Egbert II, Margrave of Meissen facts for kids

Egbert II (born around 1060, died 1090) was an important count and margrave in medieval Germany. He ruled over areas like Brunswick and Meissen. Egbert belonged to a powerful noble family called the Brunonen. He became a ruler when he was still very young.

Egbert II: A Young Ruler

Early Life and Family

Egbert II was born around the year 1060. His father was Margrave Egbert I. A margrave was a type of count who ruled a border region. When his father died in 1068, Egbert II was still a child. He took over his father's lands, including Brunswick and Meissen.

Egbert married a woman named Oda. She was the daughter of Otto I, another margrave from Meissen. Through this marriage, Egbert inherited more lands. These included a castle called Wanderslebener Gleichen.

Challenges with the King

Egbert's time as a ruler was full of challenges. He often found himself in conflict with King Henry IV.

Rebellions and Conflicts

In 1073, some Saxon nobles rebelled against King Henry IV. Leaders like Duke Magnus and Otto of Nordheim led this uprising. The king's army, led by Vratislaus II of Bohemia, defeated the rebels in 1075. It's not clear if Egbert was part of this rebellion. However, he was known to oppose the king. Because of this, King Henry IV took Meissen away from Egbert. The king gave it to Vratislaus.

But Egbert didn't give up easily. The next year, he drove Vratislaus out of Meissen. For this, Egbert was declared guilty by the king. Another region he owned, a Frisian county, was taken from him. It was given to the Bishop of Utrecht.

Shifting Alliances

Egbert first supported Rudolf of Rheinfeld, who was an "anti-king." An anti-king was someone who claimed to be king but was not widely accepted. However, Egbert and many other Saxon nobles later stopped supporting Rudolf. They chose to remain neutral instead.

After Otto of Nordheim died in 1083, Egbert became the most important Saxon opponent of King Henry IV. Their relationship was often changing. In 1085, they briefly made peace. Egbert even hosted King Henry in Saxony. But by September, their conflict started again. Despite this, Egbert and Henry made peace once more in 1087.

Some stories say that after another anti-king, Herman of Salm, died, some bishops tried to convince Egbert to become king himself. But Egbert soon broke ties with these new allies. This was likely because they didn't keep their promises. When one of the bishops made peace with the king, Egbert became completely isolated.

Final Years and Legacy

In 1088, King Henry IV besieged Egbert in his castle of Gleichen. A siege means the castle was surrounded for a long time. After four months, on Christmas Eve, Egbert managed to escape. He broke through the king's forces with a small relief army.

However, Egbert was declared an outlaw. This meant he was outside the law, and anyone could harm him. His lands, including Meissen and his Frisian areas, were taken from him again. This happened at meetings of princes in Quedlinburg and Ratisbon. Egbert was on the run, still undefeated in battle, but alone. He died fighting in 1090.

Egbert's remaining lands went to his sister, Gertrude. Her husband was Henry the Fat, Margrave of Frisia. Their daughter, Richenza, later married Lothair of Supplinburg. Lothair later became a duke and then an emperor.