Sophia of Saxony

13th-century German noblewoman and abbess

Sophia of Saxony

Seal of Abbess Sophia of Gernrode

Abbess of Gernrode
Reign| 1220–1244
Predecessor| Adelaide II
Successor| Ermengarde I of Gernrode
Died| 1244
Gernrode Abbey
Noble family| House of Ascania

Sophia of Saxony (died 1244) was a member of the House of Ascania, and the abbess of Gernrode (r.1220–1244).

## Life[edit]

Sophia was a member of the House of Ascania. Her parents were Bernard III of Saxony and Judith/Jutta of Poland, daughter of Mieszko III of Poland.[1] Sophia was brought up in the abbey of Gernrode.[2] Sophia's siblings included Albert I of Saxony and Henry I of Anhalt, the latter of whom was the advocate for the abbey of Gernrode.[3]

Sophia succeeded Adelaide II as abbess of Gernrode in late 1220. The first recorded reference to Sophia as abbess is found in a charter issued in 1221.[4]

In order to protect the abbey's wealth from embezzlement or theft, Sophia purchased extensive goods in Rieder. This purchase was confirmed by Sophia's brother, Henry I, in Aschersleben in 1223. A confirmation of all of the abbey's property and rights, issued by Pope Gregory IX in June 1227 also referred to the property in Rieder.[5]

Sophia most likely died on 16 July 1244.[6]

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Thiele, Erzählende genealogische Stammtafeln, table 159.
2. ^ Schulze: Das Stift Gernrode, p. 45.
3. ^ Thiele, Erzählende genealogische Stammtafeln, table 339.
4. ^ Schulze, Das Stift Gernrode, p. 45.
5. ^ von Heinemann, Geschichte der Abtei, p. 13.
6. ^ Schulze, Das Stift Gernrode, p. 45.

## Literature[edit]

* Andreas Popperodt: Historia Ecclesiae Gerenrodenses 1560, erste Fassung bei Johann Christoph Bekmann in Accesiones Historia Anhaltinae 1716 als Annales Gernrodensis.
* O. von Heinemann, Geschichte der Abtei und Beschreibung der Stiftskirche zu Gernrode. (H. C. Huch, Quedlinburg 1877).
* H.K. Schulze, Das Stift Gernrode. Unter Verwendung eines Manuskriptes von Reinhold Specht. Mit einem kunstgeschichtlichen Beitrag von Günther W. Vorbrodt. (Mitteldeutsche Forschungen Bd. 38), Böhlau, Köln 1965.
* A. Thiele, "Erzählende genealogische Stammtafeln zur europäischen Geschichte", Band I, Teilband 1 Deutsche Kaiser-, Königs-, Herzogs- und Grafenhäuser I

## External links[edit]

* Media related to Sophia of Saxony at Wikimedia Commons
* Dokumentation der Ausstellung SchleierHaft

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