This week's (and the last; my favorite) Knight of the Week- Ulrich von Liechtenstein (the real one):
TIMELINE
Built in 1122 the manor of: Hartwig von Reidling: (was the forerunner of the castle Liechtenstein) (1108-1140) – He was the father of Dietmar I
Liechtenstein castle was built in 1130 by Hugo von Petronell, which he named Liechtenstein ("bright stone"). He then called himself Hugo von Liechtenstein after the Castle. (The Turks destroyed the castle in 1480 and 1529 destroyed it completely.)
Dietmar I. (1126-1140 von Reidling) in 1140 he had fixed the construction of Liechtenstein Castle and took his name from the castle: 1140-1145 von Liechtenstein) Son:
Dietmar II. (d. after 1189) Von Liechtenstein. Son:
Dietmar III. (1164-1218) Von Liechtenstein. Son:
(Liechtenstein was under the rule of the Counts of Montfort (1200-1416))
Ulrich von Liechtenstein (Son of Dietmar III von Liechtenstein and Cunegonde):
-1200: Ulrich Born - at Murau in the Duchy of Styria
-1212-1215: From early childhood, Ulrich receives the traditional education of a knight. In the course of his training he serves as the page to Lady Beatrix, daughter of Otto II of Burgundy (with whom he fell in love)
-1215-1219: The young Ulrich is squire to Margrave Heinrich of Istria.
-1220: He is called away to his father’s side as he dies.
-1222: Ulrich was knighted by the Babenburg Duke Leopold VI of Austria.
-1226: Eventually he took an oath of tourney for the love that inspired him, vowing to meet all comers during a month of travels, that he called: “Journey of Venus” (Venusfahrt), a series of tournaments dressed as Venus in honor of Beatrix. During this series of jousts he defeats over 300 other knights.
-1230: Ulrich marries Percha von Weissenstein, (They had 2 sons and 2 daughters.)
-1232: Ulrich has the Castle Murau built.
-1240: at forty years of age Ulrich organized a new round of tournament jousting based on Arthurian legends (“Artusfahrt”). He himself played the role of Arthur and those that would joust him assumed names such and Gwain, Kay and Lancelot
-1241-1245: Ulrich is mentioned as "Dapifer Stirie" (Lord High Steward in Styria)
-1246: Leader of the Styrian nobility, Ulrich fought in internal battles in Istria and had a hand in absorbing the duchy into the possessions of Rudolph of Habsburg after the ducal House of Babenberg had become extinct. In the campaign in Hungary in 1246, when he was present at the battle on the Leitha, in which his lord, Friedrich II, der Streitbare, was killed. The Interregnum following Friedrich's death was marked by a power struggle between the king of Hungary and King Ottokar of Bohemia over the reign in Austria and Styria that was not settled until Rudolf von Hapsburg was elected king of Germany in 1273.
-1248: Ulrich had the Castle Frauenburg built.
-1250: Ulrich II (M) born; Dietmut (F) born (?);
Philip of Sponheim, the Archbishop-Elect of Salzburg, was deposed by Pope Alexander IV for refusing to take holy orders, Philip raised an army to defend his title. Ulrich agreed to fight for Philip's cause and agreed to provide Philip with 100 fighting men.
-1252: Otto III (M) born – married Diemut von Liechtenstein-not his sister; (Their son: Otto IV married Katharina von MONTFORT.)
Philip's forces decisively defeated his enemies at the Battle of Sachsenburg on the Drava, and Ulrich was one of seven who mediated the ensuing peace.
-1254: The struggle between Bohemia and Hungary was temporarily settled by the peace treaty of Ofen.
-1255: Ulrich wrote: “Frauendienst” –(The Service of Ladies): [He writes of himself as a protagonist who does great deeds of honor to married noblewomen, following the conventions of chaste courtly love. The protagonist embarks on two remarkable quests. In the first quest, he travels from Venice to Vienna in the guise of Venus, the goddess of love. He competes in jousts and tourneys and challenges all the knights he meets to a duel in the honour of his lady. He breaks 307 lances and defeats all comers. The noblewoman, however, mostly spurns his affections and demands more deeds and even mutilation for even the honour to hold her hand. In the second quest, he takes on the role of King Arthur ("Artus"), with his followers becoming Arthurian Round Table characters. Regrettably, the first two pages of the beginning have been lost to time. The protagonist, Ulrich, wanders through Styria and Austria in the guise of King Arthur inviting all knights to "break lance" (that is, to joust) three times with him for honor's sake. In this disguise he attended many tournaments. The story illustrates how a worthy knight-errant was supposed to wander about defeating opponents in honorable combat. The story intersperses some songs and courtly advice to knights and some admonitions to greedy nobles and faithless squires.]
-1257: Ulrich wrote: “Das Frauenbuch” – (The Woman’s Book)
-1260: Perchta: (F) born.
-1267-1272: Ulrich appointed Marshal of Istria.
-1268: Ulrich lost the castles to King Ottokar, but later got them back.
-1269: Ulrich was taken prisoner by King Ottokar. (In the war between the Habsburg and the Bohemian King Ottokar the castle Murau was destroyed, but was later rebuilt by Ulrich’s son, Otto)
-1272-1278: Ulrich appointed Supreme Provincial Judge and Governor of Istria.
-1278: Ulrich dies at aged 78.
He was the owner 3 castles: 1. Liechtenstein
2. Frauenburg (his favorite)
3. Murau
-1304: Publication of the Manesse Codex including one of Sir Ulrich showing his coat of arms.
-1880: Illustration of Sir Ulrich (as Lady Venus) done by artist Otto von Leixner
The current government of the von und zu Liechtenstein, is derived from the Styrian line, whose most famous ancestor was the minstrel Ulrich von Liechtenstein (Frauenburg-Unzmarkt and ruin Liechtenstein Judenburg)
[I have both of his books. Only the first has been translated into English. I am currently translating the second book which is in German.]
Note: He is my favorite knight, not only because he was a good fighter in battles, but he was romantic, rose from nothing (like Wm. Marshal) to great power.....and especially because he was excentric...which I also am.
