List of margraves of Meissen facts for kids

A margrave was a special kind of ruler in the Holy Roman Empire. They were like a count or a duke, but they ruled over a "march" (pronounced "mark"). A march was a territory on the edge of the Empire, often next to other countries. The margraves of Meissen ruled over the Meissen march, which was on the eastern border of the Holy Roman Empire.

History of Meissen

In the years 928–929, King Henry the Fowler led a campaign against the Slavic Glomacze tribes. During this time, he ordered a fortress to be built on a hill in Meissen, near the Elbe river. This castle was later called Albrechtsburg.

Around the year 965, Emperor Otto I divided a very large territory called Marca Geronis (Gero's march) into five new marches. Meissen became one of these new marches. The castle in Meissen became the main home for the Meissen margraves.

During the 900s, the Meissen margraves expanded their land. They reached the Kwisa (Queis) river, which was near the border of Silesia in the early Polish state. However, in 1018, some of these eastern lands around Bautzen were given to the Polish duke Bolesław I the Brave through the Peace of Bautzen treaty. Later, in 1076, these lands became part of the Duchy of Bohemia.

From 1089 onwards, the title of Margrave of Meissen became a special honor for the Wettin family from Saxony. This family kept the title and the land for many centuries.

In the 1200s, the Meissen margraves gained more land. They took over the Pleissnerland territory. After a war (the War of the Thuringen Succession) from 1247 to 1264, they also gained the Landgraviate of Thuringia to the west.

Finally, in 1423, Margrave Frederick the Warlike was given the lands of Saxe–Wittenberg. These lands were further down the Elbe river and were known as 'Upper Saxony'. This area was an electorate, which meant its ruler had a vote in choosing the Holy Roman Emperor. The Wettin rulers eventually moved their main home to Dresden. The Meissen margraviate then became part of their electorate and was known as the 'Cradle of Saxony'.

List of Margraves of Meissen

Here is a list of the rulers who held the title of Margrave of Meissen:

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Margraves de Meissen para niños

• List of rulers of Thuringia
• List of rulers of Saxony

Images for kids

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  Coat of arms of the Margraves of Meissen, from the Ingeram Codex (1459).