Gertrude of Babenberg, Duchess of Bohemia

Gertrude of Babenberg
Sculptural group of Virgin Mary and Duchess Gertruda in second courtyard of female Premonstratensian convent in Doksany, Litoměřice District, Czech Republic. The sculpture was commissioned in 1744 for 600th anniversary of foundation of the Convent by Vladislav II, Duke of Bohemia, and his spouse Gertruda of Babenberg.
Spouse(s)	Vladislav II of Bohemia
Noble family	House of Babenberg
Father	Leopold III, Margrave of Austria
Mother	Agnes of Germany
Born	c. 1118
Died	8 April 1150 Prague

Gertrude of Babenberg (c. 1118 – 8 April 1150) was the first wife of Vladislaus II of Bohemia and a Duchess of Bohemia. She was the daughter of count Leopold III, Margrave of Austria, and his wife Agnes of Germany.

Gertrude married the Duke of Bohemia in 1140. Through her mother, she was a half-sister of Conrad III of Germany, thus a good catch for Vladislaus. At the time of siege of Prague by Conrad II of Znojmo (1142), she successfully defended Prague Castle with the help of her brother-in-law Děpold while Vladislaus sought assistance from Conrad III of Germany.

She participated in projects of her husband Vladislaus to found new religious institutions and due to her encouragement, the duke invited foreign religious orders to establish themselves in Bohemia. She gave birth to four children and died in 1150 at the age of 30 in Prague.

Issue

• Frederick, Duke of Bohemia
• Svatopluk, married a daughter of Géza II of Hungary
• Vojtĕch, Archbishop of Salzburg as Adalbert III of Bohemia
• Agnes (died 7 June 1228), abbess of St George of Prague

Ancestry

Ancestors of Gertrude of Babenberg, Duchess of Bohemia

16. Adalbert, Margrave of Austria               8. Ernst, Margrave of Austria                       17. Frozza Orseolo               4. Leopold II, Margrave of Austria                             18. Dedi I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark               9. Adelaide of Eilenburg                       19. Oda of Lusatia               2. Leopold III, Margrave of Austria                                   10. Rapoto IV of Cham                       5. Ida of Formbach-Ratelnberg                             11. Mathilde                       1. Gertrude of Babenberg                                         24. Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor               12. Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor                       25. Gisela of Swabia               6. Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor                             26. William V, Duke of Aquitaine               13. Agnes of Poitou                       27. Agnes of Burgundy               3. Agnes of Germany                                   28. Umberto I, Count of Savoy               14. Otto I, Count of Savoy                       29. Ancilla of Lenzburg               7. Bertha of Savoy                             30. Ulric Manfred II of Turin               15. Adelaide of Susa                       31. Bertha of Milan

Literature

• ŽEMLIČKA, J. Čechy v době knížecí 1034–1198. Praha: NLN, 2002. 660 p. ISBN 80-7106-196-4.