Henry III, Duke of Bavaria facts for kids

Henry III (born around 940 – died October 5, 989), also known as Henry the Younger, was an important noble from the Luitpoldings family. He held the title of Duke of Carinthia twice, first from 976 to 978, and then again from 985 to 989. He was also the Duke of Bavaria from 983 to 985.

Henry's Early Life and Family

Henry the Younger was the only son of Duke Berthold of Bavaria. His father was a loyal supporter of the royal Ottonian dynasty, who ruled Germany at the time.

Before Henry was born, his uncle, Arnulf the Bad, had made a deal with Henry the Fowler, the King of Germany. This deal gave Bavaria some special freedom. However, when King Henry's son, Otto I, became king, he did not agree with this special status.

In 938, King Otto I removed Arnulf's son, Eberhard, from power. King Otto then made Henry the Younger's father, Berthold, the new Duke of Bavaria. Berthold promised to be loyal to the king and gave up Bavaria's special freedoms.

Duke Berthold was a faithful ruler. But when he died in 947, Henry the Younger was still a child. King Otto I used this chance to give the Duchy of Bavaria to his own younger brother, Henry I. This was partly because Henry I had married Judith, Duchess of Bavaria, who was a daughter of the earlier Duke Arnulf the Bad.

Waiting for His Chance

As Henry the Younger grew up, it seemed like his family might never get Bavaria back. When Duke Henry I died in 955, his son, Henry the Wrangler, became duke. Henry the Wrangler was only four years old, and his mother, Judith, ruled for him.

As Henry the Wrangler got older, he became very powerful. His sister had married the Duke of Swabia, and he himself married a niece of Emperor Otto I's wife.

Things changed when Emperor Otto I died in 973. Soon after, Henry the Wrangler's brother-in-law, the Duke of Swabia, also died. Henry the Wrangler wanted to rule Swabia too, not just Bavaria. He thought the new emperor, his cousin Otto II, would have trouble taking control.

However, Emperor Otto II did not give Swabia to Henry the Wrangler. Instead, he gave it to his nephew, Otto.

The next year, Henry the Wrangler openly rebelled against Emperor Otto II. He had support from nobles in Bavaria and Saxony, and even from the Dukes of Bohemia and Poland. Emperor Otto II had to fight to keep his power. In 976, he marched into Regensburg, the capital of Bavaria, and removed Henry the Wrangler from his position.

Becoming Duke of Carinthia

The Duchy of Carinthia (orange) around the year 1000

This was Henry the Younger's chance! The emperor decided to reorganize the lands in southeastern Germany. He separated the lands of Carinthia from Bavaria. Henry the Younger was then made the new Duke of Carinthia (as Henry I). This new duchy included control over areas like Styria, Carniola, Istria, and Verona in Italy.

The Duchy of Bavaria was made smaller and given to Emperor Otto II's loyal relative, Otto I of Swabia. Another area, the Margraviate of Austria, was given to Count Leopold of Babenberg.

However, in 978, Henry the Younger himself was removed from power. This happened because he joined a rebellion against Emperor Otto II. This rebellion was called the War of the Three Henries. It was started by the earlier Duke, Henry the Wrangler, and a bishop named Henry I of Augsburg.

Together with troops from Bohemia, they took over the Bavarian town of Passau. But Emperor Otto's army defeated them. At a big meeting in Magdeburg, the emperor removed Henry the Younger from his title. He then gave the Duchy of Carinthia to his nephew, Otto of Worms. At this time, all the southern German duchies — Swabia, Bavaria, and Carinthia — were ruled by the emperor's relatives.

Later Years and Death

In 982, Emperor Otto II suffered a defeat in a battle in Sicily. Because of this, he was not as strong as before. When Otto I of Swabia and Bavaria died in 983, Emperor Otto II brought Henry the Younger back from his banishment. He made Henry the Younger the Duke of Bavaria again (as Henry III) at a meeting in Verona.

However, Henry the Wrangler still wanted Bavaria back. After Emperor Otto II died in the same year, the Empress Theophanu, who was ruling for her young son Otto III, made peace with Henry the Wrangler in 985. Duke Henry III (the Younger) had to give up Bavaria to Henry the Wrangler. In return, Henry the Younger was given the Duchy of Carinthia again. Otto of Worms had to give up Carinthia to him.

Henry the Younger died in 989 without any children. This meant that the male line of his family, the Luitpoldings, ended. Henry the Wrangler then became Duke of Carinthia and Verona, uniting Bavaria and Carinthia under his rule once more. Henry the Younger was buried at Niederaltaich Abbey.

Images for kids

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  The Duchy of Carinthia (orange) around the year 1000

See also

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