Margaret, Countess of Tyrol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Margaret |
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Seal of Countess Margaret
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| Countess of Tyrol | |
| Reign | 1335–1363 |
| Predecessor | Henry II |
| Successor | Rudolf the Founder |
| Born | 1318 |
| Died | 3 October 1369 Vienna, Austria |
| Burial | Minoritenkirche, Vienna |
| Spouse | John Henry, Margrave of Moravia Louis V, Duke of Bavaria |
| Issue | Hermann of Bavaria Meinhard III of Gorizia-Tyrol |
| House | House of Gorizia |
| Father | Henry of Carinthia |
| Mother | Adelaide of Brunswick |
Margaret, also known as Margarete Maultasch, was an important ruler in the 1300s. She was born in 1318 and passed away on October 3, 1369. Margaret was the last Countess of Tyrol from the House of Gorizia family. She also tried to claim the Duchy of Carinthia, but was not successful. After her death, the region of Tyrol joined the lands of the House of Habsburg family in Austria.
Contents
Biography of Countess Margaret
Early Life and Family Background
Margaret was the only daughter of Henry of Carinthia. Her father was a duke, a landgrave, and a count. He had also been a king of Bohemia. Margaret's mother was Adelaide of Brunswick.
Her father had three marriages, but he had no sons. Because of this, he made a deal in 1330 with Emperor Louis IV. This agreement allowed Margaret to inherit his lands in Carinthia and Tyrol. However, Carniola would go to the Habsburg family.
A Royal Engagement
At this time, powerful families like the Habsburgs, Wittelsbachs, and Luxembourgs were often fighting. Emperor Louis IV had won a big battle in 1322. This made King John of Bohemia want to become more powerful.
King John was Margaret's father's former brother-in-law. He arranged for his younger son, John Henry, Margrave of Moravia, to marry Margaret. John Henry was the brother of the future Emperor Charles IV.
In 1330, Margaret and John Henry got married in Innsbruck. Margaret was twelve years old, and John Henry was eight. Reports from that time say the children did not like each other.
Becoming Countess of Tyrol
This marriage gave King John control over important mountain passes to Italy. This made Emperor Louis IV change his plans. When Margaret's father died in 1335, Emperor Louis gave Carinthia to Duke Albert II of Austria. Albert had a claim to the land through his mother, who was Margaret's aunt.
The Wittelsbach family also wanted to take Tyrol. Margaret was very clever and used her connection to the Luxembourg family. She asked her husband's brother, Charles, for help. Charles was a strong leader. With the support of local nobles, he made sure Margaret became the Countess of Tyrol.
Challenges in Her Reign
Things became difficult when John Henry, Margaret's young husband, became unpopular. He was not a good co-ruler and was disliked by the nobles in Tyrol. His brother Charles tried to help, but his efforts failed. In 1336, Charles left Tyrol.
On November 1, 1341, Margaret refused to let John Henry into their home at Tirol Castle. John Henry traveled around the country, but no noble family would give him shelter. He had to leave Tyrol and found safety with a church leader.
A Controversial Second Marriage
Margaret again used the rivalries between the powerful families to her advantage. She turned to the Wittelsbach family. On February 10, 1342, she married Louis I of Brandenburg in Merano. Emperor Louis IV was present at the wedding.
This marriage caused a huge scandal across Europe. Margaret had married Louis without getting a divorce from John Henry. Because of this, Pope Clement VI removed both Margaret and Louis from the Catholic Church. This is called excommunication.
Louis managed to get the support of the Tyrolean nobles. He declared that Margaret's first marriage to John Henry was not valid. Some scholars of the time, like William of Ockham, defended this marriage. They said John Henry had never truly completed his first marriage.
Peace and Absolution
Margaret's former brother-in-law, Charles IV, became an opposing king in 1346. He attacked Tyrol the next year and tried to capture Tirol Castle. However, he had to leave without success. He did burn down the cities of Bozen and Meran out of revenge.
After Emperor Louis died, Charles became more powerful. He stopped being hostile towards Margaret. He agreed to end his brother's marriage to Margaret according to church law. This allowed John Henry to remarry in 1349.
Margaret then made a new alliance. Her son with Louis, Meinhard III, married Margaret of Habsburg. She was the daughter of Duke Albert II of Austria. With the help of the Habsburgs, Margaret and her second husband were finally allowed back into the Catholic Church by Pope Innocent VI in 1359.
Later Years and Legacy
Margaret's husband Louis died suddenly in 1361. Her son Meinhard III then became Duke of Upper Bavaria and Count of Tyrol. However, Meinhard died less than two years later, just before his twenty-first birthday, and he had no children.
His death led to an invasion by his uncle, Duke Stephen II of Bavaria-Landshut. Stephen claimed Tyrol. To avoid losing her land, Margaret decided to give the County of Tyrol to her late son's brother-in-law. This was Rudolf IV of Austria from the Habsburg family. Rudolf then joined Tyrol with the Austrian lands.
The conflict over Tyrol was settled in 1369. Margaret died in Vienna in 1369 and was buried there.
Nicknames and Their Impact
During the arguments over her divorce and remarriage, Margaret was given the nickname Maultasch. This literally means "bag mouth" and was used by church leaders to describe her as a "vicious woman." This name first appeared in a book in 1366. She was also called Medusa by a chronicler from Florence.
Other nicknames for Margaret included Kriemhild, Mouthpoke, Pocket-mouth, the Big Mouth, and the Ugly Duchess.
Some people at the time, like the chronicler John of Winterthur, said she was very beautiful. However, because there are no true pictures of her from that time, her nickname Maultasch made many people think she had strange features.
A famous painting from 1513, The Ugly Duchess, might be a picture of Margaret. This painting was later used as a model for the "Duchess" character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Her story has also been used in books and legends.
See also
In Spanish: Margarita de Tirol para niños
