Henry I the Bald (died 11 May 976),
Count of Stade, son of
Lothar II, Count of Stade, and Swanhild of Saxony. Henry is recorded as a cousin of
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor,
but their exact relationship remains a mystery. Henry was also
appointed Count of Heilangau, the ancient capital of Stade, in 959.
Apparently, when Henry’s father died at the
Battle of Lenzen, the county of
Stade was taken by
Wichmann the Elder and his two sons, not to return to the family of Lothar until 967. Henry's grandson
Thietmar of Merseburg recounts that Henry tried to capture Margrave
Hermann Billung because of “arrogance” in ceremonial matters, but failed.
Hildegard von Reinhausen, daughter of Elli I, Count of
Reinhausen.
Lothar II (874-929),
Count of Stade, son of
Lothar I, Count of Stade, and Oda of Saxony, daughter of
Liudolf, Duke of Saxony. Lothar was the great-grandfather of
Thietmar of Merseburg, and is frequently confused in genealogical sources with Thietmar’s other great-grandfather of the same name who was
Count of Walbeck.
Lothar died fighting the Slavs in the
Battle of Lenzen, as did
Lothar I, Count of Walbeck.
Thietmar describes his great-grandfathers (called Liuthar in his
Chronicon), as “distinguished men, the best of warriors, of illustrious
lineage, and the honour and solace of the homeland.
Swanhild of Saxony
Lothar I (840-880),
Count of Stade, possibly a descendant of Saxon leader
Widukind.
Lothar was one of the twelve counts killed in the
Battle of Ebstorf (also called the Battle of Lüneburg Heath) which pitted the army of
Louis III of France against the
Great Heathen Army of Norsemen. This battle was documented in the
Annals of Fulda. The Catholic Church recognizes those killed as the
Martyrs of Ebsdorf whose feast day is 2 February.
Oda of Saxony, possibly the daughter of
Liudolf, Duke of Saxony
Widukind, also known as
Widuking or
Wittekind, was a
Germanic leader of the
Saxons and the chief opponent of the
Frankish king
Charlemagne during the
Saxon Wars
from 777 to 785. Charlemagne ultimately prevailed, organized Saxony as a
Frankish province and ordered conversions of the pagan Saxons to
Roman Catholicism. In later times, Widukind became a symbol of Saxon independence and a figure of legend - the
Codex Wittekindeus is said to have been owned by him.
