Hildegarde Hohgarton, 2nd Duchess of Hanover-Brunswick
Her Grace Hildegarde Strongarm 2nd Duchess of Hanover-Brunswick | |
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| Spymaster of Frisia | |
| In office 27 February 962 – 20 October 963 | |
| Liege | King of Frisia |
| Preceded by | Unknown |
| Succeeded by | Unknown |
| Steward of East Francia | |
| In office 26 July 942 – 6 January 962 | |
| Liege | Mechthild, Queen of East Francia |
| Preceded by | Helene Hohgarton, 1st Duchess of Hanover-Brunswick |
| Succeeded by | Machtelt Kareldochter, 6th Duchess of Frisia |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hildegarde Hohgarton 23 February 897 Hanover, Hanover, East Francia |
| Died | 15 December 972 Hanover, Hanover-Brunswick |
| Children | Richard I, Holy Roman Emperor Prince Charles of Hanover-Brunswick |
| Parents |
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Hildegarde Hohgarton, 2nd Duchess of Hanover-Brunswick (23 February 897 - 15 December 972) was a Hanoverian-Saxon noblewoman, seductress, and schemer who held various lands in Northern Germany under the Dukedom of Hanover-Brunswick. She came to prominence when she succeeded her father as the Countess of Oldenburg and later her grandmother as the Duchess of Hanover-Brunswick. Noted as a magnanimous atheist and cautious economist. Known as Hildegarde Strongarm and the Queen of Beauty and Noblesse.
She oversaw important political and cultural developments within Central Europe, such as the Hohgarton Partition, the Dissolution of the Kingdoms, and the Divergence of Hanoverian-Saxons. Her leadership and political cunning saw the Hanover-Brunswick became an independent realm that held the fealty of vassal dukes and counts.
Formation of the Hanoverian-Saxon Culture - 950
Exceptional Military Commander during her Reign: Hermann von Weyhe
Independence from Frisia - 20 October 963, following great tumult in the realm
Establishment of the Dukedom of Hanover-Brunswick as a independent realm. - 22 November 965
Teutonic Order founded in Hallermund - 18 June 972
Early Life
Hildegarde Hohgarton was born on 23 February 897 in Hanover, Hanover, East Francia to Richard Hohgarton, son of Helene Hohgarton, 1st Countess of Hanover and Richard Bouvinid, Count of Hanover, and Mélisende Poitiers. Not much is known about her first few years, except that she was taken care of a wet nurse, Glismod and her grandmother Alaïs died. At the age of 10, 26 June 907, as a part of a deal to maintain partnership and peace with Saxony, Hildegarde was exhanged as a hostage. A few years later, on 16 June 911, she received news that her grandfather, Duke of Hanover, has died of old age. On 24 February 913, she turned 16 and was acknowledged as a woman of marriagable age, and despite the agreement that she would be returned to Hanover, Otto II kept her at his court. She would stay another 5 years as his hostage until she was 21, until she was captured during a siege by Svanhildr, Chieftess of Ellum. It would only be 6 days before she was returned to Hanover after her grandmother, the Duchess of Hanover, paid for her ransom.
Adulthood
At the age of 24, it is said that she became rivals with Rudolf, though the historical record does not mention much more beyond that and, at 25, finished completed her tutelage of her sister, Adelaide. When she was 29, after having believed she would never marry, was married to Donar von Haseldorf, a ennobled knight. on 18 October 928 she gave birth to her firstborn son, Richard Hohgarton, and on 11 January 930, Charles Hohgarton. When she was 36, she learned that her childhood wet nurse, Glismod, had died of old age. In 935, she completed her tutelag of Eilika, daughter of her sister, Adelaide, and in 936, Liutswind, her youngest sister.
On 19 June 940, at the age of 43, her mother, the Countess of Oldenburg, died of old age. A year later, her husband would be slain in battle. Not a few months later, her father would also die, fuled by the grief of the death of wife, drinking himself to death. An act which was deemed purposeful and disgraced his memory.
Countess of Oldenburg
With the death of her father, she succeeded to the title of Countess of Oldenburg. While her father was the heir of his mother, the Duchess of Hanover, this was not automatically the case in the traditions and laws of the realm. Until 30 July 941, she would have been passed over by her cousin, a son of one of her elder uncles. However, believing that cousin to be unsuited to succeeding to her titles, the Duchess of Hanover changed the laws to be elective and chose Hildegarde to be her heir. The electors would concur with her choice unanimously. Only a year later, her grandmother died of old age.
Duchess of Hanover-Brunswick
On 14 May 942, Hildegarde succeeded her grandmother as the Duchess of Hanover-Brunswick and was appointed by Queen Mechthild to continue in the post as Steward of East Francia. She came into her reign with conflict against Alamannia and with a Feud with House Asti, which she ended to her family's chagrin within 10 days of her accession. She remarried, at age 45, to Munio Vasconia. In October of that year, burdened by the large realm that her grandmother had ruled directly, granted lands to close family members. Called the Hohgarton Partition, Lippe, Gandersheim, Gottigen, and Everstein were granted to William Hohgarton, son of Adelaide Hohgarton, 1st Countess of Braunchsweig and Kassel, Fulda, and Waldeck were granted to Detleff Hohgarton, son of Howard Hohgarton, 1st Count of Schmalkalden and husband of Liutswind Hohgarton, her sister. While the Partition, contemporaneously, was considered to be a poor choice since the combined wealth of those lands were great, it ensured the continued regional power of the House of Hohgarton and provided loyal and powerful allies to her reign.
During 943-944, she traveled to and was educated at a univeristy in Siena. It is widely agreed that she was a middling player in intrigue circles before her time at the university. Now, she had an enhanced skill at dealing with people and perceiving political trends. When she returned to Hanover, she completed the tutelage of her son, Richard. A few months later, she paid homage to Queen Mechthild, in X, and gave a great gift of gold. With her influence solidifying a hold over Northern East Francia, she made ensured peace with Berengar II, Landgrave of Hesse, by taking his son, Johann, hostage. In an effort to improve the loyalty of her vassals, she made a legendary Grand Tour in 947.