3Bernard II (c. 995 – 29 June 1059) was the
Duke of Saxony (1011–1059), the third of the
Billung dynasty, a son of
Bernard I and Hildegard. He had the rights of a count in
Frisia.
Bernard expanded the powers of the duke in Saxony and is regarded as the greatest of the Billungers. He was originally a supporter of
Emperor Henry II and he accompanied him into
Poland and negotiated the treaty of
Bautzen of 1018. In 1019–1020, he revolted and gained the recognition of the tribal laws of Saxony, something his father had just failed to do. He returned then to war with the
Slavs (
Obodrites and
Lutici) and drew them into his sphere of power and influence through their leader,
Godescalc (Gottschalk).
He supported
Conrad II in 1024 and his son
Henry III, though he began to fear the latter for his closeness to the Archbishop
Adalbert of Bremen, an inveterate enemy of the dukes of Saxony. Though he was a critical ally of the Danes, so fundamental to Henry's wars in the
Low Countries, Bernard was on the brink of rebellion until the death of Adalbert. The remainder of his reign, however, was quiet.
In 1045, he erected the Alsterburg in
Hamburg. He died in 1059 and was succeeded without incident by his son
Ordulf. He is buried in the Church of
Saint Michael in
Lüneburg.
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Issue of Bernard II, Duke of Saxony and Eilika of Schweinfurt
Bernard II, Duke of Saxony married to Eilika of Schweinfurt, daughter of
Henry of Schweinfurt. They had:
▪ Gertrude of Saxony (c. 1030 – August 4, 1113), married:
Floris I, Count of Holland, married (secondly):
Robert I, Count of Flanders ▪ Ordulf, Duke of Saxony (c. 1020 – March 28, 1072), married: Ulfhilde or Wulfhilde of Norway (c.
1023 – May 24, 1070), daughter of Saint & King
Olaf II (St.Olaf) of Norway & Astrid of Sweden
▪ Hermann
▪ Ida of Saxony, married: Albert III, Count of Namur.