Beatrice of Swabia
Beatrix of Swabia (* April / June 1198; † August 11, 1212 in Nordhausen ) was a Roman - German Empress for three weeks.
Life
Beatrix was a daughter of the German king Philip of Swabia couple of the dynasty of Hohenstaufen and Irene (Mary) of Byzantium.
Beatrix was Otto IV, a Guelph, offered eight-year-old for marriage. Her father wanted to pacify the 1206 defeated opponent after ten years of feud. Otto IV accepted the offer in 1208 - after the murder of her father Philip in June and the death of her mother ( Queen Irene died at the premature birth of her eighth child ) in August of the same year, and became engaged, because Beatrix was still a minor, with her in Frankfurt Cathedral 1208, on the occasion of a Frankfurt Hoftages and his election as German king. As part of the engagement party, the ten year old is said to have openly called for to avenge the murder of her father, which took place a year later. As Beatrix was related with Otto IV ( his grandfather Henry the Proud was the brother of Judith, the mother and grandmother Barbarossa Beatrix '), the papal approval was to be obtained; it was issued May 24, 1209. It was only on July 22, 1212 was Emperor Otto IV conjugal the meantime nubile 14 year olds in Nordhausen. The marriage with the granddaughter of Barbarossa was the legitimacy of Otto's reign, having been previously raised Frederick II, grandson of Barbarossa and son of Henry VI. Anti-king in the year and was on his way to Germany to enforce his claim Regent. When her cousin arrived in Konstanz, Beatrix had already died - 21 days after their wedding. As a result of this death fell from staufer friendly supporters of Otto IV.
Beatrix was buried in Brunswick Cathedral of St. Blasius, as well as her husband six years after her.
Because of the relationship of Otto and Beatrix of the Pope demanded in return for approval of the marriage the financing of two churches. Since Otto as his great-grandfather Lothar von Supplinburg was close to the Cistercians, he donated to the monastery church of Walkenried (founded 1127 Gothic church to be built from 1209) and the Convent Riddagshausen (founded in 1145; church to be built from 1216 )