Richardis of Sualafeldgau

Richardis of Sualafeldgau
Margravine of Austria
Richardis depicted on the family tree of the Babenberg dynasty, Klosterneuburg Monastery (1489-1492)
Born	Between 945 and 950
Died	8 July 994
Buried	Melk Abbey
Spouse(s)	Leopold I, Margrave of Austria
Issue Henry I Judith Ernest I Adalbert Poppo Kunigunda Hemma Christina
Father	Ernst IV of Sualafeldgau

Richardis of Sualafeldgau (Richwara; c. 945/950 – 8 July 994) was Margravine of Austria from 976 until 994 as consort of the first Babenberg margrave Leopold I.

Life

Richardis' descent has not been conclusively established: she possibly was a daughter of the Franconian count Ernst IV of Sualafeldgau, or may have been a daughter of the Ezzonid count Erenfried II and his wife Richwara of Zülpichgau. She was probably also related to Adalbero of Eppenstein, Duke of Carinthia from 1011/12 to 1035.

Richardis married Leopold I (c. 940-994) on a date unknown. Her husband was appointed Margrave of Austria by Emperor Otto II on 21 July 976, after the deposition of Margrave Burkhard.

She died in 994, according to several obituaries on the same day her husband was killed in a tournament in Würzburg.

Issue

• Henry I (died 1018), succeeded his father as Margrave
• Judith (Judita)
• Ernest I (died 1015), became Duke of Swabia in 1012
• Adalbert (985–1055), succeeded his elder brother Henry as Margrave
• Poppo (986–1047), Archbishop of Trier
• Kunigunda
• Hemma, married Count Rapoto of Dießen
• Christina, nun at Trier

References

• Medieval Lands Project: Nobility of Austria.