Ezzo (circa 955 – 21 March 1034), sometimes called Erenfried, Count Palatine of Lotharingia of the Ezzonen dynasty, was the son of Herman I. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. This article gives details on the history of the Count Palatine in Mediaeval European Palatinate regions and social structure --> Lotharingia or Lorraine was a short-lived kingdom in The Ezzonids (more commonly known as Ezzonen) were a dynasty of Lotharingian stock dating back as far as the ninth century Herman I (died 996 called Pusillus or the Slender, was the Count Palatine of Lotharingia and of several counties along the Rhine including Bonngau Eifelgau

Having married Matilda of Saxony (died 1025), a daughter of Emperor Otto II and Theophanu, Ezzo became prominent during the reign of his brother-in-law, Emperor Otto III. Theophanu (960 &ndash June 15, 991) ( Greek: Θεοφανώ Theophano also spelled Theophania, Theophana or Theophano Otto III (980 &ndash January 23, 1002) was the fourth ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. His power was increased due to the liberal grant of lands in Thuringia and Franconia which his wife received out of Ottonian possessions. The Free State of Thuringia (Freistaat Thüringen is located in central Germany. Franconia (Franken is a historic region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria and the area to its immediate west Candidate to the imperial throne at the death of Otto III, he received huge territories (Kaiserswerth, Duisburg, and Saalfeld) for renouncing to the throne, making him the most powerful man in the empire after the emperor. Kaiserswerth is one of the oldest parts of the City of Düsseldorf, it is in the north of the city and next to the river Rhine. Duisburg (ˈdyːsbʊɐ̯k is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area ( Ruhrgebiet) in North Rhine-Westphalia. Saalfeld (Saalfeld/Saale is a Town of Germany, capital of the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district of Thuringia. Otto's successor, Emperor Henry II, was less friendly towards the powerful count, although there was no serious trouble between them until 1011. Saint Henry II ( May 6, 973 &ndash July 13, 1024) called the Holy or the Saint, was the fifth and last Holy Some disturbances in Lotharingia quickly forced the emperor to come to terms, and Ezzo's assistance was purchased with additional imperial fiefs.

After this, the relations between Henry and his vassal appear to have been satisfactory. Very little is known about Ezzo's later life, but we are told that he died at a great age at Saalfeld on 21 March 1034. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem.

Ezzo founded the Brauweiler Abbey near Cologne, the place where his marriage had been celebrated. Abtei Brauweilerjpg|left|thumb|200px|Brauweiler Abbey]] Brauweiler Abbey ( German: Abtei Brauweiler) is a former Benedictine monastery located at Brauweiler It was dedicated in 1028 by Piligrim, archbishop of Cologne. Ezzo and his wife were buried at Brauweiler. Abtei Brauweilerjpg|left|thumb|200px|Brauweiler Abbey]] Brauweiler is a part of Pulheim, west of Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany

Children

He and Mathilda left three sons and seven daughters:

• Liudolf (c. Liudolf (also called Ludolf) of Lotharingia, count of Zutphen, military commander of the army of the archbishop of Cologne protector of the abbeys of Brauweiler 1000–10 April 1031), Count of Zütphen. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Zutphen is a city in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands.
• Otto I (died 1047), Count Palatine of Lotharingia and later Duke of Swabia as Otto II. Otto II (died 1047 was Count Palatine of Lotharingia (1034 &ndash 1045 then Duke of Swabia (1045 &ndash 1047 and all the while Count in Deutz and This article gives details on the history of the Count Palatine in Mediaeval European Palatinate regions and social structure --> Lotharingia or Lorraine was a short-lived kingdom in The following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany
• Hermann II (995–1056), Archbishop of Cologne. The Electorate of Cologne (Kurfürstentum Köln or Kurköln) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire and existed from the 10th to the early 19th
• Theophanu (died 1056), Abbess of Essen and Gerresheim. Essen (ˈɛsən is a City in the center of the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Gerresheim is one of the oldest parts of the City of Düsseldorf, Germany.
• Richeza of Lotharingia (died 21 March 1063), Queen of Poland, married with King Mieszko II of Poland. Richeza of Lotharingia (also called Richenza and Rixa born between 995 and 1000 died March 21 1063 in Saalfeld, Germany was since 1013 the wife Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. This article is about a Polish king See also Duke Mieszko II the Fat.
• Adelheid (died c. 1030), Abbess of Nijvel (Nivelles). Nivelles (Nijvel is a Walloon City and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant.
• Heylwig, Abbess of Neuss. Neuss (ˈnɔʏs is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
• Mathilde, Abbess of Dietkirchen and Villich.
• Sophie, Abbess of St. Maria, Mainz.
• Ida (died 1060), Abbess in Cologne and Gandersheim (Abbey founded in 852 by her ancestor Liudolf, Duke of Saxony). Bad Gandersheim is a city in southern Lower Saxony, Germany, located in the district of Northeim. Liudolf (died 12 March 864 or 866 was a Saxon Count; later authors called him duke of the Eastern Saxons

Sources

• Kimpen, E. , ‘Ezzonen und Hezeliniden in der rheinischen Pfalzgrafschaft’, Mitteilungen des Österreichischen Instituts für Geschichtsforschung. XII. Erg. -Band. (Innsbruck 1933) S. 1-91.
• Lewald, Ursula, 'Die Ezzonen. Das Schicksal eines rheinischen Fürstengeschlechts', Rheinische Vierteljahrsblätter 43 (1979) S. 120-168
• Steinbach, F. , ‘Die Ezzonen. Ein Versuch territorialpolitischen Zusammenschlusses der fränkischen Rheinlande’, Collectanea Franz Steinbach. Aufsätze und Abhandlungen zur Verfassungs-, Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte, geschichtlichen Landeskunde und Kulturraumforschung, ed. F. Petri en G. Droege (Bonn 1967) S. 64-81.
• Van Droogenbroeck, F. J. , ‘Paltsgraaf Herman II (†1085) en de stichting van de abdij van Affligem (28 juni 1062)’, Jaarboek voor Middeleeuwse Geschiedenis 2 (Hilversum 1999) S. 38-95.
• Van Droogenbroeck, F. J. , ‘De betekenis van paltsgraaf Herman II (1064-1085) voor het graafschap Brabant’, Eigen Schoon en De Brabander 87 (Brussels 2004) S. 1-166.
• Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700 by Frederick Lewis Weis, Lines: 147-21, 147A-21, 147-22
• The Plantagenet Ancestry of King Edward III and Queen Phillippa by George Andrews Moriarty