The bishop of Naumburg rules his cathedral town on the Saale and the old see of Zeitz on the White Elster, with castles between them.
His lordship follows the old March of Zeitz. He is independent for now, but the Wettin margraves of Meissen want the advocacy and will force their protection on the see in 1259.
Who holds it
- Name
- Berthold II
- Title
- Bishop of Naumburg
- Since
- 1186
- Confidence
- medium
His bracteates are dated to his pontificate, 1186-1206; he left office in 1206 and died in 1219. Family and stance in the throne dispute are not pinned in the sources consulted.
What it holds
- Naumburg: cathedral town, seat of the bishop since 1028
- Zeitz: the original see of 968, with the bishop's castle and town
- Schönburg on the Saale: episcopal castle (one of the later districts with Breitingen, Haynsburg, Krossen and Saaleck; their status in 1200 is not individually pinned)
How it was acquired
Founded by Otto I at Zeitz in 968 and moved to Naumburg in 1028; the lordship grew out of the March of Zeitz.
How things stand that morning
Berthold holds Naumburg and Zeitz; the Wettins are not yet masters of the see.
Wealth
Saale and Elster crossings, the Naumburg market (later its great fair), mint (his bracteates), estate revenues.
Threats
- Wettin pressure over the advocacy
Advocates and rivals
The Wettin margraves of Meissen contest the advocacy; the Treaty of Seusslitz (1259) will make them the see's protectors. The landgraves of Thuringia are neighbours.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Holder from coin finds and lists; the holdings from the later structure of the see.
On the map: Castle districts only; the later five districts (Breitingen, Haynsburg, Krossen, Saaleck, Schönburg) are not all pinned for 1200.
Primary sources for Meissen
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Annals of Jarloch (Gerlach), abbot of Milevsko, Jarloch of Milevsko (about 1200 to 1220). The last Bohemian narrative before 1200, continuing Vincentius of Prague. Read online
- Annals of Pegau; Annals of Magdeburg (12th and 13th centuries; Pegau continued to 1227). The annals of the Wettin lands and of Magdeburg. Read online
- Chronicle of the Lauterberg (Petersberg near Halle), Konrad of Lauterberg (about 1225). The house chronicle of the Wettin foundation on the Lauterberg, sharp-tongued and well informed on Saxony, Meissen and Magdeburg. Read online
- Chronicle of Reinhardsbrunn; Chronicle of St Peter's, Erfurt (Erfurt chronicle in the 13th century; Reinhardsbrunn compilation about 1340 to 1349 from older annals). The two Thuringian chronicles. Read online
- Royal Chronicle of Cologne (in stages from about 1175 to about 1250; the section on 1198 to 1220 written soon after the events). The fullest German narrative of the throne war from the Welf and Cologne side. Read online
- Deeds of the archbishops of Magdeburg (main text to 1142, continued in the 13th and 14th centuries). The Magdeburg house history, with a continuation covering Archbishop Ludolf of Kroppenstedt (1192 to 1205), a firm supporter of Philip who hosted the king's Christmas court at Magdeburg on 25 December 1199. Read online
- Charters and letters of the kingdom of Bohemia, volume 2, 1198 to 1230 (documents of 1198 to 1230, edited 1912). The critical edition of every Bohemian and Moravian charter and letter from Ottokar I's accession to 1230.
Sources and studies
- Naumburg, Bf.e von (Höfe und Residenzen im spätmittelalterlichen Reich)
- Brakteat Berthold II. von Naumburg-Zeitz, 1186-1206 (museum-digital)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.