Amelung, Bischof von Verden (908-962)

From the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy page on Saxony:

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/SAXONY.htm#_Toc155952301

[BILLUNG] .

The Chronica Principum Saxoniæ names "vir…nomine Bilingus" as father of "Hermannum"[196], although the accuracy of this statement is not known. The name of the father of the brothers Amelung, Wichmann [I] and Hermann Billung has not so far been found in any other source. The possibility that some or all of them were uterine brothers cannot be excluded.

m ---. The name of [Billung]'s wife is not known.

[Billung] & his wife had [six] children:

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1. AMELUNG (-5 May 962).

Bishop of Verden 933.

The Annalista Saxo records the death in 962 of "Amalungus Fardensis episcopus…frater Herimanni ducis"[197]. Thietmar also records that Amelung Bishop of Verden, "the duke's [Hermann Billung] brother", died on 5 May "at a good old age"[198].

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2. WICHMANN [II] (-23 Apr 944). Widukind names "Wichmanni fratris sui [=Herimannum]", when recording his rebellion against King Otto[199].

3. HERMANN [Billung] ([905/10]-Quedlinburg 27 Mar 973, bur Lüneburg St Michael).

Graf in Wetigau 940.

Procurator of the king in Saxony 953, 961 and 966.

Graf in dem Gauen Tilithi und Marstem 955.

Markgraf 956

Dux in Saxony 965.

He founded St Michaeliskloster at Lüneburg.

m firstly ODA, daughter of --- (-15 Mar ----).

m secondly HILDESUIT, daughter of ---.

Duke Hermann & his [first/second] wife had five children.

4. [BRUNO ([905/15]-after 16 Nov 958, maybe after 30 Dec 979).

There is no proof that Bruno was the brother of Hermann Billung but this looks probable. It is assumed that Bruno's sons were adolescent or young adults when mentioned with their father in the two sources referred to below. This would place Bruno's birth in the range [905/15], which is too early for him to have been the son of Wichmann [II]. The reference to "pago Derlingum" in the [951/57] charter is a clear indication of a family connection as this territory appears several times in documents in which the supposed descendants of Wichmann [II] are named (see below). "Otto…rex" granted property "Hebesheim in pago Derlingum in comitatu Brunonis" to Moritzkirche, Magdeburg by undated charter, but dated to [951/57] as it names "coniugis nostræ Aelheidis…filii nostri Liudolfi", in the presence of "eiusdem Brunonis comitis filiique Liudolfi, Geronis marchionis, Cristiani comitis nec non Liutharii et Friderici comitum"[230]. "Otto…rex" gave property "in pago Hessi in comitatu comitis qui dicitur Bern in loco Uuestnetri" which "ibidem Bruninc comes filiusque eius Amalunc in beneficium habere visi sunt" to "fideli nostro Retolt" by charter dated 16 Nov 958[231]. "Otto…imperator augustus" gave judgment in a dispute between Werner Abbot of Fulda and Gozbert Abbot of Hersfeld, concerning ship travel along the Hörsel, by charter dated 30 Dec 979, which names "comites nostros Sigebertum, Sigefridum et Brunonem"[232], although if this refers to the same Count Bruno he would have been very old at the time.

m ---. The name of Bruno's wife is not known.]

Bruno & his wife had [two] children.

5. [son . The identity of the husband of Gerberga is unknown. The name of his son, Wichmann, suggests a close family relationship with the Billung family of dukes of Saxony. The connection appears confirmed by Widukind who records that Meinwerk Bishop of Paderborn was "materno a Wichmanno, Herimanni ducis nepote, propinquo Ottonis I"[236], the bishop's mother being corroborated in other sources as Adela, daughter of Wichmann [V]. There are so many uncertainties regarding the genealogy of the Billung family that detailed speculation on any precise relationship does not seem worthwhile. Gerberga's husband is shown as a possible son of Billung only for the purposes of making the hyperlink connection.

m GERBERGA, daughter of MEGINHARD Graf van Hamaland & his wife ---. Her parentage is confirmed by the Necrologium of Elten which records the death of "Meginhard, pater Gerberch, cuius filius Wichmannus comes fundator ecclesia"[237].

One child, Wichmann V, Graaf van Hamaland.

6. [---. m ---.] Had one daughter, who became wife to Richizo.

References:

[196] Chronica Principum Saxoniæ Amplicata, Genealogia Ducum Saxonie, MGH SS XXX.1, p. 28.

[197] Annalista Saxo 962.

[198] Thietmar 2.32, p. 115.

[199] Widukindi Res Gestæ Saxonicæ II.4, MGH SS III, p. 439.

[230] D O I 56, p. 138.

[231] D O I 306, p. 421.

[232] D O II 209, p. 237. .

[236] Widukind I.III, c. 69, cited in Vita Meinwerci Episcopi Paderbornensis 5, MGH SS XI, p. 108, footnote 11.

[237] Vanderkindere, A. (1902) La formation territoriale des principautés belges au moyen-âge (Brussels), Tome I, p. 75, quoting Van Spaen Introduction à l'histoire de la Gueldre, I, p. 67, no. 20.

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From the German Wikipedia page on Amelung von Verden:

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amelung_von_Verden

Amelung († 5. Mai 962) war Bischof von Verden, der 15. der angeblichen, der 10. der beglaubigten Reihe, aus der Familien der Billunger.

Er war der Nachfolger des am 27. Oktober 933 verstorbenen Adalward. Er war der zweite Sohn des begüterten Grafen Billung, also nahe verschwägert mit König Heinrich I., und Bruder des späteren Herzogs Hermann von Sachsen. König Heinrich hatte ihn zum Bischof ernannt. Im September 937 befand er sich in Magdeburg bei Otto I. Hermann, damals Markgraf, und Amelung gründeten vor 956 das Michaeliskloster auf dem Kalkberge vor Lüneburg nach dem „Necrol. Verdens.“, und letzterer erbaute nach Thietmar von Merseburg den Dom zu Verden neu in prächtiger Holzstruktur. Von Amelungs Gütern, welche dem Stift zufallen sollten, behauptete wohl Herzog Hermann den größten Teil.

Literatur

Karl Ernst Hermann Krause: Amelung. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Band 1. Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1875, S. 394.

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In English:

Amelung (d. 5 May 962) was Bishop of Verden, and from the Billunger family.

He was the successor to Adalward, who died 27 October 933. As second son of the wealthy Count Billung, who was closely tied by marriage to King Henry I, and brother of the late Duke Hermann von Sachsen, King Henry had appointed Amelung as Bishop. In September 937, he was in Magdeburg for King Otto I's coronation. Hermann (then a Markgraf) and Amelung founded in 956 the St. Michael monastery on a limestone hill near Luneburg. He later built for Thietmar of Merseburg the Verden Cathedral, a new magnificent wooden structure.