Biography.guide
Home › People › Ruler › Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark
Portrait of Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark

Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark

1070 – 1103

Noble of the House of Wettin

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark

Lived 1070 – 1103 (aged 32–33). Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark was a ruler.

Henry I (1070–1103), nicknamed the Old, a member of the House of Wettin, was Count of Eilenburg as well as Margrave of the Saxon Eastern March (March of Lusatia) from 1081 and Margrave of Meissen from 1089 until his death.

Life Henry was the son of the Wettin margrave Dedi I of Lusatia and his second wife Adela of Louvain, a granddaughter of Count Lambert I of Louvian and widow of Margrave Otto I of Meissen. His father ruled the Lusatian march since 1046; he was one of the nobles who joined the Saxon revolt of 1073–1075, but he quickly approached the Salian king Henry IV and was able to retain his margraviate until his death in 1075. Nevertheless, he had to extradite his minor son and heir Henry to the king as a hostage.

Henry was remained in captivity until in 1081 the king enfeoffed him with the March of Lusatia to curb Bohemian influence. It had previously been enfeoffed to Duke Vratislaus II of Bohemia in turn for his support against the Saxon insurgents, but he had never been confirmed in his possession.

Later, in 1089, he was also granted the Margraviate of Meissen by Emperor Henry IV. He was the first of the House of Wettin to govern that march, following the deposition of the Brunonid margrave Egbert II, who had sided with anti-king Hermann of Salm. About 1102 Margrave Henry married Egbert's daughter Gertrude of Brunswick (d. 1117) to further legitimate his claims. From this marriage he had one posthumous son, his successor Henry II. As Gertrude of Brunswick is sometimes nicknamed the Younger and there is no candidate for "Gertrude the Elder", the nickname must have come from confusion with an otherwise unattested daughter named Gertrude.

Margrave Henry was killed fighting against the Polabian Slavs near the Neisse river.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1070, Grimma
Birth century
Died
1103, Emden
Occupation
Also known as
Heinrich I, Heinrich I Markgraf von Meißen

People in Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark?

noble of the House of Wettin (1070–1103)

When was Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark born?

Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark was born in 1070 in Grimma.

When did Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark die?

Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark died in 1103 in Emden.

What was Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark's occupation?

Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark was a ruler.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark

· Wikidata: Q63018

· DBpedia: Henry I of the Saxon Ostmark

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark. https://biography.guide/henry-i-margrave-of-the-saxon-ostmark/

MLA: "Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/henry-i-margrave-of-the-saxon-ostmark/.

Chicago: "Henry I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/henry-i-margrave-of-the-saxon-ostmark/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:03 UTC