See also

Family of Ezzo + and Mathilde + of GERMANY

Husband: Ezzo + (955-1034)
Wife: Mathilde + of GERMANY (979-1025)
Children: Richeza + of LOTHARINGIA (994-1063)
Hermann II (995-1056)
Otto I (c. 997-1047)
Theophanu (c. 999-1056)
Ludolph + of LORRAINE (1001-1031)
Adelheid (c. 1001-1030)
Heylwig (c. 1003- )
Mathilde (c. 1005- )
Sophie (1008-1045)
Ida (c. 1009-1060)
Marriage 0992

Husband: Ezzo +

Name: Ezzo +
Sex: Male
Father: Herman I + (929-996)
Mother: Heilwigis + of DILLINGEN (931-974)
Birth 0955 Saxony, Germany
Occupation Count Patatine of Lotharingia
Title Count of Palatine
Death 21 Mar 1034 (age 78-79) Saalfeld, Mulhausen, Thuringa
Burial Brauweiler

Wife: Mathilde + of GERMANY

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Mathilde + of GERMANY

Name: Mathilde + of GERMANY
Sex: Female
Father: Otto II + (955-983)
Mother: Theophana + (957-991)
Birth 0979 Saxony, Germany
Occupation Countess Palatine of Lotharingia
Title Princess of Saxony
Title Countess Palatine of Lotharingia
Death 4 Nov 1025 (age 45-46)
Burial Brauweiler Abbey

Child 1: Richeza + of LOTHARINGIA

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Richeza + of LOTHARINGIA

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Spouse: Mieszko II +

Name: Richeza + of LOTHARINGIA
Sex: Female
Spouse: Mieszko II + (990-1034)
Birth 0994 Lorraine, Moselle, France
Occupation Queen Consort of Poland
Title Queen Consort of Poland
Religion Roman Catholic
Death 21 Mar 1063 (age 68-69) Saalfeld, Mulhausen, Thuringa
Burial Koln Cathedral
Koln (Cologne) Germany

Child 2: Hermann II

Name: Hermann II
Sex: Male
Birth 0995
Occupation Archibishop of Cologne
Death 1056 (age 60-61)

Child 3: Otto I

Name: Otto I
Sex: Male
Birth 0997 (est)
Occupation Count Patatine of Lotharingia
Death 1047 (age 49-50)

Child 4: Theophanu

Name: Theophanu
Sex: Female
Birth 0999 (est)
Occupation Abbess of Essen and Gerresheim
Death 1056 (age 56-57)

Child 5: Ludolph + of LORRAINE

Name: Ludolph + of LORRAINE
Sex: Male
Spouse: Mathilde + of ZUTPHEN (1000- )
Birth 1001 Lorraine, Moselle, France
Occupation Governor of Braweiler
Death 10 Apr 1031 (age 29-30) France1
Burial Abbey of Brauweiler

Child 6: Adelheid

Name: Adelheid
Sex: Female
Birth 1001 (est)
Occupation Abbess of Nievelles
Death 1030 (age 28-29)

Child 7: Heylwig

Name: Heylwig
Sex: Female
Birth 1003 (est)
Occupation Abbess of Neuss

Child 8: Mathilde

Name: Mathilde
Sex: Female
Birth 1005 (est)
Occupation Abbess of Dietkirchen and Villich

Child 9: Sophie

Name: Sophie
Sex: Female
Birth 1008 Lorraine, Moselle, France
Occupation Abbess of St. Maria
Death 1045 (age 36-37)

Child 10: Ida

Name: Ida
Sex: Female
Birth 1009 (est)
Occupation Abbess of Cologne and Gandersheim Abbey
Death 1060 (age 50-51)

Note on Husband: Ezzo +

Ezzo (c. 955 – 21 March 1034), sometimes called Erenfried, Count Palatine of Lotharingia of the Ezzonen dynasty, was the son of Herman I.

 

Having married Matilda of Germany (died 1025), a daughter of Emperor Otto II and Theophanu, Ezzo became prominent during the reign of his brother-in-law, Emperor Otto III. His power was increased due to the liberal grant of lands in Thuringia and Franconia which his wife received out of Ottonian possessions. Candidate to the imperial throne at the death of Otto III, he received huge territories (Kaiserswerth, Duisburg, and Saalfeld) for renouncing to the throne, making him the most powerful man in the empire after the emperor. Otto's successor, Emperor Henry II, was less friendly towards the powerful count, although there was no serious trouble between them until 1011. Some disturbances in Lotharingia quickly forced the emperor to come to terms, and Ezzo's assistance was purchased with additional imperial fiefs.

 

After this, the relations between Henry and his vassal appear to have been satisfactory. Very little is known about Ezzo's later life, but we are told that he died at a great age at Saalfeld on 21 March 1034.

 

Ezzo founded Brauweiler Abbey near Cologne, the place where his marriage had been celebrated. It was dedicated in 1028 by Piligrim, archbishop of Cologne. Ezzo and his wife were buried at Brauweiler.

 

He and Mathilda left three sons and seven daughters:

 

Liudolf (c. 1000–10 April 1031), Count of Zütphen.

Otto I (died 1047), Count Palatine of Lotharingia and later Duke of Swabia as Otto II.

Hermann II (995–1056), Archbishop of Cologne.

Theophanu (died 1056), Abbess of Essen and Gerresheim.

Richeza of Lotharingia (died 21 March 1063), Queen of Poland, married with King Mieszko II of Poland.

Adelheid (died c. 1030), Abbess of Nivelles (Nijvel).

Heylwig, Abbess of Neuss.

Mathilde, Abbess of Dietkirchen and Villich.

Sophie, Abbess of St. Maria, Mainz.

Ida (died 1060), Abbess of Cologne and Gandersheim Abbey (founded in 852 by her ancestor Liudolf, Duke of Saxony).

Note on Wife: Mathilde + of GERMANY

Matilda of Germany or Matilde of Saxony (Summer 979-November 1025 Echtz[1]) Was the third daughter of Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor and his wife Empress Theophanu.

[edit] Life

 

Shortly after her birth, Matilda was sent to Essen Abbey, where her older cousin Matilde was Abbess, Matilda was educated here. It was presumed that Matilda would stay in the Abbey and become an Abbess like here older sisters Adelheid I, Abbess of Quedlinburg and Sophia I, Abbess of Gandersheim.

 

However, Matilda lived a different life than her two sisters, she was to marry Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia. According to the Historian Thietmar of Merseburg Matilda's brother Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor did not like the idea of the marriage at first. The family gave the couple large gifts to secure the adequate standard of living. The Empress Theophanu had consented to the marriage. Ezzo then took Matilda out of the Abbey where she had lived. However, Abbess Mathilde had vainly refused to surrender the girl. Later romantic embellishments even claimed Ezzo had previously been secretly in love with the young Matilda. Ezzo took Matilda from the Abbey to marry her.

 

Matilda's mother Theophanu had always agreed to the wedding but Matilda's cousin and teacher Abbess Matilde did not agree to the marriage. Without the consent of Matilda's mother the marriage would not happen with certainty, it is even likely that this marriage was to ensure the power of Otto III. The family had extensive estates in the Lower Rhine and Mosel. Ezzo's mother came from the House of Swabia and so Ezzo laid claims to these lands. Matilda received them out of Ottonian possessions and gave them to her husband.

 

Ezzo and Matilda had married for love and their marriage was very happy. In any case, it was extremely fruitful, with ten children:

 

Liudolf (c. 1000–10 April 1031), Count of Zütphen.

Otto I (died 1047), Count Palatine of Lotharingia and later Duke of Swabia as Otto II.

Hermann II (995–1056), Archbishop of Cologne.

Theophanu (died 1056), Abbess of Essen and Gerresheim.

Richeza of Lotharingia (died 21 March 1063), Queen of Poland, married King Mieszko II of Poland.

Adelheid (died c. 1030), Abbess of Nijvel (Nivelles).

Heylwig, Abbess of Neuss.

Mathilde, Abbess of Dietkirchen and Villich.

Sophie, Abbess of St. Maria, Mainz.

Ida (died 1060), Abbess of Cologne and Gandersheim Abbey (founded in 852 by her ancestor Liudolf, Duke of Saxony).

 

Matilda apparently died unexpectedly during a visit to Ezzo's brother Hermann, while Ezzo was held in Aachen, at a meeting of the nobility of Lorraine. Matilda was buried at Brauweiler Abbey.[2]

 

Matilda was the mother of the famous Richeza of Lotharingia who became Queen of Poland and was later beatified.

Sources

1"Royalty for Commoners".