Theobald I, Duke of Lorraine
Theobald I | |
---|---|
Duke of Lorraine | |
Reign | 1213 - 1220 |
Predecessor | Frederick II, Duke of Lorraine |
Successor | Matthias II, Duke of Lorraine |
Born | c. 1191 |
Died | 17 February 1220 |
Spouse | Gertrude of Dagsburg |
House | House of Lorraine |
Father | Frederick II, Duke of Lorraine |
Mother | Agnes of Bar |
Theobald I (
Battle of Bouvines
Theobald joined Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor, on 4 July 1214 at the Battle of Bouvines, where he was taken in prisoner in the rout. He was quickly liberated.
Vassals
As duke of Lorraine Theobald was a powerful lord, almost under the Holy Roman Empire and almost ruling independently. He had several important vassals but many of them strove for independence quite successfully. These vassals included the Bishops of Metz, the Bishops of Toul, the Bishops of Verdun, the County of Bar (though these counts were not de facto part of Lorraine at this point), the lord of Commercy, the Count of Vaudémont, and the Counts of Chiny (also lords of Montmédy).[2] However the dukes suzerainty over these lordships was probably not much more than nominal.
Other affairs
He was suggested by the abbot Gervase to be one of the leaders for the 5th crusade but he was probably already embroiled in the Champagne war of succession and had to decline.[3]
Champagne war of Succession
In 1216, in the
Kinslayer
Between 3 and 10 April 1217 (during the Champagne war of Succession) he searched for his problematic paternal uncle the bishop of Toul Matthew de Lorraine, found him on the path Void Parupt in Saint-Michel-sur-Meurthe, and killed him with a spear (implying a fight rather than a murder). The weapon he used to kill the unruly bishop was apparently borrowed from Simon of Joinville, who was an ally during the Champagne war of Succession and probably also a friend.
Lands and possible Hospitallier Association
As duke of Lorraine, his chief seat was at the city of Nancy. In 1212, through his wife Gertrude, he inherited the County of Dagsburg and its capital, the Chateau de Dabo and also Dorlisheim.[4] Considering his ancestors' association with the Knights Hospitallier, it seems likely that the hospital was founded by him.[4] Through a grant by the Emperor he also had Rosheim, but when he interfered in the War of the Succession of Champagne, it was taken away from him.
He also held the castles of Amance,[5] Lunéville, Château des Ducs de Lorraine, and many more.
Character/Personality
In accounts, the dukes of Lorraine are always referred to as extremely handsome and talented[6] and, based on Theobald's military adventures, it is not unlikely that he was brave. Despite this, he seems to have been either stubborn or loyal, after refusing to back down when his liege joined the opposing side of the Champagne War of Succession. Opposing his Liege cost him dearly and his violent reactions against his liege show that he was too proud to seek to smooth things over. The killing of his uncle Matthew, Bishop of Toul, does not reflect well on his personality, especially when such actions were considered particularly egregious in the Middle Ages.
Marriage and Succession
He had married, in 1206,
See also
- Dukes of Lorraine family tree
References
- ^ Buchheit 2016, p. 305.
- ^ Poupardin, René (1911). . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 9–12, see page 12.
Upper Lorraine....the representatives of the hereditary house were ....Theobald (Thibaut) I. (1213–1220)...
- ISBN 978-1-5128-1956-4.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4094-8321-2.
- ISBN 978-1-108-18695-7.
- ^ Thrupp, Adelaide (1870). A Short History of Lorraine and Alsace: With Map and General Tables. Stanford Ed. p. 14.
- ^ Thrupp, Adelaide (1870). A Short History of Lorraine and Alsace: With Map and General Tables. Stanford Ed.
Sources
- Buchheit, Nicolas (2016). "A Georgraphy of Power: The Hospitallers in the Territorial Policies of the Bishops of Strasbourg in Lower Alsace in the Thirteenth Century". In Edbury, Peter (ed.). The Military Orders Volume V: Politics and Power. Routledge.