Duke Louis II of Bavaria (German: Ludwig II der Strenge, Herzog von Bayern, Pfalzgraf bei Rhein; 13 April 1229 – 2 February 1294), was Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1253. Born in Heidelberg, he was a son of duke Otto II and Agnes of Palatinate. She was a daughter of Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine, her grandfathers were the dukes Henry XII the Lion and Conrad of Hohenstaufen. April 13 is the 103rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (104th in leap years). ... Events February 18 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... The following is a list of rulers of Bavaria: Dukes of Bavaria, 889-1623 Liutpolding Dynasty Liutpold 889-907 Arnulf the Bad 907-937 Eberhard 937 Berthold 938-947 Liudolfing (Ottonian) Dynasty Henry I 947-955 Henry II the Quarrelsome 955-976 Otto I 976-982 Liutpolding Dynasty Henry III... A palatinate is a territory administered by a count palatine, originally the direct representative of the sovereign, but later the hereditary ruler of the territory subject to the crowns overlordship. ... For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ... Heidelberg and the other cities of the Neckar valley The castle (Schloss) above the town Main Street (Hauptstrasse) Shopping district View from the so called alley of philosophers (Philosophenweg) towards the Old Town, with Heidelberg Castle, Heiliggeist Church and the Old Bridge Heidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg... Duke Otto II of Bavaria was born 7 April 1206 in Kehlheim and died 29 November 1253 in Landshut. ... Henry (died 28 April 1227) was count palatine of the Rhine from 1195 to 1213. ... Coronation of Henry the Lion and Matilda of England (1188) Henry the Lion (face of statue on his tomb in Brunswick Cathedral) Henry the Lion (1129 - August 6, 1195; in German, Heinrich der Löwe) was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony as Henry III since... Conrad of Hohenstaufen (born probably 1134/1136; died 8 November 1195) was the first hereditary Count Palatine of the Rhine. ...

Biography

In 1246 Louis supported his brother-in-law king Conrad IV of Germany against Heinrich Raspe and in 1251 Louis was in war again against the bishop of Regensburg. In 1253 Louis succeeded his father as duke of Bavaria. Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Saga, emperor of Japan. ... Conrad IV, Conrad of Hohenstaufen (April 25, 1228 Andria, Italy – May 21, 1254, Lavello), was king of Jerusalem (as Conrad II) 1228–1254, of Germany 1237–1254, and of Sicily (as Conrad I) 1250–1254. ... Heinrich Raspe (1204 - February 16, 1247) became Landgraf, or count, of Thuringia (now part of modern-day Germany) in 1227; he later became king in 1246-1247 in opposition to Conrad IV. First in Thuringia, Heinrich ruled for his under-age nephew Hermann II, whom he had expelled from the... Events First Shepherds Crusade Births Deaths Monarchs/Presidents Aragon - James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) Castile - Ferdinand III, the Saint King of Castile and Leon (reigned from 1217 to 1252) Categories: 1251 ... Regensburg (also Ratisbon, Latin Ratisbona) is a city (population 129,175 in 2005) in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. ... For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ...

When the Wittelsbach country was divided in 1255 among Otto's sons, Louis received the Palatinate and Upper Bavaria, while his brother duke Henry XIII of Bavaria received Lower Bavaria. This partition was against the law and therefore caused the anger of the bishops in Bavaria who allied themselves with king Otakar II of Bohemia in 1257. In August 1257 Ottokar invaded Bavaria, but Louis and Henry managed to repulse the attack. It was one of the rare harmonious actions of the two brothers, who often argued. The Wittelsbach family is an European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria. ... Events Königsberg was founded Births Emperor Albert I of Germany, in July Deaths Monarchs/Presidents Aragon - James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) Categories: 1255 ... A palatinate is a territory administered by a count palatine, originally the direct representative of the sovereign, but later the hereditary ruler of the territory subject to the crowns overlordship. ... Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria) is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the south of Bavaria, around the city Munich. ... Henry XIII of Bavaria, member of the Wittelsbach dynasty (19 November 1235 – 3 February 1290 in Burghausen) was duke of Lower Bavaria. ... Lower Bavaria (German Niederbayern) is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of Bavaria. ... Otakar II (also spelled Ottokar or PÅ™emysl Otakar/Ottokar) (c. ... For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ...

During the German interregnum after king William's death in 1256 Louis supported Richard of Cornwall. Together with his brother Louis also aided his young Hohenstaufen nephew Conradin in his duchy of Swabia, but could not enforce his election as German king. As a result for his support Louis was banned by the pope in 1266. In 1267 Louis accompanied Conradin only to Verona. After the young prince's execution in Naples in 1268, Louis inherited some of Conradin's possessions in Swabia and supported the election of the Habsburg Rudolph I against Ottokar II in 1273. On 26 August 1278 the armies of Rudolph and Louis met Otakar's forces on the banks of the River March in the Battle of Dürnkrut and Jedenspeigen where Otakar was defeated and killed. In 1289 the electoral dignity of Bavaria passed to Bohemia again, but Louis remained an elector as Count Palatine of the Rhine. After Rudolph's death in 1291 Louis could not enforce the election of his Habsburg brother-in-law Albert I against Adolf of Nassau. An interregnum is a period between monarchs, between popes of the Roman Catholic Church, emperors of Holy Roman Empire, polish kings (elective monarchy) or between consuls of the Roman Republic. ... Count Willem II of Holland Granting Privileges by Caesar van Everdingen (1654) William II of Holland, (February 1228-28 January 1256), was a count of Holland and Zeeland (1235-1256) and King of Germany or King of the Romans (1247-1256). ... For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ... Richard (5 January 1209 – 2 April 1272) was Count of Poitou (bef. ... Arms of the Hohenstaufen Dynasty The Hohenstaufen (or the Staufer(s)) were a dynasty of Kings of Germany, many of whom were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor and Dukes of Swabia. ... Portrait of Conradin from the Codex Manesse (Folio 7r). ... Germany. ... For broader historical context, see 1260s and 13th century. ... For broader historical context, see 1260s and 13th century. ... Verona is an ancient town, episcopal see, and province in Veneto, Northern Italy. ... Naples (Italian: , Neapolitan: Nàpule, from Greek Νεάπολη < Νέα Πόλις Néa Pólis New City) Capital of the Campania region and the Province of Naples. ... Conradin (right) is executed by Charles I of Sicily, thus extinguishing the Hohenstaufen dynasty, in 1268. ... Germany. ... Flag of the Habsburg Monarchy; also used as the flag of the Austrian Empire until the Ausgleich of 1867. ... The brass of the tomb of Rudolph I in Speyer Rudolph I (Rudolph of Habsburg) (May 1, 1218 – July 15, 1291) was a German king, who played a vital role in raising the Habsburg family to a leading position among the royal dynasties of Germany. ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ... August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (239th in leap years). ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ... The Morava (Czech / Slovak: Morava; German: ) is a river in Central Europe. ... The Battle on the Marchfeld (Morava Field) at Dürnkrut and Jedenspeigen took place on August 26, 1278 and was a decisive event for the history of Central Europe for the following centuries. ... For broader historical context, see 1280s and 13th century. ... The prince-electors or electoral princes of the Holy Roman Empire &#8212; German: Kurfürst (singular) Kurfürsten (plural) &#8212; were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Emperors of Germany. ... Albert I (July 1255 – May 1, 1308) was a German king, duke of Austria, and eldest son of King Rudolph I of Habsburg and Gertrud of Hohenberg. ... Adolf of Nassau (ca. ...

Louis died at Heidelberg. His son Rudolf succeded him, with Adolf of Nassau becoming his father-in-law a few months later. Louis was buried in the crypt of Fürstenfeld Abbey. Duke Rudolf I of Bavaria (born October 4, 1274 in Basle; died August 12, 1319, (German: Rudolf I , Herzog von Bayern, Pfalzgraf bei Rhein), since 1294 Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatinate. ... Fürstenfeld Abbey (Kloster Fürstenfeld) is a former Cistercian monastery in Fürstenfeldbruck (formerly known simply as Bruck) in Bavaria, Germany. ...

Family and children

Louis II was married three times.

The execution of Marie of Brabant

He had his first wife Marie of Brabant —a daughter of duke Heinrich II. (Henry II.) of Brabant and Lothringen (Lorraine), and Maria, daughter of king Philipp of Schwaben (Swabia)— executed in Donauwörth in 1256 due to mistaken suspicion of adultery; back in those days the punishment for an adulterous wife was beheading. Any actual guilt on her part could never be validated. As expiation Louis founded the Cistercian friary Fürstenfeld Abbey (Fürstenfeldbruck) near Munich. Henry II of Brabant (1207 - February 1, 1248) was Duke of Brabant after the death of his father in 1235. ... Philip of Swabia (1177-1208), German king and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV, was the fifth and youngest son of the emperor Frederick I and Beatrix, daughter of Renaud III, count of Burgundy, and consequently brother of the emperor Henry VI. He entered the church... Known as Nordschwabens freundliche Mitte (North Swabias Friendly Center), Donauwörth is a city in the German State of Bavaria (Bayern), in the region of Swabia (Schwabenland). ... For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ... Fürstenfeld Abbey (Kloster Fürstenfeld) is a former Cistercian monastery in Fürstenfeldbruck (formerly known simply as Bruck) in Bavaria, Germany. ...

Different sources tell varying tales about how this terrible mistake could happen in the first place: In 1256 Louis had been away from home for an extended time, due to his responsibilities as a sovereign in the area of the Rhine. His wife wrote two letters, one to her husband, and another to the earl of Kyburg at Hunsrück, a vassal of Louis. Details about the actual content of the second letter vary, but according to the chroniclers the messenger who carried the letter to Louis had been given the wrong one, and Ludwig came to the conclusion that his wife had a secret love affair.

Over time a great many tales of folklore sprang up around Louis' bloody deed, most of them written long after Louis' death: Ballad-mongers embellished the tale into a murderous frenzy, during which Louis allegedly not only killed his wife after having ridden home for five days and nights, but also stabbed the messenger who brought him the wrong letter, then upon entering his castle stabbed his own castellan and a court lady and threw his wife's maid from the battlements, before he massacred his wife either by stabbing her (why change a winning formula?) or cutting off her head.

Several more restrained chronicles support the account of Mary's execution in January 18, 1256 in Donauwörth at castle Mangoldstein by ducal decree for alleged adultery, but nothing beyond that.

Later marriages

In 1260 Louis married his second wife Anna of Glogau. They had the following children: The magnificent Cathedral of Chartres was dedicated in 1260. ...

1. Maria (b. 1261), a nun in Marienburg abbey.
2. Ludwig (13 September 1267–23 November 1290, killed at a tournament at Nuremberg.

He married his third wife Mechthild, one of king Rudolph's daughters, on 27 October 1273. Their children were: Events July 25 - Constantinople re-captured by Nicaean forces under the command of Michael VIII Palaeologus, Byzantine Empire re-formed August 29 - Urban IV becomes Pope, the last man to do so without being a Cardinal first Bela IV of Hungary repels Tatar invasion Charles of Anjou given rule of... There are many fortresses, castles, and towns of this name. ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... For broader historical context, see 1260s and 13th century. ... November 23 is the 327th day of the year (328th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 38 days remaining. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... Nuremberg (German: Nürnberg, Polish: Norymberga) is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. ... The brass of the tomb of Rudolph I in Speyer Rudolph I (Rudolph of Habsburg) (May 1, 1218 – July 15, 1291) was a German king, who played a vital role in raising the Habsburg family to a leading position among the royal dynasties of Germany. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. ...

1. Agnes (ca. 1267/77–1345), married to:
   1. 1290 in Donauwörth Landgrave Henry II of Hesse;
   2. 1298/1303 Heinrich I "Ohneland" ("Lackland"), Margrave of Brandenburg.
2. Rudolf I (4 October 1274, Basle–12 August 1319).
3. Mechtild (1275–28 March 1319, Lüneburg), married 1288 to Duke Otto II of Braunschweig-Lüneburg.
4. Louis IV (1 April 1282, Munich–11 October 1347, Puch bei Fürstenfeldbruck).

Louis II was succeeded by his oldest son Rudolf. Events Miracle of the Host Births October 31 - King Fernando I of Portugal (died 1383) Agnès of Valois, daughter of John II of France (died 1349) Eleanor Maltravers, English noblewoman (died 1405) Deaths April 14 - Richard Aungerville, English writer and bishop (born 1287) September 16 - John IV, Duke of... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... Known as Nordschwabens freundliche Mitte (North Swabias Friendly Center), Donauwörth is a city in the German State of Bavaria (Bayern), in the region of Swabia (Schwabenland). ... Historically the Margrave of Brandenburg was one of the most powerful titles in the Holy Roman Empire in being one of the 4 temporal electors and so being one of only 7 lords in the empire with a say in who became the next emperor. ... Duke Rudolf I of Bavaria (born October 4, 1274 in Basle; died August 12, 1319, (German: Rudolf I , Herzog von Bayern, Pfalzgraf bei Rhein), since 1294 Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatinate. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events May 7 - In France the Second Council of Lyons opens to consider the condition of the Holy Land and to agree to a union with the Byzantine church. ... Basel (English traditionally: Basle [ba:l], German: Basel [ba:z@l], French Bâle [ba:l], Italian Basilea [bazilE:a]) is Switzerlands third most populous city (188,000 inhabitants in the canton of Basel-City as of 2004; the 690,000 inhabitants in the conurbation stretching across the... August 12 is the 224th day of the year (225th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Magnus VII ascends the throne of Norway and unites the country with Sweden. ... // April 22 - The first of the Statutes of Westminster are passed by the English parliament, establishing a series of laws in its 51 clauses, including equal treatment of rich and poor, free and fair elections, and definition of bailable and non-bailable offenses. ... March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (88th in leap years). ... Events Magnus VII ascends the throne of Norway and unites the country with Sweden. ... Lüneburg (English: Lunenburg) is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, about 50km southeast of Hamburg. ... Events February 22 - Nicholas IV becomes Pope. ... Emperor Louis IV Louis IV of Bavaria (also known as Ludwig the Bavarian) of the House of Wittelsbach (born 1282; died October 11, 1347) was duke of Bavaria from 1294/1301 together with his brother Rudolf I, also count of the Palatinate until 1329 and, German king since 1314 and... It has been suggested that April Fools Day be merged into this article or section. ... For broader historical context, see 1280s and 13th century. ... Munich (German: , pronounced  ; Austro-Bavarian: Minga; Italian: Monaco; Latin language: Monacum) is the capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria (German: ). Munich is Germanys third largest city and one of Europes most prosperous. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Illustration of the Black Death from the Toggenburg Bible (1411). ...

Duke Otto II of Bavaria was born 7 April 1206 in Kehlheim and died 29 November 1253 in Landshut. ... The following is a list of rulers during the history of Bavaria: // Dukes of Bavaria, 548-1623 Agilolfing Dynasty (see also Bavarii) ca. ... A palatinate is a territory administered by a count palatine, originally the direct representative of the sovereign, but later the hereditary ruler of the territory subject to the crowns overlordship. ... Duke Rudolf I of Bavaria (born October 4, 1274 in Basle; died August 12, 1319, (German: Rudolf I , Herzog von Bayern, Pfalzgraf bei Rhein), since 1294 Duke of Bavaria and Count Palatinate. ...

Links

• German wiki entry for Louis II. (Ludwig der Strenge)
• Genealogy of Louis II. (compilation of various sources, in German)