Henry II, Duke of Austria

Henry II
Duke of Austria, Duke of Bavaria, Count Palatine of the Rhine
File:Stift Heiligenkreuz - Babenbergerfenster 2 Heinrich.jpg Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Lower Austria, c. 1290
Duke	1140–1156
Predecessor	Leopold IV
Successor	Leopold V
Spouse	Gertrude of Süpplingenburg Theodora Comnena
Issue Agnes of Austria Leopold V, Duke of Austria Henry I, Duke of Mödling
Family	House of Babenberg
Father	Leopold III, Margrave of Austria
Mother	Agnes of Germany
Born	1107
Died	13 January 1177(1177-01-13) Vienna, Austria

Henry II (German: Heinrich, 1107 – 13 January 1177), called Jasomirgott, was the Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1140 to 1141, the Margrave of Austria from 1141 to 1156, the Duke of Bavaria from 1141 to 1156 as Henry XI, and the Duke of Austria from 1156 to 1177. He was a member of the House of Babenberg.

Life

As the son of Margrave Leopold III, he first became Count Palatine of the Rhine until being appointed Duke of Bavaria and Margrave of Austria when his brother Leopold IV unexpectedly died.

In the course of the dispute between the Welfen and Staufen dynasties in the Holy Roman Empire, the duchy of Bavaria had been taken away from the Welf Henry the Proud by the emperor and given to the Babenberg dynasty. The new Emperor, Frederick I, tried to reach a compromise with the Welfs and endowed the son of Henry the Proud, Henry the Lion, with Bavaria in 1156. A replacement had to be found for the Babenberg family, namely the Privilegium Minus, by which Austria was elevated to a duchy and gained complete independence from Bavaria.

Other than his father, who resided in Klosterneuburg for most of the time, Henry moved his residence to Vienna in 1145. Only by this act could the modern Austrian capital surpass cities such as Krems, Melk or Klosterneuburg. Since then, it has remained the capital of the country. Also in 1147, St. Stephen's Cathedral was completed, which became a visible landmark of the city, showing its prominence. In 1155, Henry founded the Schottenstift monastery in Vienna, in the courtyard of which a statue of him stands to this day.

Until 1143, he was married to Gertrude of Süpplingenburg, the daughter of Emperor Lothair III. In 1148 he married Theodora Comnena, a niece of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel I. Both marriages strongly show the importance of the House of Babenberg in Central Europe in that period.

Henry's brother was the important chronicler Otto of Freising. His sister Judith was the wife of William V of Montferrat.

Henry's nickname, Jasomirgott, was first documented during the 13th century in the form of Jochsamergott, the meaning of which is unclear. According to one theory, it is derived from an Arab word bearing a connection to the Second Crusade where Henry participated in 1146. According to a popular etymology, it is derived from the formula Ja so mir Gott helfe (meaning: "Yes,so help me God").

He was buried in Schottenstift, Vienna.

See also

• List of rulers of Austria

Gallery

• 

  Babenberger Stammbaum, Klosterneuburg Monastery, 1489–1492

• 

  Schottenstift, Vienna

• Wien.DukeHeinrichJasomirgott.jpg

  Rathausplatz, Vienna

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

• Heinrich II. Jasomirgott at AEIOU

Henry II, Duke of Austria House of Babenberg Born: 1107 Died: 13 January 1177
German royalty
Preceded by Leopold IV	Duke of Bavaria 1141–1156	Succeeded by Henry XII
	Margrave, then Duke of Austria 1141–1177	Succeeded by Leopold V
Preceded by William of Ballenstedt	Count Palatine of the Rhine 1140–1141	Succeeded by Herman III of Stahleck