Henry I, Count of Anhalt

Henry I, Count of Anhalt (b. ca. 1170 - d. 1252), was a member of the House of Ascania and Count of Anhalt.

He was the oldest son of Bernhard III, Duke of Saxony and Count of Anhalt, by his wife, Judith of Poland, daughter of Mieszko III the Old.

Life

After the death of his father in 1212 and according to the House of Ascania law, the surviving sons of the late duke divided his lands: Henry received Anhalt and Albert the Saxon duchy. In 1218 Henry was raised to the rank of Prince (German: "Fürst").

Henry's most famous "ministerialis" was Eike von Repgow from Reppichau who, probably in the Burg Falkenstein near Ballenstedt, compilated the "Sachsenspiegel", because thiswork is dedicated to Count Hoyer of Falkenstein by falcon's stone as a principal.

Henry also was a notorious "Minnesang". At the beginning of 14th century, the Heidelberg Codex Manesse contains five of his "Minnelieder" songs. There he is erroneously called "Duke".

Before his death, he divided Anhalt between his sons: Henry inherited Aschersleben, Bernhard received Bernburg and Siegfried took Zerbst. His other surviving sons, Hermann and Magnus, were ordained priests.

Marriage and Issue

Henry married ca. 1211 with Irmgard (b. ca. 1197 - d. ca. 1244), daughter of Hermann I, Landgrave of Thuringia and, through her paternal grandmother Judith of Swabia, second cousin of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor. They had eleven children:

#Henry II, Prince of Anhalt-Aschersleben (b. 1215 - d. 12 June 1266).
#Judith (d. aft. 14 May 1277), married by 10 March 1233 to Lord Nicholas I of Werle.
#Sophie (d. 23 November 1272), married firstly with Duke Otto I of Merania, secondly with Count Siegfried of Regenstein, and thirdly with Otto of Hadmersleben.
#Bernhard I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg (b. ca. 1218 - d. 1287).
#Albert (d. ca. 1245), a Franciscan monk.
#Hermann (d. 1289), a canon in Halberstadt.
#Magnus (d. aft. 18 June 1264), a canon in Magdeburg.
#Otto (d. aft. 19 July 1246), a canon in Magdeburg.
#Siegfried I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (b. ca. 1230 - d. Köthen, 25 March 1298).
#Hedwig (d. 21 December 1259), married on 8 May 1242 to Duke Boleslaw II of Silesia and Liegnitz-Glogau.
#Gertrud (d. 1275), Abbess of Gernrode (1260-1275).