Louis III, Landgrave of Thuringia
. Ludwig III, called the Pious or the mildness, (* 1151/1152, † October 16th 1190 in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean ) from the family of the Landgrave of Thuringia was Ludowinger 1172-1190.
He was the son of Landgrave Ludwig II and his wife Jutta. 1172 he followed this up in the country earldom. His brother Heinrich Raspe III. ( not to be confused with the later last Landgrave and anti-king Henry Raspe IV ) he left it Hesse and the possessions on the Rhine as part of independent rule.
By and large, sat Landgraf Ludwig III. the policy of his predecessors. He fought against the noble houses of Thuringia and the neighboring countries ( such as the Black Burger and Ascanians ) and against the Archbishopric of Mainz. As a nephew of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, he supported its policy and was thus at the beginning of his reign on the side of the Guelph Duke Henry the Lion, until 1179 this fell out with the Swabians, which has since supported the Saxon opponents. For this allegiance he received from the Emperor the County Palatine of Saxony. In 1181 he gave them to his brother Hermann, who later became his successor. Ludwig crashed while Erfurt Latrinensturz 1184 even into the depths, survived this accident, however.
He took part in the Third Crusade. Kaiser Barbarossa was with the main army overland through the Balkans and Asia Minor on the road, when Louis embarked with his contingent from Brindisi to Tyre. In the Holy Land arrived, he joined the siege of Acre. Even before the German main army or what was left of it - in Acre arrived, he entered, marked by disease, 1190 to return to, but died on 16 October at the crossing to Cyprus. There, his entrails were buried, his remains were transferred to the monastery Reinhardsbrunn and reburied in the 14th century in the Church of St. George to Eisenach.
Louis was first married to Margaret of Cleves, with whom he had a daughter Jutta. Later he divorced her because the relationship was supposed to close. His second wife was married to Sophia in 1184, the Danish King Waldemar I. widow. Too, he repudiated after a short time. This marriage was childless.
The grave slab of Louis III. of Thuringia
The Picture of Landgrave Ludwig III. is shown to us on his posthumous grave plate. It dates from the period after the fire of Reinhard Brunner monastery church - that emerged after 1292 - and can be dated stylistically to 1330. Today she finds herself drawn up together with the other monuments of the grave lay the Landgraf house in George Eisenach.
The longer inscription speaks of the burial " ANNO DOMINI MC NONAGESIMO. SEPTIMO DECIMO Kalendas NOVE ... [ O. LVDEVICVS PIVS TERT ] VS; ThVRINGOR ° LANTGRAVIUS ET HIC SEPVLTVS ". In a recessed niche is found frontally aligned a male figure, whose head sinks into a pillow. In the above the right shoulder closed (with four jewelry clasps ) jacket is also found (on the chest) a scallop attached that characterizes the Landgrave as pilgrims. With his right hand holds the Ludwig III. a rod that stands up next to the sink and whose banner between the head and pillow. With the other hand shield and sword are pressed against the hip. It is shown together with the other monuments of the house and are described in aqueous 2006, Vol 2, pp. 532 et seq