at the gates. This was the reason for Wichmann to fall away from the conspirators and return to the king. The king was not happy about the event and, according to Widukind, reluctantly moved to the Eresburg in July 938. When Thankmar saw his brother with the army, he retired to the fortress. The occupiers saw the army and opened the gates on July 28, 938. Thankmar fled to the church. Heinrich's men followed him. He stood in front of the altar and put his weapons and his gold necklace there, which was a sign of the waiver of all claims. Thiatbold, one of the attackers, injured him, which Thankmar returned him (he died in a frenzy). A vassal named Maincia killed him through the window with a spear and stole the chain and weapons. When Otto heard this, he was dismayed and mourned Thankmar. His loyalty, however, he punished with death.

Eberhard was now isolated. He threw himself at Heinrich's feet and asked for forgiveness. Heinrich forgave him on the condition, according to Widukind, that he would procure the royal crown for him in a shameful manner. Heinrich puts in a word for Eberhard with Otto; he was banished to Hildesheim Castle for a month and quickly rehabilitated. He kept this oath in Heinrich's revolt against Otto I.

literature

Remarks

  1. ^ Widukind von Corvey , Sachsengeschichte II, 11.
  2. ↑ Thankmar 938 RI II, 1 n.76a
personal data
SURNAME Thankmar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Son of the German king Heinrich I
DATE OF BIRTH 900 or 906
DATE OF DEATH July 28, 938
Place of death Eresburg