Everything about Welf I Duke Of Bavaria totally explained
Welf I (died
6 November 1101,
Paphos) was duke of
Bavaria from
1070 to
1077 and from
1096 to his death. He was the first member of the
Welf branch of the
House of Este. In the Welf genealogy he's counted as
Welf IV.
Life
Welf was the son of
Azzo II of Este and his wife Chuniza of Altdorf. When Welf's maternal uncle,
Welf, Duke of Carinthia (also known as Welf III), died childless, Welf inherited his property. Welf married Ethelinde, daughter of
Otto II, Duke of Bavaria.
Although the Marquis of Este, guided by his cousin Matilda, continued firm in the Pope's interests, his son Welf, who had succeeded to the Bavarian states, and whose views were more immediately directed to Germany, supported the emperor. For his fidelity he was rewarded with the duchy of Bavaria, which had been forfeited by
Otto, his father-in-law. When Duke Otto had become an enemy of King
Henry IV, Welf divorced Ethelinde, and soon thereafter (in
1070) was appointed duke of Bavaria in Otto's stead. This event took place at
Goslar in
1070, when the states of Bavaria submitted quietly to the new made duke, who was the representative of one of the most ancient families in the province; and although, in compliance with the commands of the emperor, he afterwards repudiated his duchess, the daughter of Otho, we do toot find that his influence was at all affected by such an act, which savored somewhat of injustice.
During the
Investiture Controversy, Welf sided with
Pope Gregory VII, and in March
1077 supported the election of
Rudolf of Rheinfelden as
anti-king. They were reconciled in
1076, but the following year saw them again engaged in active hostilities. Henry, in consequence of these repeated acts of rebellion, deprived him of his newly-acquired sovereignty; but, supported by his faithful Bavarians, and aided by his father in
Italy, he was able to maintain his place, and to set the ban of the empire at defiance in May 1077.
Welf joined the discontented princes who supported the standard of Rudolph, when all were put without the pale of the church who refused to obey the mandate of that Pope; and in that age of ignorance and superstition, many were obliged to comply with a Pope's mandate, who otherwise would have supported the sovereign of their own choice. Fortunately for the peace of Germany, Gregory died in
1085, and Welf, though he still adhered to the party of the church, began to relax in his exertions to maintain the usurper. In
1089, Welf's son
Welf married
Matilda of Tuscany, thus strengthening relationships with the pope. After the younger Welf divorced Matilda in
1095, Welf made amends with King Henry IV and was reappointed as duke of Bavaria.
On the divorce of his first wife, Welf married a princess of
Flanders, the widow of
Tostig Godwinson,
Earl of Northumbria, in England, and the sister of the queen of
William I of England, the conqueror of that kingdom.
After the death of his father Azzo in
1097, Welf tried to acquire his father's property south of the Alps, but didn't succeed against his younger half-brother
Fulco.
In
1099, Welf joined the
Crusade of 1101. He died while returning from the crusade in
Cyprus in
1101 and was buried in
Weingarten Abbey. He was succeeded as duke of Bavaria by his son Welf.
Children
Welf had the following children from his marriage with Judith of Flanders, daughter of
Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders:
Further Information
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