The House of Billung was a dynasty of Saxon noblemen in the 9th through 12th centuries.
5-535: The first known member of the house was Count Wichmann , mentioned as a Billung in 811. Oda , the wife of Count Liudolf , oldest known member of the Liudolfing House, was also a Billung as was Matilda of Ringelheim . In the 10th century, the property of the family was centered in the Bardengau around Lüneburg and they controlled the march named after them . In the middle of the 10th century, when
10-623: A member of the House of Welf ; his daughter Eilika married Otto, Count of Ballenstedt , a member of the House of Ascania . As a consequence, for the following decades control of Saxony was contested between the Welfs and Ascanians. The Billung dukes of Saxony were: Wichmann the Elder Wichmann I the Elder (also spelled Wigmann or Wichman ) (died 23 April 944) was a member of
15-530: The Saxon House of Billung . He was a brother of Amelung , Bishop of Verden , and Herman, Duke of Saxony . In 938, Wichmann rebelled because his younger brother Herman had been given military command of the northern reaches of the Duchy of Saxony . He believed that he had a better claim to the office by virtue of his seniority and his Königsnähe (closeness to the king), because he was related by marriage to
20-672: The Saxon dukes of the House of Liudolfing had also become German kings, King Otto the Great entrusted more and more of his ducal authority to Hermann Billung . For five generations, the House of Billung ruled the Duchy of Saxony . The house submerged into the Welf and Ascania dynasties when Duke Magnus died in 1106 without sons; the family's property was divided between his two daughters. His daughter Wulfhilde married Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria ,
25-404: The queen dowager Matilda . He was joined by Eberhard of Franconia , and Thankmar , the half-brother of King Otto I . The revolt was soon suppressed. Thankmar died the same year he and Eberhard came to terms. Wichmann allied with some Slavs and made war against his former compatriots. He reconciled to Otto in 941. Wichmann married Frederuna (or Fridaruna), niece of Queen Matilda . She became
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