The elder Ortenburg brother holds the county of Kraiburg and Marquartstein, which his father inherited in 1173 from the last Spanheim count of Kraiburg, Engelbert III: the castle of Kraiburg above the Inn, Marquartstein where the Tiroler Achen leaves the Chiemgau Alps, and lands in the Rott valley, the Rottachgau and the Chiemgau.
He grew by force: in 1190 the brothers seized the holdings of the Massing and Reding families. In 1199 Duke Louis invaded the Kraiburg land and destroyed the castle of Kraiburg; Rapoto rebuilt it once the quarrel was settled. In 1208, when Otto VIII is outlawed, Rapoto will receive the palatine office of Bavaria and hold it from Kraiburg, and will take the Andechs lands round Neuburg am Inn.
Who he is
- Name
- Rapoto II of Ortenburg
- Title
- Count of Kraiburg (and Marquartstein)
- Since
- 1186 (his father's death); the division with his brother after 1188
- Born
- Not pinned; knighted at Mainz in 1184; died 19 March 1231
- Family
- Son of Rapoto I of Ortenburg and Elisabeth of Sulzbach; brother of Henry I of Ortenburg. Wife: Udilhild, daughter of Count Albert of Dillingen. No child of theirs can be shown to have been born by 1 January 1200 (his son and heir Rapoto III, later count palatine, is undated). The Ortenburg family history calls Duke Louis his brother-in-law (Schwager); the link runs through the Dillingen marriages and is not pinned.
- Confidence
- high
de.wikipedia (Rapoto II. (Ortenburg); Ortenburg (Adelsgeschlecht); Kraiburg am Inn)
Overlord
The duke of Bavaria (comital rights) and the king; Salzburg for church fiefs (not pinned for 1200).
What it holds
- Kraiburg castle above the Inn (destroyed by Duke Louis in 1199)
- Marquartstein castle and the Achen valley in the Chiemgau Alps
- Lands in the Rott valley and the Rottachgau, with Massing (taken from the Massing family in 1190)
- Holdings in the Chiemgau
How it was acquired
The Kraiburg-Marquartstein county from the Spanheim count Engelbert III in 1173 (through his father); the Massing and Reding lands by seizure in 1190.
Allies and rivals
His brother Henry of Ortenburg; his father-in-law's house of Dillingen. Enemy: Duke Louis, who ravaged his county in 1199. Earlier enemy: Albert III of Bogen (1192).
How things stand that morning
On 1 January 1200 Rapoto holds Marquartstein and his Rott valley lands; the Kraiburg district has been ravaged and its castle destroyed by Duke Louis in 1199. When the war ended, and whether a truce holds that winter, is not pinned.
Wealth
The Inn crossing at Kraiburg, the Chiemgau and Rott valley lands, and the Achen valley road into Tyrol.
Military
The castles of Kraiburg (in ruins) and Marquartstein and the house ministeriales. No figures.
Threats
- Duke Louis
- The archbishop of Salzburg and the bishop of Passau as rival lords on the Inn
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
In 1200
- 1200 (month not pinned)Rapoto acquires the lands of the free lords of Rott, strengthening his hold on the Rott valley.Depends on: The Rott family's end or sale. Stopped by: A rival claimant (the duke or the Bogen).
Later, on the likely course
- After the settlement with the duke (not pinned)Rebuilds the castle of Kraiburg.Depends on: Peace with Duke Louis. Stopped by: Renewed war.
Places of note
- Kraiburg castle: Seat of the counts of Kraiburg; destroyed by Duke Louis in 1199.
- Marquartstein castle: Castle at the mouth of the Achen valley.
Where the sources disagree
- The Ortenburg family history calls Louis Rapoto's brother-in-law, but Rapoto's wife is a Dillingen; the Bavaria record has a sister of Louis married to Adalbert III of Dillingen, so the link may be through that marriage.
Evidence: The 1199 destruction of Kraiburg is given in the family history without a month or a source named in what we read.
On the map: The Rott valley and Chiemgau holdings were scattered; only three centres are drawn.
Primary sources for Bavaria
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 Schäftlarn and the Bavarian annals (12th and 13th centuries). Brief Bavarian annals. Read online
- The Austrian and Salzburg annals (kept in the 12th and 13th centuries, with continuations to the late 13th century). A family of monastic annals from Austria, Styria and Salzburg, printed together. 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
- Regesta Imperii V: calendar of the acts of Philip, Otto IV and Frederick II, 1198 to 1272 (calendar of documents of 1198 to 1272, published 1881 to 1901). A dated calendar of every known act of King Philip and King Otto IV, with the acts of popes and princes that bear on the Empire. Read online
- Bavarian monuments: the charters of the Bavarian monasteries and bishoprics (charters from the 8th century onward, published 1763 to 1916). The great charter series of Bavaria, arranged by monastery and bishopric. Read online
- Charter book of the bishops of Trent (compiled 1207 to 1218; documents from the 11th century onward; edited 1852). The cartulary of the prince-bishops of Trent. Read online
Sources and studies
- Rapoto II. (Ortenburg) (de.wikipedia)
- Ortenburg (Adelsgeschlecht) (de.wikipedia)
- Kraiburg am Inn (de.wikipedia)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.