The Counts of Walbeck ruled a medieval territory with its capital Walbeck northeast of Helmstedt in the present town Oebisfelde-Weferlingen in Saxony-Anhalt. The foundation of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg established the region as firmly in the oversight of Otto the Great, Holy Roman Emperor. The first Count of Walbeck, Lothar I, was great-grandfather of Thietmar, Prince-Bishop of Merseburg, chronicler of the Ottonian dynasty of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire. Two of Thietmar’s great-grandfathers, both named Lothar, were killed in the Battle of Lenzen, pitting the forces of Henry the Fowler against the Slavs. The early Margraves of the Nordmark were descended from the House of Walbeck.

There were close relationships, and rivalries, between the Counts of Walbeck and the Counts of Stade. The family tree of the Counts of Walbeck is provided in Warner’s Ottonian Germany, a translation of the Chronicon of Thietmar of Merseburg. An excellent source of information is the German Wikipedia article Grafschaft Walbeck.

Lothar was the great-grandfather of Thietmar of Merseburg, and is frequently confused in genealogical sources with Thietmar’s other great-grandfather of the same name who was Count of Stade. Lothar died fighting the Slavs in the Battle of Lenzen, as did Lothar II, Count of Stade. Thietmar describes his great-grandfathers (called Liuthar in his Chronicon), as “distinguished men, the best of warriors, of illustrious lineage, and the honour and solace of the homeland.” Lothar’s wife’s name is unknown. They had one Child.

Barn:
Lothar II av Walbeck, född 920, död 986