Leopold V, Duke of Austria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leopold V the Virtuous |
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Leopold receiving the banner from Emperor Henry VI, Babenberger Stammbaum, Klosterneuburg Monastery, 1489–1492
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| Duke of Austria | |
| Reign | 1177–1194 |
| Predecessor | Henry II |
| Successor | Frederick I |
| Born | 1157 Austria |
| Died | 31 December 1194 (aged 37) Graz, Styria |
| Burial | Heiligenkreuz Abbey |
| Spouse | Helena of Hungary |
| Issue | Frederick I, Duke of Austria Leopold VI, Duke of Austria |
| House | House of Babenberg |
| Father | Henry II |
| Mother | Theodora Komnene |
Leopold V (born 1157 – died December 31, 1194) was a powerful ruler from the House of Babenberg. He was known as the Virtuous because of his good character. Leopold was the Duke of Austria from 1177 and also became the Duke of Styria in 1192. Both of these areas were part of the Holy Roman Empire.
Leopold is famous for two main things. First, he joined the Third Crusade and fought in the Siege of Acre in 1191. Second, he captured and imprisoned King Richard the Lionheart of England in 1193 at Dürnstein Castle. This event made him very well-known across Europe.
Contents
Early Life and Becoming Duke
Leopold was the son of Duke Henry II Jasomirgott of Austria. His mother was Theodora, a princess from the Byzantine Empire. Just before Leopold was born, his father helped make Austria a duchy, which is a larger and more important territory. This happened in 1156.
As the oldest son, Leopold was chosen to rule Austria by Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in 1174. He officially became the Duke of Austria when his father died on January 13, 1177.
Expanding His Lands
Leopold was good at making peace and expanding his territory. He helped the Duke of Bohemia settle a conflict. Later, he made a peace agreement with Bohemia in 1179.
In 1186, Leopold made an important deal called the Georgenberg Pact. He agreed with Ottokar IV, the Duke of Styria, that when Ottokar died, Styria would become part of Austria. This happened in 1192. This was a big step towards creating the modern country of Austria.
The Third Crusade Adventure
Leopold V is most remembered for his part in the Third Crusade. This was a major military journey by European Christians to take back the Holy Land from Muslim control.
Leopold couldn't go with Emperor Frederick at first because of border problems with Hungary. But when he heard the emperor had died in 1190, he decided to go. He sailed to the Holy Land and arrived in 1191.
Fighting at Acre
Leopold joined the final part of the Siege of Acre. This was a long and difficult battle. After the emperor's son died, Leopold took charge of the remaining German soldiers.
A famous story says that after the fighting, Leopold's white tunic was covered in blood. When he took off his belt, a clean white stripe appeared where the belt had been. This red-white-red pattern is said to have inspired the flag of Austria.
A Dispute with Kings
Acre finally surrendered in July 1191. King Philip II of France and King Richard I of England had arrived to help. Duke Leopold, as the leader of the German forces, felt he deserved the same respect as the two kings.
However, King Richard removed Leopold's flag from the city walls. This made Leopold very angry. He left the Holy Land and returned to Austria by the end of 1191.
Capturing Richard the Lionheart
Back home, Leopold complained to Emperor Henry VI about King Richard. Richard was also suspected of being involved in the murder of a marquis named Conrad.
In late 1192, King Richard was traveling back from the Holy Land in disguise. He stopped near Vienna just before Christmas. He was recognized, possibly because of his special ring, and arrested.
Imprisonment and Ransom
Duke Leopold first imprisoned King Richard at Dürnstein Castle. In March 1193, Richard was taken to Emperor Henry VI. He was accused of Conrad's murder.
To free Richard, a huge ransom was demanded: 35,000 kilograms of silver! Leopold received a large share of this money. He used it to build new city walls for Vienna and to found new towns like Wiener Neustadt.
Because Leopold had imprisoned a fellow crusader, Pope Celestine III excommunicated him. This meant he was temporarily cut off from the Catholic Church.
Later Life and Death
To get back into the Church, Leopold promised to go on another crusade. However, he never got the chance.
In 1194, Leopold was at a tournament in Graz. His horse fell on him, crushing his foot. His doctors said the foot needed to be removed, but no one dared to do it. Leopold ordered his servants to chop it off with an axe. They managed it after three tries.
Sadly, Leopold got a serious infection called gangrene and died on December 31, 1194, at the age of 37. Before he died, he made promises to make things right with the Church. Because of this, he received a Christian burial at Heiligenkreuz Abbey.
Family
In 1174, Leopold married Helena (1158–1199), who was the daughter of King Géza II of Hungary.
They had at least two children:
- Frederick I (around 1175 – 1198), who became Duke of Austria after his father.
- Leopold VI (1176–1230), who first became Duke of Styria. After his brother Frederick died, Leopold VI also became Duke of Austria.
See also
- List of rulers of Austria
