Henry III, Margrave of Meissen

Henry III
Margrave Henry of Meissen, Codex Manesse
Margrave of Meissen
Reign	1221–1288
Predecessor	Theodoric I
Successor	Albert II
Regent	Louis IV of Thuringia (until 1217) Albert I of Saxony (until 1230)
Margrave of Lusatia
Reign	1221–1288
Predecessor	Theodoric II
Regent	Louis IV of Thuringia (until 1217) Albert I of Saxony (until 1230)
Landgrave of Thuringia, Count Palatine of Saxony
Reign	1242–1265
Predecessor	Henry Raspe
Successor	Albert II
Born	1215 Meissen, Duchy of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire
Died	15 February 1288 Dresden, Duchy of Saxony, Holy Roman Empire
Spouse	Constance of Babenberg Agnes of Bohemia Elisabeth von Maltitz
Issue	Albert II, Margrave of Meissen Theodoric of Landsberg
House	House of Wettin
Father	Theodoric I, Margrave of Meissen
Mother	Jutta of Thuringia

Henry III, called Henry the Illustrious (Heinrich der Erlauchte) (c. 1215 – 15 February 1288) from the House of Wettin was Margrave of Meissen and last Margrave of Lusatia (as Henry IV) from 1221 until his death; from 1242 also Landgrave of Thuringia.

Born probably at the Albrechtsburg residence in Meissen, Henry was the youngest son of Margrave Theodoric I, Margrave of Meissen and his wife Jutta, daughter of Landgrave Hermann I of Thuringia. In 1221 he succeeded his father as Margrave of Meissen and Lusatia, at first under guardianship of his maternal uncle, Landgrave Louis IV of Thuringia, and after his death in 1227, under that of Duke Albert I of Saxony. In 1230 he was legally proclaimed an adult.

Henry had his first combat experience in sometime around 1234, while on crusade in Prussia, fighting against the Pomesanians. His pilgrimage and company is well-documented by Peter of Dusburg, and it resulted in the construction of Balga castle, an important administrative centre for the Teutonic Knights. In 1245 after many years of conflict with the Ascanian margraves of Brandenburg, he was forced to cede the fortresses of Köpenick, Teltow and Mittenwalde north of Lower Lusatia. In 1249 however, the Silesian duke Bolesław II the Bald granted him the eastern area around Schiedlo Castle at the Oder river, where Henry founded the town of Fürstenberg.