Baldwin II of Constantinople

Baldwin II of Courtenay (* 1217, † 1273 in Naples) was from 1228 to 1261, the last emperor of the Latin Empire out of the house Courtenay.

Life

He was the younger son of Yolanda of Flanders, sister of the first two emperors, Baldwin I and Henry. Her husband Peter of Courtenay was the third, her son Robert of Courtenay, the fourth emperor. After the death of his younger brother Robert in 1228, the eleven-year old Baldwin II ascended the throne.

The barons chose John of Brienne, the titular king of Jerusalem as regent for life. Baldwin should the Asiatic possessions of the kingdom reign when he became twenty years of age, married John 's daughter Mary, and inherit the full governance and at his death. The marriage contract was implemented in 1234. After the death of Baldwin's uncle, the Emperor Henry in 1216, the Latin Empire was in decline, the Byzantine Empire recovered, and the hopes that John of Brienne might restore the power of the Latins, were disappointed.

Baldwin's dominion only consisted of little more than the city of Constantinople Opel. His financial situation was desperate, and he spent his life substantially so, at European courts to beg for money. 1236 he went to the West, visited Rome, France and Flanders, attempted money and men together to retrieve the lost territories. His efforts were successful, and in 1240 he returned to the head of a considerable army across Germany and Hungary back to Konstantin Opel. However, circumstances prevented him from anything to do with this help, so he set out again in 1245 to Europe, first to Italy, then to France, where he spent two years. The Empress Maria and Philippe de Toucy ruled in his absence. He was happy, of Louis IX. of France money against relics to get ( the crown of thorns and the head of the Holy Lance ). In the summer of 1249 he attended Ludwig in the city of Damietta, which had just conquered this part of the Sixth Crusade.

The financial tightness forced him a short time later, to give his only son Philip as collateral for borrowed money merchants. Philip was later initiated by King Alfonso X of Castile. The rest of his reign was then a begging trip through Europe. 1261 Opel Constantinople was conquered by Michael VIII, Baldwin's reign had ended. He fled with a Venetian galley Negroponte and then on to Athens, Apulia and finally to France. As Titularkaiser he continued to play its role, to beg for help from the European powers. 1267 he went to Italy, where he concentrated his hopes of Charles of Anjou, who seriously toyed with the idea of ​​conquering Constantinople Opel, but was prevented by various complications in the implementation, but ended with Baldwin in May 1267 to a contract. In the following period, Baldwin and his son Philip lived at the expense of Charles. In October 1273 Philip married in Foggia Beatrix, a daughter of Charlemagne. Baldwin died a few days later and was buried in the Cathedral of Barletta.

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