The king's burgraves in the Pleissenland, given the title and wide rights over the people of the Pleisse district and the grain dues of the castle by Conrad III, to guard and manage the royal property round the palace.
Under Henry I they led the clearing and settlement of new land round Altenburg, between Leisnig and Colditz, at Frohburg and Flössberg, and at the Zinnberg near Penig on the Zwickau Mulde. Henry I's last firm date as burgrave is 1189, so whether the old man or already his son Dietrich holds the office on 1 January 1200 is not pinned.
Who he is
- Name
- Henry I (probably; attested as burgrave 1146/47 to 1189, died 1203). His son Dietrich I is burgrave from 1203 to 1210, and Dietrich's brother Albert I from 1210 to 1229.
- Title
- Burgrave of Altenburg
- Since
- About 1146/47, certainly 1150, from Conrad III
- Born
- not pinned
- Family
- The burgraves of Altenburg; Albert's line later holds Frohburg.
- Confidence
- low
de.wikipedia Burggrafschaft Altenburg
Overlord
The king
What it holds
- The burgrave's rights in Altenburg castle and the grain dues of the castle
- Military, judicial and political duties in the burgraviate
- Cleared lands and castles at Frohburg and Flössberg
- The Zinnberg near Penig on the Zwickau Mulde
How it was acquired
Royal grant of 1146/47-1150.
Allies and rivals
Royal officers beside them; the margrave of Meissen beyond.
How things stand that morning
Royal officers of Philip; holder not pinned (Henry I or his son).
Wealth
Castle dues and new villages.
Military
Altenburg castle duties; Frohburg. No numbers.
Threats
- Loss of their powers to the provincial judge and the king's other officers
Places of note
- Frohburg: Burgrave's castle
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Dates of office from one article; no charter of 1199-1200 seen.
On the map: Approximate.
Primary sources for Staufen
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 Marbach (compiled to 1238, the section on 1198 to 1210 written in the early 13th century). Alsatian annals on the Staufen side of the Upper Rhine. Read online
- Annals of Reiner of Saint James, Liège, Reiner of Liège (1197 to 1230, kept year by year). Contemporary annals kept inside Liège. Read online
- Chronicle of Burchard of Ursberg, Burchard of Ursberg (about 1229 to 1230, reworked by Conrad of Lichtenau). Written a generation later by a fierce partisan of the Staufen and a critic of Innocent III. Read online
- Chronicle of Otto of St Blasien, Otto of St Blasien (about 1209 to 1210). A Swabian continuation of Otto of Freising written from the Staufen side. 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
- Chronicle of the Slavs, by Arnold of Lübeck, Arnold of Lübeck (about 1209 to 1210). Arnold continues Helmold and writes from Lübeck, close to Danish, Welf and Baltic affairs. 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
- 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
23 more in the sources library for The Rhineland, the Low Countries and the Swiss Lands.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.