Wichmann the Younger

Wichmann II the Younger (also spelled "Wigmann" or "Wichman"; died 22 September 967) was a member of the Saxon House of Billung. He was a son of Wichmann the Elder and Frederuna. [Reuter, 155.] He attained the rank of count, but his county is unknown.

In 953, Wichmann participated with in the rebellion of Liudolf, Duke of Swabia, against Otto I, [Bernhardt, 24.] and in the rebels' siege of Mainz. Also that year he reopened his father's feud with Herman, Duke of Saxony, his uncle, and was captured; Otto prevented him from being punished more severely, contrary to Herman's wishes. [Ibid, 25. Reuter, 155–156.] He was released in 954, though he was not included in the general settlement that followed the revolt. [Reuter, 160.]

Wichman and his brother Egbert the One-Eyed instigated a revolt of the Slavs. In 963, he was an outlaw leading a band of Slavs (likely Pomeranians) in battle against Mieszko I of Poland, defeating him twice and even exacting tribute. [Ibid.] For a brief interlude, he was allowed to return to Germany and his wife's estates, but he was exiled once more by his uncle Herman during Otto's second Italian campaign. [Ibid.] In 967, he and the western Pomeranians were defeated by an alliance of Mieszko and Boleslaus I of Bohemia and Wichmann was killed in action. Wichmann's lands were confiscated by Otto and divided in two, half going to the monastery founded by Duke Herman at Lüneburg and half going to found the convent of "Keminada" on the Weser. [Bernhardt, 208.]

Certain scholars have interpreted a clause in the foundation charter of the Abbey of Corvey as referring to Wichmann, his wife Hathwig, and his son Amulung, Count of Bikethop. Wichmann's daughters were allowed to use their inheritance, on which Keminada was founded, throughout their lifetime. [Ibid.]

ources

*Reuter, Timothy. "Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800–1056". New York: Longman, 1991.
*Bernhardt, John W. "Itinerant Kingship and Royal Monasteries in Early Medieval Germany, c. 936–1075". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.

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