Wilhelm II. (Weimar)

Wilhelm II the Great (* around 930/35; † December 24, 1003 ) was Count of Weimar from 963 and Duke of Thuringia from 1002.

He was the eldest son of Count Wilhelm I of Weimar . He also had count rights in Helmegau from 965 , in Altgau from 967 and in Viesichgau from 974 . He owned lands in the Nabelgau (between Helme and Wipper) and in the Ohm Mountains near Bleicherode.

Since, despite numerous favors from the royal family, after the death of King Otto II in 983, he supported the Duke of Bavaria, Heinrich the Quarrel , as his successor in the royal office, supporters of King Otto III besieged in 984 . his Weimar Castle .

In the area code for the royal election of 1002, he was again on the Bavarian side and thus decided the attitude of all of Thuringia and reached the end of the old Thuringian pig tariff from the 6th century. The Counts of Weimar were the strongest rivals of the Ekkehardines in Thuringia, who besieged Weimar Castle in 1002. Wilhelm received the king while he was on tour and died a little later at an advanced age.

Marriage and children

His wife is unknown.

• William III. († April 16, 1039)
• Poppo († July 13, before 1044)
• Agnes ⚭ probably Friedrich I , Count Palatine of Saxony

literature

• Helmut Hennig: The Counts of Orlamünde - an (almost) forgotten family . G. Arzberger, 2016, ISBN 978-3-927313-77-4 , p. 106 .
• Karl HFC von Reitzenstein: Regests of the Counts of Orlamuende from Babenberger and Ascan tribe: with family tables, seal images, monuments and coats of arms . Bayreuth 1871 ( digitized from ThULB Jena ).