OTTO, son of HEINRICH I "der Vogelsteller/the Fowler" King of Germany & his second wife Mathilde --- (23 Nov 912-Memleben 7 May 973, bur Magdeburg Cathedral). Widukind names (in order) "Oddonem, Heinricum, Brunonem" as sons of King Heinrich & his second wife[201]. Associate King of Germany, with his father, in 930. He was elected OTTO I "der Große" King of Germany 7 Aug 936, crowned at Aachen. After his accession, the Bohemians and the Abotrites withheld payment of tribute. A revolt in Bavaria was led by Duke Eberhard, whom King Otto deposed and banished. Otto's half-brother Thankmar rebelled in Saxony with other magnates dissatisfied with the king's distribution of offices. His brother Heinrich rebelled in 939, was joined by Louis IV King of the West Franks and Giselbert Duke of Lotharingia, but was defeated at Birten and Andernach[202]. He founded the monastery of Magdeburg (later Magdeburg Cathedral), encouraged by his first wife, to which the relics of St Innocent were brought[203]. He sent armed forces which were unsuccessful in taking reprisals against Rouen in 945, after members of the local nobility had arranged the escape of Richard I Comte [de Normandie] from his captivity by Louis IV King of the Franks, his brother-in-law, a nepos (unidentified) of King Otto being killed in the battle[204]. He invaded Italy in 951, using the ill-treatment of his future second wife as an excuse, entered Pavia 23 Sep 951 and proclaimed himself king of Italy. His predecessor Berengario di Ivrea proposed himself as Otto's viceroy in Italy, which was accepted by the Council of Augsburg in Aug 952. King Otto's son Liudolf rebelled in 953, but was pardoned in 954. King Otto defeated the Magyars in battle at Lechfeld near Augsburg in 955[205], which marked the end of their marauding in Europe. Berengario King of Italy abused his position, and Otto sent Liudolf to Italy to restore order. After several further years of Berengario's tyrannical rule in Italy, Otto invaded in Aug 961 in response to requests for intervention from Pope John XII and Hubert [de Provence] Duke of Spoleto, one of Berengario's main vassals. King Otto forced Berengario's retreat to the fortress of San Leo near Montefeltro 962, finally capturing him in 963. He was crowned Emperor at Rome 2 Feb 962 by Pope John XII[206]. The necrology of Fulda records the death "973 Non Mai" of "Otto imp"[207]. Thietmar records his death at Memleben on 7 May in the thirty-eighth year after his consecration and his burial at Magdeburg[208]. The necrology of Merseburg records the death "7 May" of "Otto maior magnus imperator"[209].
m firstly (Sep 929) EADGYTH of Wessex, daughter of EDWARD "the Elder" King of Wessex & his second wife Ælfleda --- (-26 Jan 946[210], bur Magdeburg Cathedral). The Book of Hyde names "Edgitham et Elgimam" as fifth and sixth of the six daughters of King Eadweard by his first wife "Elfelmi comitis filia Elfleda", specifying that they were both sent to "Henrico Alemanorum imperatori" and that the former married "filio sui Othoni"[211]. Thietmar names "Edith…daughter of King Edmund of England" when recording her marriage during the lifetime of Otto's father, in a later passage stating that she urged her husband to begin establishing the city of Magdeburg[212]. The Annalista Saxo records the wife of Otto as "Ediht filiam Ehtmundi regis Anglorum"[213]. Thietmar records her death 26 Jan "in the eleventh year" of the reign of her husband, after 19 years of marriage, and her place of burial[214].
m secondly (Pavia [Oct/Nov] 951) as her second husband, ADELAIS of Burgundy, widow of LOTHAR King of Italy, daughter of RUDOLF II King of Burgundy [Welf] & his wife Bertha of Swabia ([928/33]-Kloster Selz, Alsace 16 Dec 999, bur Kloster Selz). Luitprand names "Adelegidam" daughter of Rudolf & Berta, when recording her marriage to "regi Lothario"[215]. Her birth date range is estimated from having given birth to one child by her first marriage before the death of her husband in 950. She claimed the kingdom of Italy on the death of her husband, as the daughter of one of the rival claimants for the throne earlier in the century. Willa, wife of Berengario di Ivrea who had been proclaimed king at Pavia 15 Dec 950, ordered Adelais's imprisonment at Como 20 Apr 951 and "afflicted her with imprisonment and hunger" according to Flodoard[216]. Otto I King of Germany used her ill-treatment as an excuse to invade Italy in Sep 951, although Adelais had succeeded in escaping 20 Aug 951 to Reggio[217]. King Otto entered Pavia 23 Sep 951, proclaimed himself King of Italy, and married Adelais as her second husband. The Annalista Saxo records "Adelheidam reginam" as "coniuge rege Lothario" when she married Otto[218]. Flodoard refers to "uxorem quoque Lotharii regis defuncti, filii Hugonis, sororem Chonradi regis" when recording her second marriage[219]. She was crowned empress at Rome with her husband 2 Feb 962[220]. "Aleidis sororis" is named in the charter of "Chuonradus rex" dated 8 Apr 962[221]. "Adelheidis imperatrix cum filia Athelheidhe abbatissa in Italiam profecta est propter quasdam discordias inter se et filium factas", although it is unclear to whom "filia Athelheidhe" refers unless this is an error for Mathilde[222]. She replaced her daughter-in-law as regent for her grandson King Otto III in 991[223]. The necrology of Fulda records the death "999 17 Kal Ian" of "Adalheid imperatrix"[224].
Mistress (1): (before 929) --- [of the Hevelli], daughter of [BAÇLABIC [Václav] Fürst der Stodoranen & his wife ---]. According to Europäische Stammtafeln[225], she was the daughter of Baçlabic. The primary source which confirms her parentage has not yet been identified. She was a "captured Slavic noblewoman" according to Thietmar, who gives neither her name nor her parentage[226].