Gerberga II, Abbess of Gandersheim

Gerberga II
Hrotsvit of Gandersheim passes her Gesta Ottonis to the emperor Otto I. In the background stands Gerberga II, abbess of Gandersheim Abbey and the niece of Otto. Woodcut by Albrecht Dürer from the first edition of the Opera Hrotsvite, Nürnberg 1501.
Abbess of the Imperial Abbey of Gandersheim
Reign956–1001
PredecessorWendelgard
SuccessorSophia I
Bornc. 940
Died(1001-11-13)13 November 1001
Gandersheim Abbey
HouseOttonian Dynasty
FatherHeinrich I
MotherJudith
ReligionCatholic

Gerberga II (c. 940 – 13 or 14 November 1001, also called Gerbirg or Gerburg) was the daughter of Henry I of Bavaria and his wife Judith, and a niece of Emperor Otto I. She was Abbess of Gandersheim from 956 to 1001 and personally instructed dramatist and poet Hrosvit of Gandersheim.[1] Under Gerberga's rule, Gandersheim Abbey served as an Ottonian center of cultural, spiritual, and intellectual life.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Epistolae was invoked but never defined (see the help page).