Wigger I

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Wigger I (died 981) was the father of a line of counts ruling from his new castle of Bilstein, west of Albungen (today part of Eschwege) to the Werra. The counts of Bilstein played a prominent role in Thuringia from 967 to 1301 and were third after the Ekkehardinger and Weimar-Orlamünde in terms of power and influence.

Eschwege Place in Hesse, Germany

Eschwege, the district seat of the Werra-Meißner-Kreis, is a town in northeastern Hesse, Germany. In 1971, the town hosted the eleventh Hessentag state festival.

Werra river in central Germany

The Werra, a river in central Germany, forms the right-source of the Weser. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After 293 kilometres (182 mi) the Werra joins the river Fulda in the town of Hann. Münden, forming the Weser.

Thuringia State in Germany

Thuringia, officially the Free State of Thuringia, is a state of Germany.

Wigger was probably the second son of Siegfried, Count of Merseburg, and thus a nephew of Gero the Great. On his uncle's death in 965, he was granted the March of Zeitz. For a time he was also the Margrave of Merseburg and possible also of the March of Meissen. He had extensive estates Langensalza, Mühlhausen, Schlotheim, Frieda, Dornburg an der Saale, and Eschwege and comital authority in the Eichsfeld and the middle Werra. He was count of the Germarmark (east of Mühlhausen), Weitagau, and Ducharingau (area of Zeitz and Naumburg). He was also the advocate ( vogt ) of the Diocese of Zeitz.

Siegfried was the Count and Margrave of Merseburg from an unknown date before 934 until his death. He does not appear with the title of margrave in contemporary royal charters and diplomas, so the title was informal and never official.

March of Zeitz

The March of Zeitz was a march of the Holy Roman Empire. It was created by Emperor Otto I in the division of the marca Geronis in 965, following the death of Gero the Great. Its capital was Zeitz. Its first and only margrave was Wigger. In 982, Zeitz was reunited with the marches of Meissen and Merseburg under Ricdag, who thus temporarily reunited all of the southern marca Geronis save the Saxon Ostmark. In 983, Zeitz was overrun by the Sorbs and the marcher territory fell into the hands of the Slavs. Nevertheless, the march of Zeitz, along with the later March of Lusatia, was a recurring division of the Meissen march during the reign of the Emperor Henry II.

Mühlhausen Place in Thuringia, Germany

Mühlhausen is a city in the north-west of Thuringia, Germany, 5 km north of Niederdorla, the country's geographical centre, 50 km north-west of Erfurt, 65 km east of Kassel and 50 km south-east of Göttingen.

He was a faithful follower of the Ottonians. He participated in their wars on the Slavic peoples to the east and was created count in the Plisnagau and the Puonzowagau. He and his brother Dedi founded the convent of Drübeck near Wernigerode. In 981, Wigger gave his propriety interests in the convent to Otto II.

Drübeck Stadtteil of Ilsenburg in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Drübeck is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Ilsenburg.

Wernigerode Place in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Wernigerode is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,041 in 2012.

Wigger died in 981 and was succeeded in the Germarmark and the Watergau by his son Wigger II. His march was bestowed on Ricdag and the remainder of his possessions went to Eckard I of Meissen.

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