Bernhard von Spanheim

Bernhard von Spanheim (or Sponheim) (1176 or 1181 – 4 January 1256 in Völkermarkt) was the duke of Carinthia from 1202 until his death.

Family

He was a member of the Rhenish Spanheim noble family. His father was Herman II, Duke of Carinthia (reigned 1161-1181). His mother was Agnes of Austria. Agnes was previously married to Stephen III of Hungary. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CARINTHIA.htm#HermannIIdied1181 Profile of Herman II of Carinthia and his wife in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ]

His paternal grandparents were Engelbert III of Istria and Matilda of Sulzbach. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CARINTHIA.htm#EngelbertIIISponheimdied1173 Profile of Engelbert III of Istria and his wife in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ] Matilda was a daughter of Berengar II, Count of Sulzbach (d.3 December 1125) and Adelheid von Wolfratshausen. Her sisters included Gertrude von Sulzbach and Bertha of Sulzbach, respectively the wives of Conrad III of Germany and Manuel I Komnenos, Byzantine Emperor. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/BAVARIAN%20NOBILITY.htm#BerengarISulzbachdied1125 Profile of Berengar of Sulzbach, his wife and chieldren in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ]

Reign

Bernhard was a younger brother of Ulrich II, Duke of Carinthia who succeeded their father on 4 October, 1181. Ulrich reigned for two decades but died childless on 10 August, 1202. Bernhard succeeded him. [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CARINTHIA.htm#HermannIIdied1181 Profile of Herman II of Carinthia and his wife in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ]

In the conflict between the rivaling House of Hohenstaufen and the Welfs he originally supported Philipp of Swabia but turned to Otto IV after Philipp's assassination in 1208. In 1213, Bernhard again switched sides to Frederick II of Hohenstaufen.

He is credited as founding the Kostanjevica ("Mariabrunn") Cistercian Abbey in the March of Carniola about 1234 as well as the city of Klagenfurt, that he had transferred to its present location in 1246. Bernhard is buried at the St. Paul's Abbey in the Lavanttal.

Marriage and children

In 1213, Bernhard married Judith of Bohemia. She was a daughter of Ottokar I of Bohemia and his second Queen consort, Constance of Hungary. They had four known children [ [http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CARINTHIA.htm#BernhardDukedied1256 Profile of Bernhard of Carinthia, his wife and children in "Medieval Lands" by Charles Cawley] ] :

*Ulrich III, Duke of Carinthia (reigned 1256-1269).
*Bernhard of Carinthia.
*Margaret of Carinthia.
*Philipp of Carinthia (d. 21 July/22 July, 1279). Archbishop of Salzburg from 1247 to 1256, Patriarch of Aquileia from 1269 to 1273. Claimant to the throne of the Duchy of Carinthia against his first cousin Ottokar II of Bohemia.

ee also

*House of Sponheim

References