Egbert II, Margrave of Meissen

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Egbert II (German: Ekbert II. von Meißen) (ca. 1059/1061 – 3 July 1090), Count of Brunswick and Margrave of Meissen, was the eldest son of the Margrave Egbert I of the Brunonen family.

Still a minor, he succeeded his father on the latter's death on 11 January 1068 as Count of Brunswick and Margrave of Meissen.

He was married to Oda, daughter of Count Otto of Meissen-Orlamünde, whose lands he inherited, including the castle of Wanderslebener Gleichen.

In 1073, the Saxons, led by Duke Magnus and Otto of Nordheim, rebelled against King Henry IV. The insurrection was crushed by Duke Vratislaus II of Bohemia in the First Battle of Langensalza on 9 June, 1075.

Whether Egbert had participated in the Savon rebellion remains unclear based on our sources, but since he had nonetheless proved himself an opponent of the the King, he was deprived of Meissen, which was given to Duke Vratislaus. However, the next year Egbert drove Vratislaus from Meissen again. Ekbert was condemned and a Frisian county in his possession was given to the bishop of Utrecht.

Egbert originally supported anti-King Rudolf of Rheinfeld, but then he and other Saxon nobles withdrew their support without actually switching to Henry's side.

After the death of Otto of Nordheim in 1083, Egbert was the most important but also inconsistent Saxon opponent of King Henry IV. In 1085, the two were briefly reconciled and Ekbert entertained Henry in Saxony in July, but in September the conflict resumed. In 1087 Ekbert made peace with Henry.

Some sources report that after the death of anti-King Hermann of Salm, the bishops Hartwig of Magdeburg and Burchard of Halberstadt persuaded Egbert to turn against the king and himself aim for the crown. However, Ekbert quickly broke with his new allies, probably because of unkept promises. Bishop Hartwig's submission to the King isolated Ekbert completely.

In 1088, Egbert was besieged in his castle of Gleichen for four months by Henry, but on Christmas Eve he managed to escape during battle with a relief army. He was outlawed and deprived him of Meissen and his Friasian possessions by a court of princes in Quedlinburg and later at Ratisbon in the same year.

The fleeing Egbert , undedefeated but isolated, fell in combat in 1090.

His remaining possessions fell to his sister Gertrude and her husband Henry the Fat, Margrave of Frisia, whose daughter Richenza married Lothar of Supplinburg, the later Duke and Emperor.