Gisela Schwaben
GermanyEarly Life and Family Lineage
Gisela, Queen of Germany and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, was born into a prominent lineage. Her father, Herman II, Duke of Swabia, descended from the Hohenstaufen dynasty, while her mother, Gerberga of Burgundy, was a daughter of King Conrad I the Peaceful. She was a descendant of Emperors Henry I the Fowler, Otto I, and Otto II of the Ottonian dynasty, as well as the Conradines and Liudolfings. Little is known of her early life, but she is believed to have spent her childhood in Verl, Westphalia.
Three Marriages
Gisela's first marriage was to Bruno, Count of Brunswick, between 1003 and 1005. From this union, she had at least two sons and possibly two daughters. After Bruno's death in 1010/1011, she married Ernst, Duke of Swabia, in 1015. This marriage gave Ernst the dukedom after the death of Herman III. Ernst died in 1015, leaving two young children.
In 1017, Gisela wed a third time to Conrad, Count of Worms. This marriage sparked controversy as they were close relatives (eighth cousins) and deemed uncanonical. Emperor Henry II opposed the union and deprived Gisela of her guardianship over her young son from her second marriage, Ernst II, Duke of Swabia.
Imperial Coronation
Upon Emperor Henry II's death in 1024, her third husband, Conrad, became a contender for the throne. He was elected as King Conrad II and crowned in Mainz. However, due to the uncanonical status of her marriage, Gisela was not crowned alongside her husband. Archbishop Aribo refused to perform the ceremony, but Archbishop Pilgrim of Cologne, Aribo's rival, eventually crowned her Empress on September 21, 1024.
