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Birth:          ABT  998 
Death:          ABT 1034 

Notes
d 1043/1044
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matilda_of_Swabia
Matilda of Swabia (c. 988/9 – c. 1030/4) (also Mathilde) was a member of the 
Conradine dynasty. She was married firstly to Conrad of Carinthia and secondly to 
Frederick of Upper Lotharingia. She played an active role in promoting her son, 
Conrad II, as a candidate for the German throne after 1024. To this end, she 
corresponded with King Mieszko II of Poland.
Life[edit]

Family[edit]

Matilda was born circa 988. Her parents were Herman II, Duke of Swabia and his wife 
Gerberga of Burgundy, daughter of Conrad I of Burgundy.[1] She had many illustrious 
relatives. Through her father, Matilda was descended from Henry the Fowler; through 
her mother from Louis IV of France and Charlemagne. Matilda’s sister, Gisela of 
Swabia married Emperor Conrad II. Their cousin was Henry II. After the death of 
Emperor Otto III, Matilda’s father, Herman, opposed the election of Henry II as king of 
Germany, and promoted himself as a rival candidate for the throne. (Herman and Henry 
both claimed descent from Henry the Fowler, progenitor of the Ottonian dynasty.)[2]

First marriage[edit]

c.1001/2 Matilda married Conrad of Carinthia, a member of the Salian dynasty. Conrad 
I supported her father’s bid for the German throne.[3] Their marriage was 
consanguineous[4] and was condemned by Henry II (her father’s rival) at the synod of 
Thionville (January 1003).[5] Nevertheless, the couple remained together until 
Conrad’s death in 1011. After Conrad died, his young son with Matilda, Conrad II was 
passed over in the succession for the duchy of Carinthia. Instead Henry II (who was 
now crowned king of Germany), passed the duchy to Adalbert of Eppenstein, who was 
married to Matilda’s sister, Beatrice.[6]

Second marriage[edit]

Matilda had married her second husband, Frederick of Upper Lotharingia c. 1012/3.[7] 
This marriage was also consanguineous. Frederick is usually said to have died c.1026, 
although it is possible that he lived until 1033.[8]

Possible third marriage[edit]

Following an entry in the Annalista Saxo, Matilda is sometimes said to have married a 
third time, c.1026, to Esico of Ballenstedt.[9] (This is not possible if her first husband 
Frederick lived until 1033.)

Relationship with Emperor Conrad II[edit]

After the death of her first husband, Matilda’s son, Conrad II (or Conrad ‘the Younger’) 
was placed in the care of one of his Salian relatives, Conrad ‘the Elder’ (future king of 
Germany). A few years later (c.1016/7), Matilda’s sister, Gisela, married Conrad the 
Elder. In 1019, Conrad the Elder supported Matilda’s son, Conrad the Younger, when 
he tried to reclaim the duchy of Carinthia from Adalbert. The attempt was unsuccessful 
and caused Conrad the Elder to go into exile.[10] In 1024, Emperor Henry II died 
childless. Both Conrad the Elder and Conrad the Younger (who were descended from 
Henry the Fowler) promoted themselves as candidates for the throne. Conrad the Elder 
was elected king of Germany (as Conrad II) at an assembly at Kamba (near 
Oppenheim) on 4 September 1024. Conrad the Younger refused to accept the new 
king. Matilda’s second husband, Frederick, continued to support Conrad the Younger, 
as did Conrad’s cousin, Ernest II of Swabia.[11] Matilda herself was active on her 
sons’s behalf.

Letter to Mieszko II of Poland[edit]

Between 1025-1027 Matilda opened negotiations with King Mieszko II of Poland. 
Mieszko was also opposed to Conrad the Elder/Conrad II, because he refused to 
recognise Mieszko as king of Poland. Matilda presented Mieszko with a valuable 
liturgical manuscript (the Liber de Officiis divinis). The dedicatory page of the book 
contained a letter from Matilda to Mieszko (Epistola ad Mathildis Suevae Misegonem II 
Poloniae Regem) in which she named him a distinguished king, praised him for his 
building of new churches, and knowledge of Latin, and wished him strength against 
his enemies.[12] The dedicatory page also contained a miniature depicting Matilda 
giving the book to Mieszko, who is shown wearing a crown and seated on a throne.
[13] The gift had the desired effect, and Mieszko promised to take military action. By 
1028, however, Emperor Conrad II defeated all his opponents.

By 1030 Matilda seems to have been on good terms with Emperor Conrad II again. She 
joined Conrad II and her sister, Empress Gisela, at the imperial court at Ingelheim in 
Easter 1030.[14] In 1035, Emperor Conrad II deprived Adalbert of the duchy of 
Carinthia for rebelling against him. Conrad II restored Conrad the Younger to the 
duchy.

Death[edit]

Matilda died sometime after Easter 1030 (when she was at the imperial court) and 
before January 1034, when Emperor Conrad II issued a diploma at the intervention of 
his wife Gisela, commemorating her death.[15] She is often said to have died on 29 
July 1032. She was buried in the cathedral at Worms. After Matilda's death, her young 
daughters (Beatrice and Sophie) from her second marriage to Frederick were adopted 
by her sister, Empress Gisela.[16]

Children[edit]

With her first husband, Conrad, Matilda had three children:
Conrad II
Bishop Bruno of Würzburg
Gisela (?), who married Count Gerhard of Metz, whose brother was Bruno of Toul (later 
Pope Gregory V).

With her second husband, Frederick, Matilda had three children:[17]
Frederick III
Beatrice
Sophie

If she was married to Esico, Matilda had two further children:
Adalbert II of Ballenstedt
Adelaide of Ballenstadt, wife of Thiemo of Schraplau

Parents
VON OENINGEN Hermann II (ABT  966 - 4 May 1003)
OF BURGUNDY Gerberga (ABT  965 - 7 Jul 1018)

Siblings
OF SWABIA Gisela (Gisele) (11 Nov  990 - 14 Feb 1043)
DE SWABIA Matilda (Mathilde) (ABT  998 - ABT 1034)

Marriage To ____ Frederic II (ABT  995 - 1026)
    m. ABT 1013 

Notes

Parents
OF LORRAINE Theodoric (Dietrich) I (ABT  965 - ABT 1026)
____ Richilde (ABT  965 - BEF  995)

Children by ____ Frederic II ABT  995 - 1026
OF BAR Sophie (Sophia) (ABT 1018 - 1093)

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