Ezzonids

The Ezzonids (more commonly known as Ezzonen) were a dynasty of Lotharingian stock dating back as far as the ninth century. They attained prominence only in the eleventh century through marriage with the Ottonian dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors. Named after Ezzo, the Count Palatine of Lotharingia from 1015 to 1034, they dominated the politics of the middle and lower Rhine and usually represented the royal interests. Under the Salian Emperors, they even briefly held the dukedoms of Swabia, Carinthia, and Bavaria.

The Ezzonids first appear with Erenfried I (866–904), count of the Bliesgau, Keldachgau, the Bonngau, and maybe also the Charmois. He may have had Carolingian ancestors, although some historians prefer to link him to former Thuringian kings. The political ascent of the Ezzonid dynasty becomes historically visible with the number of counties they acquired in the second half of the tenth century. They ruled most of the Rhenish counties and were eventually granted palatine status over the other counts of the district. In spite of their military accomplishments in service to the German emperors, the Ezzonids did not succeed in building a territorial entity in Lotharingia.

Counts Palatine of Lotharingia

* Hermann I, Count Palatine of Lotharingia.
* Ezzo, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (1015-1034). According to the Brauweiler chronicle, he failed to succeed in the monarchy after the death of emperor Otto III (983–1002) in a rivalry with duke Heinrich II of Bavaria (1002–1024). The succession war between Ezzo and Heinrich II continued for over ten years. Both parties came to an agreement after a battle in Odernheim (1011). Kaiserswerth, Duisburg and the surrounding imperial territories were granted as a fief to Ezzo for renouncing the throne (after 1016). When the German crown passed from the Ottonian to the Salian (1024), the Ezzonen remained neutral, apparently after an agreement between Ezzo and Konrad II (1024–1039).
* Otto I, count palatine of Lotharingia (1035–1045) and duke of Swabia (1045-1047). After a successful campaign against the rebelling count of Flanders (margrave of Valenciennes and Ename) Otto received the duchy of Swabia in 1045, in exchange however for the cities of Kaiserswerth and Duisburg, which went back to the crown. At the same time, the palatinate of Lotharingia was passed to his nephew.
*Heinrich I, count palatine of Lotharingia (1045–1060, †1061), son of count Hezzelin I (1020-1033), who was a brother of Ezzo.
*Hermann II, count palatine of Lotharingia (1064-1085), count of the Ruhrgau, Zulpichgau and Brabant. His territorial power was importantly reduced by his guardian, Anno II, Archbishop of Cologne. Hermann is assumed to be last of the Ezzonians. After his death (Dalhem, September 20, 1085) the Palatinate of Lotharingia was suspended. His widow remarried with the first count palatine of the Rhine, Henry of Laach.

Ezzonian descendants would have survived in the counts of Limburg Stirum, who are believed to descent from Adolf I of Lotharingia, youngest son of Hermann I.

Other illustrious Ezzonids

* Richeza of Lotharingia, Queen of Poland (Ste Richenza, celebrated on March 21).
* Conrad I, Duke of Bavaria, heir of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, died in exile after an attempt to assassinate the Emperor and seize the throne.
* Conrad III, Duke of Carinthia.
* Hermann I, Archbishop of Cologne, Chancellor of King Zwentibold of Lotharingia.
* Hermann II, Archbishop of Cologne and Chancellor for Italy.

Sources

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* Droege, G., 'Pfalzgrafschaft, Grafschaften und allodiale Herrschaften zwischen Maas und Rhein in salisch-staufischer Zeit’, Rheinische Vierteljahrsblätter 26 (1961) S.1-21.
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* Tolnerus, C.L., Historia palatina seu prim. et antiquiss. Comitum Palatinarum ad Rhenum res gestae (etc.) (Frankfurt am Main 1700); und Additiones (Frankfurt am Main 1709).
* Van Droogenbroeck, F.J., ‘Paltsgraaf Herman II (†1085) en de stichting van de abdij van Affligem (28 juni 1062) ’, Jaarboek voor Middeleeuwse Geschiedenis 2 (Hilversum 1999) S.38-95.
* Van Droogenbroeck, F.J., ‘De betekenis van paltsgraaf Herman II (1064-1085) voor het graafschap Brabant’, Eigen Schoon en De Brabander 87 (Brüssel 2004) S.1-166.
* Wisplinghoff, E., 'Zur Reihenfolge der lothringischen Pfalzgrafen am Ende des 11. Jahrhunderts’, Rheinische Vierteljahrsblätter 28 (1963) S.290-293.