Gertrud of Süpplingenburg
| Gertrude of Süpplingenburg | |
|---|---|
| Duchess of Bavaria | |
Gertrude and Theodora Komnene, consorts of Henry II of Austria, Babenberg pedigree, Klosterneuburg Monastery, c. 1490
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| Spouse(s) |
Henry X, Duke of Bavaria Henry II, Duke of Austria |
| Noble family | Supplinburger dynasty |
| Father | Lothair II, Holy Roman Emperor |
| Mother | Richenza of Northeim |
| Born | 18 April 1115 |
| Died | 18 April 1143 (aged 28) |
Gertrude of Süpplingenburg (18 April 1115 – 18 April 1143) was Duchess consort of Bavaria from 1127 to 1138, Margravine consort of Tuscany from 1136 to 1139, and Duchess consort of Saxony from 1137 to 1138. From 1142 she was Margravine consort of Austria and again Duchess consort of Bavaria until her death. She was Regent of Saxony during the minority of her son in 1139-1142.
Gertrude was the only child of Lothair of Supplinburg, Duke of Saxony, and his wife Richenza of Northeim. After the death of the last Salian emperor Henry V, her father, backed by Archbishop Adalbert of Mainz was elected King of the Romans in 1125.
To strengthen the ties with the Welf dynasty, Lothair married Gertrude to Henry the Proud, Duke of Bavaria since 1126. The lavish wedding ceremony was held on 29 May 1127 on the Lech fields near Augsburg. Indeed, Duke Henry became a loyal supporter in Lothair's struggle with the rivalling House of Hohenstaufen. The marriage also marked a significant increase of the Welf power: in 1136 Lothair vested Henry with the Italian March of Tuscany and, after the death of his father-in-law in 1137, Henry also succeeded him as Duke of Saxony. He furthermore inherited extended Saxon allodial lands around Süpplingenburg, Brunswick and Northeim. According to the contemporary chronicler Otto of Freising he ruled over a realm that stretched "from Denmark to Sicily". Henry and Gertrude had one son, Henry the Lion, born in 1129, who later became Duke of Saxony and Bavaria.
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