Adelheid – Empress of the Holy Roman Empire – Part 2
Introduction:
There have been millions of incredible women who have served in God’s kingdom since creation. That may seem surprising to those who have read the many church history books that leave out women’s stories. The mistaken impression is given that women did nothing of importance since time began. I hope to change that impression on this blog site.
For the last few months we have been focusing on the church that Jesus Christ established. On this blog we have seen that even in the earliest centuries, women evangelized, prayed, taught, preached, pastored, went on pilgrimages, reigned over kingdoms, founded monasteries, and took care of the poor. These women contributed greatly to the Kingdom of God, not so they could be remembered, but so they could serve the Lord Jesus by serving others.
Recently, we have been presenting a series on women in the Medieval Era. So far, we have looked at the stories of women from the earliest Middle Ages such as Genovefa, Brigid of Ireland and Radegund (5th and 6th centuries). Then we moved on to the 7th and 8th centuries with stories of abbesses and queens such as Gertrude, Frideswide, and Lioba. For the last few weeks we recounted the stories of 9th and 10th century women such as Dhuoda (writer and Theologian), and Irene, Euphrosyne, and Theodora who were Byzantine empresses. Then we presented the story of the amazingly gifted Hrotsvitha, a poet and a playwright whose works are still influential today. Last week we began the story of a strong, passionate, and gifted queen and empress – Adelheid.
Adelheid’s life would provide many storytellers with exciting material. She began life as a royal princess who was sought after for her beauty and position. She became queen of Italy for a time. She gave birth to one daughter. Then her husband died, probably killed by a usurper, Berengar, who then tried to seal his illegitimate claim to the throne by marrying Adelheid to his son. Adelheid refused and was imprisoned. She managed to escape and make her way to King Otto of Germany for protection. Before Adelheid and Otto joined forces there had been close ties between her homeland, Burgundia and Otto’s homeland, Germany. Ruling families maintained close relationships, intermarrying and coming to one another’s aid in time of war.
When Otto thought that he could realize his dream of uniting Germany and Italy and restoring the Holy Roman Empire, he married Adelheid who was after all the legitimate queen of Italy. The couple worked to get rid of the usurper Berengar and unite Italy and Germany. They were crowned Emperor and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope John XII in 961. Adelheid began her new life as empress of the Holy Roman Empire. She was a wise and benevolent ruler.
Adelheid (931-999) – Part 2
Modern readers have been left with the impression that during the Middle Ages all women were weak and submissive. Single women remained home with their fathers or some were blessed to enter a convent where they could at least get an education and have a good life serving the poor in their communities. The average lower and middle-class women were happy to make good marriages, raise children and sometimes help their husbands in their work.
But in spite of what male-centered history books tell you, many women were in positions of leadership. Women who were in leadership positions had access to much power and independence. We have already seen in the stories of queens and empresses on this blog site that women could rule intelligently, compassionately, and most of all peacefully and justly. Adelheid was just one of a long line of pious and just female rulers.
Adelheid’s biographer, Odilo, abbot of Cluny, revealed the details Adelheid’s remarkable life.[1] During the time that she lived, control of land meant control of power. In part 1 we saw that Adelheid knew this and her escape and appeal to Otto showed a woman of strength, resourcefulness, and wisdom. Adelheid retained her territorial rights and with Otto returned as queen of Burgundy and eleven years later empress of the Holy Roman Empire. During this time of campaigning for dominance, Adelheid and Otto had two children, a son Otto II and a daughter Matilda of Quedlinburg.
Otto began his campaign to unite Germany and Italy in 951 after their marriage. Otto already had three children by his first wife, Edith, who died in 946. Otto’s Italian campaign was slowed down however when one of his sons, Liudolf rebelled against him along with the aid of several Magnates. After a prolonged fight Otto prevailed and Liudolf had to submit. Otto went on to subdue the Magyars in 955. He then furthered his territorial control with his defeat of the Slavs by 960.
In May 961, Otto and Adelheid were crowned emperor and empress of the Holy Roman Empire. Otto then resumed his 
campaigns while Adelheid remained in Rome for six years. Their son, Otto II was crowned co-emperor in 967. As was typical, a marriage was arranged to bring peace between two empires, the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, who had been squabbling over southern Italy. Otto II married Byzantine princess Theophanu in April 972. This marriage also ensured the succession to the imperial throne. After this royal wedding, Otto and Adelheid returned to Germany where Otto died in May 973. He was buried in Magdeburg at the side of his first wife, Edith.
In the years following Otto’s death, Adelheid governed at court as regent until Otto II reached his majority. Odilo gives us a description of Adelheid’s rule in Germany:
There is no mortal capable of expressing the many ways in which she displayed her nobility of spirit. Nevertheless, to some small degree, I shall speak of them at length. She was steadfast in hope and faith, filled with twofold charity, thoroughly just, strong, prudent, and extremely modest, and she lived prosperously, ruling over worldly affairs with the help of the Lord, who governs every corner of the universe. The words of the wise Solomon are well suited to this most holy woman: “She has opened her hands,” he says, “to the needy, and extended her palms to the poor. … Strength and beauty are her vestments; she shall laugh on the last day. Her mouth has revealed wisdom, and the law of clemency is upon her tongue. She has considered well the paths of her house and has not idly eaten her bread. Her children have risen up and called her blessed, and her husband has praised her. Many daughters have gathered up riches, but you have surpassed them all.”[2]
This is high praise indeed! If Adelheid’s life had continued in this manner, it would seem that she always enjoyed a blessed and happy life. But things were not to remain so wonderful. Adelheid’s daughter-in law, Theophanu began to turn her husband against his mother. Listening to his wife, Otto II sent Adelheid away from court in 978. Adelheid loved her son but did not wish to further the strife in his family so she returned to Italy. She divided her time between Italy and her homeland, Burgundy. Her brother Conrad, King of Burgundy, welcomed her. Later, Conrad was instrumental in Adelheid’s reconciliation with her son, Otto II. Shortly before his death in 983, Otto made Adelheid his viceroy in Italy.
God was not through using his gifted daughter with her rulership abilities. In time, Otto II died and Theophanu became regent for their son Otto III. Odilo tells us that Theophanu desired to use her authority to reduce Adelheid’s power.
She (Theophanu) made this threat, gesturing with her hand as she did so; “If I live another year, Adelheid’s power in this world will be small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.” Divine judgment guaranteed that her ill-considered words would come true: before four weeks had passed, the Greek empress passed away from the light of this world, while the august Adelheid remained behind, safe and sound. While she continued to lament and bemoan the danger of the world, all the while she dutifully managed the Roman empire. The third Otto, the son of her only son, who was brought up by the great magnates of the kingdom in a most auspicious and honorable way, never dealt with her in a way unbecoming to either of them. Thus, through the aid of his grandmother and the diligence of the magnates, he obtained the rule of the Roman empire.[3]
The unfortunate Theophanu passed away and Adelheid dutifully served as the regent. Adelheid returned to power without bitterness or regrets. Otto III attained his majority in 995. Adelheid resigned as regent and then was free to spend the rest of her days doing charitable work. She founded several monasteries, churches, and abbeys. She retired at a convent that she had founded in 991 at Seitz in Alsace. She died at this convent in 999 and was buried in the Abbey. Adelheid was canonized by Pope Urban II in 1097.
Odilo concludes the Epitaph of Adelheid with this summary of the life of this devout empress, saint, and faithful follower of Christ:
No pride in earthly nobility fettered her, no desire for human praise could divert the goodness which God gave her. Neither boastfulness concerning her God-given virtues, nor ill-considered despair on account of her own failures, could rule over her. No ambition for honors, riches, and the delights of the world took precedence with her; instead, she was attended in all things by discretion, the mother of all virtues. She demonstrated tranquil steadfastness in faith and steadfast tranquility in hope, and charity in her love of God and neighbor, which is the root of all good things and the principal cause of virtue.[4]
A rich man once asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all you mind; and love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).
This is how Adelheid lived. Truly she is one to be admired and emulated as we seek to emulate Christ by loving God and neighbor.
[1] For the biography of Adelheid by Odilo, “The Epitaph of Adelheid”, See: Sean Gilsdorf, Queenship and Sanctity: The Lives of Mathilda and the Epitaph of Adelheid (Washington D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2004) 128-143.
[2] Ibid, p. 132. Odilo is quoting from Proverbs 31:20-29.
[3] Ibid, 134.
[4] Ibid., 140.
