Welf I, Duke of Bavaria

1037 - 1101  (64 years)

• Name	Welf I
  Birth	1037  [1]
  General Information	He was the first member of the Welf branch of the House of Este. In the genealogy of the Elder House of Welf he is counted as Welf IV.   [4]
  Land/House	1055 (18 years)  [4]
  When Welf's maternal uncle, Welf, Duke of Carinthia (also known as Welf III), died childless in 1055, Welf inherited his property.
  Title(s)	1070 (33 years)  [4]
  He was rewarded for his fidelity by being appointed Duke of Bavaria in Otto's stead. This event took place at Goslar in 1070, when the Duchy of Bavaria submitted quietly to the newly made duke, who was the representative of one of the most ancient families in the province. His repudiation of Ethelinde, which could have been considered an act of injustice, does not seem to have been held against him.
  Military	From 1077 to 1085 (40 years)  [4]
  During the Investiture Controversy, Welf changed sides turning against the Emperor, supporting Pope Gregory VII as well as lending his support for the election of Rudolf of Rheinfelden in March 1077. Pope and Emperor were superficially reconciled in 1076, but the following year saw them again engaged in active hostilities. Henry, in consequence of these repeated acts of rebellion, declared Welf deposed in his newly acquired duchy. However, supported by his faithful Bavarians and aided by his father in Italy, Welf was able to maintain his place, and openly defy the ban of the Empire in May 1077. Welf joined the discontented princes who supported the standard of Rudolph, at a time when any who refused to follow the pope's direction could expect to be excommunicated by the church—a potent and effective threat in the social and political conditions of the time. However, Gregory died in 1085 and his successors took a less intensive part in the affairs of Germany. Welf, though still adhering to the party of the church, began to relax in his exertions to support Rudolf of Rheinfelden.
  Military	1099 (62 years)  [1, 4]
  In 1099, Welf joined what would become known as the Crusade of 1101, along with William IX of Aquitaine, Hugh of Vermandois and Ida of Austria. His main success was to prevent a clash between fellow Crusaders, who had been pillaging Byzantine territory on their way to Constantinople and the Byzantine emperor's Pecheneg mercenaries. The Crusade itself, entering Anatolia, ended disastrously; after passing Heraclea in September, Welf's Bavarians—like other crusader contingents—were ambushed and massacred by the Turkish troops of Kilij Arslan I, the Seljuq Sultan of Rûm. Welf escaped.
  Death	9 Nov 1101	Paphos, Cyprus   [1, 2, 3]
  Burial	Aft 9 Nov 1101	Weingarten Abbey, Weingarten, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Weingarten Abbey, Weingarten,  Baden-Württemberg, Germany   [1]
  Patriarch & Matriarch	Richbald   (10 x Great Grandfather)  Ermentrude of Avalgau  (2 x Great Grandmother)
  Person ID, Branch	I3309	Roy Line, Boudreau Line
  Last Modified	30 Jun 2025

  
  

• Notes

  Death: Weis (1976) gives his death date as 6 November 1101, while von Redlich (1941) gives his death date as 8 November 1101. [2, 3]

  
  

Father	Alberto Azzo II, Marchese d'Este and of the Lombards,   b. 997   d. 20 Aug 1097 (Age 100 years)
Mother	Kunigunde of Altdorf,   b. Abt 1020   d. After 1055 (Age 36 years)
Family ID	F2706	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart




Spouse / Partner 1	Ethelinde of Northeim,   b. Between 1050 and 1060  Other Partners: Herman I, Count of Calvelage  m. After 1070
Marriage	1062  [4, 5]
Age at Marriage	He : ~ 25 years - She : ~ 12 years.
Divorce	About 1069  [4]
	When his father-in-law, Duke Otto, had become an enemy of Emperor Henry IV and forfeited his duchy, Welf remained loyal to Henry IV. In compliance with Henry's commands, he repudiated and divorced his wife, Ethelinde. [4]
Family ID	F8662	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
Last Modified	22 Aug 2021




Spouse / Partner 2	Judith of Flanders, Countess of Northumbria,   b. About 1033, Bruges, Flanders, Belguim d. 5 Mar 1094 (Age 61 years)  Other Partners: Tostig Godwinson, Earl of Northumberia   m. Before Sep 1051
Marriage	About 1071  [1, 2, 3, 4, 6]
	Judith of Flanders marries Welf I
Age at Marriage	He : ~ 34 years - She : ~ 38 years.
Children	2 sons and 1 daughter
1. Welf II, Duke of Bavaria,   b. 1072  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] +   2. Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria,   b. 1074   d. 13 Dec 1126, Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany (Age 52 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Wulfhilda of Saxony  m. Between 1095 and 1100 >   3. Kuniza,   b. 1068, Bavaria, Germany d. 6 Mar 1120 (Age 52 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Frederick Rocho, Count of Dießen  m. Yes, date unknow
Family ID	F2704	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
Last Modified	22 Aug 2021




• Pedigree

  ← Click to display 1Welf I, Duke of Bavaria(1037 – 1101) 2Alberto Azzo II, Marchese d'Este and of the Lombards(997 – 1097) 4Alberto Azzo I, Marchese in Liguria(Abt 970 – Abt 1029) 8Humbert I, Count of Genoa and Tortone( – 1021) 16Alberto Azzo, Count of Lucca( – 975) 17Guilla 9Railinda 18Wiprand, Count of Como( – 999) 19 5Adela 10 20 21 11 22 23 3Kunigunde of Altdorf(Abt 1020 – 1055) 6Welf II, Count of Altdorf, Count in the Lechrain(Abt 965 – 1030) 12Rudolph II, Count of the Swabian Altforf(Abt 927 – 990) 24Rudolph I, Count of Altdorf(910 – ) 25Siburgis 13Itha von Oeningen 26Kuno, Count of Oeningen( – Abt 1020) 27Richilde, Princess of Germany 7Ermentrude of Luxemburg(Abt 1000 – 1057) 14Frederick I, Count of Luxembourg, Count in the Moselgau(Abt 965 – 1019) 28Siegfried, Count of Luxemburg and in the Moselgau(Abt 922 – 998) 29Hedwig( – 992) 15Ermentrude von Gleiberg 30Heribert, Count in the Wetterau 31Ermentrude of Avalgau

  
  

• Event Map		Death - 9 Nov 1101 - Paphos, Cyprus Burial - Aft 9 Nov 1101 - Weingarten Abbey, Weingarten, Baden-Württemberg, Germany  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos

  Welf I, Duke of Bavaria

  
  

• Sources 🟢 Primary Evidence 🟡 Secondary Evidence 🟠 Tertiary Evidence 🔴 Unreliable Evidence

  [S60] Stuart, Roderick W., Royalty for Commoners, The Complete Known Lineage of John of Gaunt, Son of Edward III, King of England, and Queen Philippa Fourth Edition, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2002). [S63] von Redlisch, Marcellus Donald Alexander R. Pedigrees of Some of the Emperor Charlemagne's Descendants volume 1 , (Cottonport, Louisiana: Order of the Crown of Charlemagne, 1941). [S59] Weis, Frederick Lewis. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650 Fifth Editionif, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982). [S304] Wikipedia, Welf I, Duke of Bavaria. [S304] Wikipedia, Ethelinde of Northeim. [S304] Wikipedia, Judith of Flanders (died 1095).