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Birth:          ABT  902 of Saxony

Death:          27 Mar  973 

Notes
Gertz claims he is Conrad I of Bourgogne married to Maude, but no confirmation and 
Gertz has bad track record
built Luneberg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Billung
Hermann Billung (900 or 912 – 27 March 973) was the Margrave of the Billung March 
from 936 until his death. The first of the Saxon House of Billung, Hermann was a 
trusted lieutenant of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor.

Though never Duke of Saxony himself, while Otto (who was the enthroned Duke of 
Saxony) was in Italy from 961 until 972, Hermann served as Otto's personal 
representative in governing Saxony. Towards the end of his life, Hermann was the 
effective Duke in all but name.

Hermann died in 973, just two months before Otto's own death. Hermann's son 
Bernard I was named as the new Duke of Saxony by Otto I's son Otto II, the new Holy 
Roman Emperor.

Life[edit]

Hermann was probably the son of Billung. He was the younger brother of the Saxon 
count Wichmann the Elder. Hermann is generally counted as the first Billung duke 
(Herzog) of Saxony, but his exact position is unclear. The ducal Ottonian dynasty had 
risen to German royalty with the accession of Henry the Fowler in 919 and had to 
concentrate on countrywide affairs. At least in 961, when King Otto I of Germany 
marched against the Kingdom of Italy for the second time, he made Hermann the 
administrator (procurator regis) in his Saxon lands.

When in 936 King Otto I had ascended the throne, he appointed Hermann a margrave 
(princeps militiae), granting him the Saxon march north of the Elbe river. His Billung 
March stretched from the Limes Saxoniae in the west along the Baltic coast to the 
Peene River in the east, roughly corresponding with the later Mecklenburg region. 
Otto thereby disregarded the claims of Hermann's elder brother Count Wichmann, a 
brother-in-law of Queen Dowager Matilda. Wichmann in turn joined the unsuccessful 
rebellion of King Otto's half-brother Thankmar and Duke Eberhard of Franconia in 938. 
Having more autonomy than the contemporary margrave Gero ruling over the adjacent 
Marca Geronis in the south, Hermann exacted tribute from the local Polabian Slavs of 
the Obotrite tribal federation.

Upon his brother's death in 944, he also became count in the Saxon Bardengau 
around the town of Lüneburg, where he founded the monastery of St Michael in that 
city. He again disregarded the inheritance claims raised by his nephews Wichmann the 
Younger and Egbert the One-Eyed. In 953 both joined the countrywide rebellion 
started by King Otto's younger brother Duke Liudolf of Swabia, which only collapsed 
due to the massive invasion of Hungarian forces. During this grave crisis, the king, 
who was also Duke of Saxony, began entrusting more and more of his authority in the 
Saxon lands to Hermann during his absences. However, Hermann was never named 
dux in royal documents. Instead, he is named as a military leader, count, and 
margrave.

His position was solidified, when on 2 February 962 King Otto was crowned Holy 
Roman Emperor in Rome by Pope John XII. Hermann was received like a king by 
Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg in 972, which even annoyed the emperor. He may 
have been the founder of the Hermannsburg locality in the Lüneburg Heath, first 
mentioned in 1059.

Hermann died in Quedlinburg. His son Bernard inherited and strengthened his father's 
position and managed to be recognized as duke.

Descendants[edit]

Hermann Billung perhaps was married twice: According to the chronicles of St 
Michael's Abbey in Lüneburg, a Countess Oda died on 15 March in an unknown year 
after 973, the Xanten annals noted the death of one Ode, spouse of Duke Hermann, 
on the same day. She probably was related to the royal Ottonian dynasty; Henry the 
Fowler's grandmother was named Oda (herself a member of the Billung dynasty), which 
was also the name of his sister. A second wife Hildesuith or Hildegard of Westerburg 
is mentioned in the chronicles, but her relation to Oda remains unclear. Hildegard was 
also the name of the spouse of Hermann's son Bernard. The name of Hermann's 
granddaughter Oda of Meissen indicate that Oda was the mother of his children.

He had five children:
Bernhard I (died 1011), Duke of Saxony
Liutger (died 26 February 1011) Count in Westfalengau, attested in 991, buried in St. 
Michaels in Lüneburg, married Emma of Lesum (died 3 December 1038), buried in the 
Bremen Cathedral, daughter of Immed IV (Immedinger) and Adela of Hamaland, sister 
of Bishop Meinwerk of Paderborn.
Suanhilde (born between 945 and 955, died 26 November 1014,[2] buried in the 
monastery of Jena, reburied after 1028 in the Church of St. George in Naumburg, 
married: 1.in 970 Thietmar I (died after 979) Margrave of Meissen,
2.before 1000 Ekkehard I (murdered 30 April 1002 in Pöhlde); became in 992 
Margrave of Meissen, buried in the monastery of Jena, reburied after 1028 in the 
Church of St. George in Naumburg

Mathilde (born between 935 and 945, died 25 May 1008 in Ghent, buried in St. Peter's 
church), married: 1."shortly before 961" to Balduin III, Count of Flanders (died 1 
January 962),
2.Gottfried der Gefangene (died on 3/4 April after 995) in 963/982, Count of Verdun 
(Wigeriche), buried in St. Peter's church in Ghent

Imma, in 995 Abbess of Herford

Parents
____ Billung (ABT  880 - 26 Mar  967)
____ Frederunda or Hildeburg ()

Siblings
BILLUNG OF SAXONY Hermann (ABT  902 - 27 Mar  973)

Marriage To OF WESTERBOURG Hildegarde (Hildegardis) (ABT  907 - )
    m.  

Notes


Children by OF WESTERBOURG Hildegarde (Hildegardis) ABT  907 - 
OF SAXONY Maud (Mathilde) (ABT  943 - 25 May 1008)
____ Swanhilde (ABT  945 - 26 Nov 1014)
BILLUNG Bernard (Benno) I (ABT  950 - 9 Feb 1011)

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