Hemma

Hemma (also called Emma of Altdorf, * 808, † 31 January 876 ) was from 827 the wife of Louis the German and thus East Frankish queen. She was the daughter of Count Welf I and his wife Heilwig from Saxony ( † after 835) and thus the sister of Empress Judith. Since these her father Ludwig married the pious, Hemma was not only Judith's sister, but also her step- daughter.

Hemma and Ludwig had seven children, three sons, Carloman, Louis, called the Younger, and Charles III. , Also known as the thickness, and four daughters named Hildegard, Irmgard and Bertha, who came into the church service, and Gisla, of which nothing is also known.

The sources for Hemma emphasize her virtue and beauty as well as the mutual exemplarity of married life. While she is rarely mentioned in documents and therefore appears to have taken no particular influence on the government, accusing it of Hincmar historians to have the eldest son Carloman to highly preferred. Then the king - supposedly by this influence - the sub- kingdom of Carloman at the expense of the dominions of his other sons enlarged strong, a rebellion broke out under the leadership of Charles III. and Louis III. from which, however, ended with a reconciliation.

Towards the end of the year 874 Hemma was mute by paralysis and died in January, 876 in the absence of her husband, who had visited him the previous year for the last time.

The burial Hemmas is controversial. Conflicting information in medieval sources as well as a counterfeiting more difficult by source location led already in the Late Middle Ages to conflicts between the monastery of St. Emmeram and the pin Obermünster in Regensburg, both claimed the grave of Hemma for themselves. Until today, no definite statements can be made. Both St. Emmeram and Obermünster have good arguments on their side (see bibliography). Because of the close relationship that existed between Hemma and Obermünster, but it is more likely that this bond should not end with the death Hemmas, but rather that occupy corresponding source points to the actual place of burial.

Nevertheless, her tomb in St. Emmeram is one of the most important German monuments of the 13th century.