A free family of the northern Grabfeld, with its castle of Wildberg on the north-west edge of the Haßberge near Königshofen (built in the 12th century at the latest; first documented in 1123).
In the 12th century the family were advocates of Kitzingen abbey and sold rights at Gestungshausen to Bishop Otto of Bamberg in 1122. They rise to the rank of counts through the Henneberg marriage of 1206.
Who he is
- Name
- Not pinned for 1200 (Gerwig and Conrad of Wildberg appear in 1122; Mangold III is first styled count in 1231)
- Title
- Free lords (Edelherren) of Wildberg; counts only from 1231
- Since
- not pinned
- Born
- not pinned
- Family
- Kin of the free lords of Thundorf (documented to 1187). In 1206 Elisabeth of Wildberg will marry Count Poppo (VII) of Henneberg.
- Confidence
- low
de.wikipedia Wildberg (Adelsgeschlecht).
Overlord
The king; fiefs of Würzburg and Bamberg.
What it holds
- Wildberg castle on the north-west edge of the Haßberge
- Lands in the Grabfeld and the Haßberge
- The advocacy of Kitzingen abbey (recorded in the 12th century; whether still held in 1200 is not pinned)
How it was acquired
Old free family.
Allies and rivals
Neighbours the Henneberg counts (their future in-laws) and the see of Würzburg.
How things stand that morning
Hold Wildberg; side not pinned.
Wealth
Grabfeld farmland and Haßberge forest.
Military
Wildberg castle.
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.
- 1206 (beyond 1200)Elisabeth of Wildberg marries Count Poppo (VII) of Henneberg.Depends on: the match being made Stopped by: a rival match
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Family outline from one article; nothing dated to 1199-1200.
On the map: Castle district only; the site is approximate.
Primary sources for Empire
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
- Chronicle of Hainaut, Gislebert of Mons (about 1195 to 1196). Ends in 1195, so it has no 1200 entries, but it is the indispensable background for Flanders and Hainaut: the career of Count Baldwin V of Hainaut (VIII of Flanders), his union of the two counties, the settlement with Philip over Artois, the rights, castles, fiefs and vassals of Hainaut listed by a man who ran its chancery, and the youth of Baldwin IX, who held both counties in 1200. Read online
8 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.