Henry the Lion

Henry the Lion
Depiction in the Gospels of Henry the Lion
Duke of Saxony
Reign1142–1180
PredecessorAlbert the Bear
SuccessorBernard III
Duke of Bavaria
Reign1156–1180
PredecessorHenry XI
SuccessorOtto I
Bornc. 1129
Ravensburg, Duchy of Swabia
Died6 August 1195(1195-08-06) (aged 65–66)
Brunswick, Duchy of Saxony
Burial
Spouse
(m. 1147; div. 1162)
(m. 1168; died 1189)
Issue
HouseWelf
FatherHenry X, Duke of Bavaria
MotherGertrude of Süpplingenburg

Henry the Lion (German: Heinrich der Löwe; 1129/1131[1] – 6 August 1195[1]), also known as Henry III, Duke of Saxony (ruled 1142-1180) and Henry XII, Duke of Bavaria (ruled 1156-1180), was a member of the Welf dynasty.[2]

Henry was one of the most powerful German princes of his time, until the rival Hohenstaufen dynasty succeeded in isolating him and eventually deprived him of his duchies of Bavaria and Saxony during the reign of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and of Frederick's son and successor Henry VI.

At the height of his reign, Henry ruled over a vast territory stretching from the coast of the North and Baltic seas to the Alps, and from Westphalia to Pomerania. Henry achieved this great power in part by his political and military acumen and in part through the legacies of his four grandparents.

  1. ^ a b Emmerson 2013, p. 320.
  2. ^ Jordan, Karl H.E. "Henry III, duke of Bavaria and Saxony". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 22 March 2023.