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Henry X the Proud 1126-1139<br />
Henry the Proud (c. 1108 – 20 October 1139) was the Duke <strong>of</strong> <strong>Bavaria</strong> (Henry X,<br />
1126–1139), Duke <strong>of</strong> Saxony (Henry II, 1137–1139), and Margrave <strong>of</strong> Tuscany (1137-<br />
1139).<br />
He was the son <strong>of</strong> Henry the Black, Duke <strong>of</strong> <strong>Bavaria</strong>, and Wulfhild, daughter <strong>of</strong> Magnus<br />
Billung, Duke <strong>of</strong> Saxony, and thus a member <strong>of</strong> the Welf family, and, what was quite<br />
important, senior heir <strong>of</strong> the Billung family. His father and mother both died in 1126<br />
(father became a monk shortly before his death), and as his elder brother Conrad had<br />
entered the church and died before their parents, Henry became duke <strong>of</strong> <strong>Bavaria</strong>. He<br />
shared the family possessions in Saxony, <strong>Bavaria</strong> and Swabia with his younger brother,<br />
Welf.<br />
In 1127 he was married to Gertrude, the only child <strong>of</strong> Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor,<br />
whose marriage and inheritance Henry's father had been promised as reward for his<br />
changing to support Lothair in the royal election <strong>of</strong> 1125. Gertrude was heir <strong>of</strong> the properties<br />
<strong>of</strong> three Saxon dynasties: the House <strong>of</strong> Supplinburg, the Brunones, and the House<br />
<strong>of</strong> Northeim. The couple had only one son, Henry the Lion. After the marriage, Henry took part in the warfare between the king<br />
and the Hohenstaufen brothers, Frederick II, Duke <strong>of</strong> Swabia (who was Henry's brother-in-law, having been married with his sister<br />
Judith), and Conrad, Duke <strong>of</strong> Franconia, afterwards the German king Conrad III. While engaged in this struggle Henry was also<br />
occupied in suppressing a rising in <strong>Bavaria</strong>, led by Frederick, Count <strong>of</strong> Bogen, during which both duke and count sought to establish<br />
their own candidates in the Bishopric <strong>of</strong> Regensburg. After a war <strong>of</strong> devastation, Frederick submitted in 1133, and two years<br />
later the Hohenstaufen brothers made their peace with Lothair. In 1136, Henry ac<strong>com</strong>panied his father-in-law to Italy, and taking<br />
<strong>com</strong>mand <strong>of</strong> one division <strong>of</strong> the imperial army marched into southern Italy, devastating the land as he went. Having distinguished<br />
himself by his military abilities during this campaign, Henry was appointed as margrave <strong>of</strong> Tuscany and as Lothair's successor in<br />
the Duchy <strong>of</strong> Saxony. He was also given the former properties <strong>of</strong> Matilda <strong>of</strong> Tuscany.<br />
When Lothair died in December 1137, Henry's wealth and position made him a formidable candidate for the German crown, but<br />
the same qualities which earned him the surname <strong>of</strong> Proud, aroused the jealousy <strong>of</strong> the princes and so prevented his election.<br />
The new king, Conrad III, demanded the imperial insignia which were in Henry's possession, and the duke in return asked for his<br />
investiture with the Saxon duchy. But Conrad, who feared his power, refused to assent to this on the pretext that it was unlawful<br />
for two duchies to be in one hand. Attempts at a settlement failed, and in July 1138 Henry was deprived <strong>of</strong> his duchies. In 1139<br />
Henry succeeded in expelling his enemies from Saxony and was preparing to attack <strong>Bavaria</strong> when he suddenly died in the Abbey<br />
<strong>of</strong> Quedlinburg. Henry was buried in the Collegiate Church <strong>of</strong> Königslutter next to his parents-in-law.<br />
His son was Henry the Lion, who was underage. Henry's duchy <strong>of</strong> <strong>Bavaria</strong> was given to Leopold IV, Margrave <strong>of</strong> Austria, a halfbrother<br />
<strong>of</strong> the new king Conrad. Saxony, which he had attempted to hold but was not <strong>of</strong>ficially invested with, was given to Albert<br />
the Bear, son <strong>of</strong> the younger daughter <strong>of</strong> the last Billung duke, Magnus.<br />
BAVARIA<br />
Heinrich X., 1126 - 1138<br />
Pfennig. 19 mm 0.87 g.<br />
Obv.: Waist-high bust with banner and shield facing, head right.<br />
Rev.: Building with 3 towers and 2 arched doors.<br />
Reference: Emmerig 54. Scarce! Beautiful condition.<br />
Estimate: EUR 150. Price realized: 90 EUR (approx. 121 U.S. Dollars as <strong>of</strong> the auction<br />
date)