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William IV, Count of Weimar
(died 1062) was
Margrave of Meissen
from 1046 until his death.
Life
[
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]
He was the eldest son of Count
William III of Weimar
from his second marriage with Oda, a daughter of Margrave
Thietmar of the Saxon Eastern March
. He became
count
of
Weimar
and
Orlamunde
in
Thuringia
upon the death of his father in 1039. William was appointed
count palatine
of
Saxony
in 1042.
When in 1046 Margrave
Eckard II of Meissen
died and willed his
margraviate
to Emperor
Henry III
, the emperor promptly granted it to William, who, through the second marriage of his mother Oda, also received the Thuringian estates of his stepfather Margrave
Dedi II of Lusatia
. Thereby, he united the territory held by late Margrave Eckard II of Meissen under his rule.
William remained a loyal supporter of the ruling
Salian dynasty
and, upon the death of the emperor in 1056, backed the
regency
of his widow Empress
Agnes of Poitou
. He was highly in favour with the empress, who gave him command alongside Bishop Eberhard of
Naumburg
, of the army in the 1060 campaign in support of King
Andrew I of Hungary
against his brother
Bela I
. According to the chronicler
Lambert of Hersfeld
, instead of waiting for an assisting
Bohemian
contingent under Duke
Spytihn?v II
, they immediately attacked Bela's forces and the German army was soon in retreat. While King Andrew was deadly wounded, William and Bishop Eberhard were captured at the
Battle of the Theben Pass
near
Moson
(Wieselburg). However, Bela's son
Geza
, impressed by William's courage, induced his father to not only release him, but give him his daughter
Sophia
in marriage.
Meanwhile, William had returned to Germany. When in 1062 he again proceeded to Hungary to marry Sophia, however, he fell ill and died on his journey. Sophia married his nephew Margrave
Ulric I of Carniola
instead. The Meissen margraviate passed to William's younger brother
Otto I
.
Sources
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edit
]
William, Margrave of Meissen
Counts of Weimar-Orlamunde
Died:
1062
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Margrave of Meissen
1046–1062
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Succeeded by
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