Sigfried, Count of the Ardennes

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Sigfried
Bornc. 922
Died(998-10-28)28 October 998
Noble familyHouse of Ardenne
House of Ardenne–Luxembourg
Spouse(s)Hedwig of Nordgau
FatherWigeric of Lotharingia
MotherCunigunda of France

Sigfried (or Siegfried) (c. 922 – 28 October 998) was count in the

Luxembourg.[1] He was also an advocate of the abbeys of St. Maximin in Trier and Saint Willibrord in Echternach
.

His male-line descendants are known as the House of Luxembourg, or

counts of Luxembourg.[2]

Ancestry

Further information: House of Ardenne

Through his mother Cunigunde, who was a granddaughter of King Louis the Stammerer of West Francia, Sigfried was a sixth-generation descendant of Charlemagne.[3]

His father is most likely

Bishop of Metz.[6]

Life

As the youngest son, Sigfried had inherited, unlike his brothers, only a few possessions from his father in the

Abbey of Stavelot. However, the Abbot of Stavelot, Werinfried, reluctant to have an ambitious landowner as his neighbor, acquired the village of Bodeux himself in 959.[9]

As Siegfried's ambitions to expand towards the river Meuse had failed, and as he was unwilling to confront the powerful episcopal cities of Trier or Metz which ruled out expanding towards the river Moselle, he turned his attention towards the Alzette valley.[9]

Acquisition and foundation of Lucilinburhuc (Luxembourg)

See also: The folkloric legend of
Melusina

In the mid-10th century, Siegfried acquired the rocky promontory known as Lucilinburhuc and its immediate surrounding area, as well as usage rights for the river from the Abbey of

Otto I, Henry I, archbishop of Trier and Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine, Siegfried's brother.[10]

In 963 Siegfried built a stronghold, castellum Lucilinburhuc on top of the

Roman road Reims-Trier and a prehistoric path leading from Metz to Liège.[11] A marketplace soon arose at this intersection around which a town started to grow. Siegfried then gradually extended his territory towards the west, avoiding the Abbey's lands and those of the emperor.[10] This act is generally regarded as the foundation of Luxembourg City and ultimately of what would become the County of Luxembourg.[12]

Although Siegfried constantly used the title of count, the first written evidence of the title "count of Luxembourg" is attributed to Conrad I some 120 years later.[13]

Servant of the Holy Roman emperors

In 964, Sigfried also laid the foundations for the construction of the castle of Saarburg.[14]

As the Duchy of Lorraine was a state of the

Saracens at the Battle of Stilo.[16] Sigfried also served Otto II during the wars against West Francia, in 983 he served as mediator on behalf of the emperor and met with Hugh Capet, duke of the Franks.[17]
At the death of
Otto II in 983, Siegfried fought at the side of the dowager empress and regent Theophanu against the ambitions of King Lothair of France.[10] In 985 he was briefly captured and imprisoned by the king.[18]

When Sigfried died in 998, his son

Henry I
, followed him as count of Luxembourg.

Family and descendants

Around 950, Sigfried married Hedwig of Nordgau (c. 922–993),[4] daughter of Eberhard IV of Nordgau. They had the following children:

References

  1. ^ Michel Pauly, Geschichte Luxemburgs p. 27
  2. ^ Gilbert Trausch, Histoire du luxembourg p. 102
  3. ^ Michel Pauly, Geschichte Luxemburgs p. 26
  4. ^ a b c d e Pixton 2001, p. 478.
  5. ^ Michel Pauly, Geschichte Luxemburgs p. 26
  6. ^ Gilbert Trausch, Histoire du Luxembourg p. 92
  7. ^ Werner, S. 471
  8. ^ Brandenburg, Tafel 5 S. 10, Anmerkung S. 123; Werner S. 471
  9. ^ a b c d Kreins 2007, p. 19.
  10. ^ a b c d Kreins 2007, p. 20.
  11. ^ Michel Pauly, Geschichte Luxemburgs p. 28
  12. ^ Michel Pauly, Geschichte Luxemburgs p. 28
  13. ^ Michel Pauly, Geschichte Luxemburgs p. 28
  14. ^ Michel Pauly, Geschichte Luxemburgs p. 28
  15. ^ Michel Pauly, Geschichte Luxemburgs p. 27
  16. ^ Michel Pauly, Geschichte Luxemburgs p. 27
  17. ^ Michel Pauly, Geschichte Luxemburgs p. 27
  18. ^ Michel Pauly, Geschichte Luxemburgs p. 27
  19. ^ a b c d Hoensch 2000, Tafel I.

Sources

  • Hoensch, Jörg K. (2000). Die Luxemburger: Eine spätmittelalterliche Dynastie gesamteuropaischer Bedeutung, 1308-1437 (in German). Verlag W. Kohlhammer.
  • Kreins, Jean-Marie (2007). Histoire du Luxembourg: des origines à nos jours (in French). Presses universitaires de France.
    ISBN 978-2-13-056367-9
    .
  • Pixton, Paul B. (2001). "Luxemburger". In Jeep, John M. (ed.). Medieval Germany: An Encyclopedia. Routledge.

Further reading
Sigfried, Count of the Ardennes
Born: 922 Died: 28 October 998
Preceded by
Title created
Count of Luxemburg

963-998 		Succeeded by
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