Leopold was born at Babenberg castle in
Gars am Kamp, the son of Margrave
Leopold II and
Ida of Formbach-Ratelnberg. The Babenbergs had come to Austria from Bavaria where the family had risen to prominence in the 10th century. He grew up in the diocese of Passau under the influence of the reformer bishop
Altmann of Passau. In 1095, Leopold succeeded his father as margrave of Austria at the age of 22. He married twice. His first wife, who died in 1105, may have been one of the von Perg family. The following year he married
Agnes, the widowed sister of Emperor
Henry V whom he had supported against her father
Henry IV. This connection to the
Salians raised the importance of the
House of Babenberg, to which important royal rights over the margraviate of Austria were granted. Also, Agnes had influential connections through her previous marriage to
Frederick of Hohenstaufen, one of her sons being
Conrad III of Germany. Leopold called himself "Princeps Terræ", a reflection of his sense of territorial independence. He was considered a candidate in the election of the
Kaiser of the
Holy Roman Empire in 1125, but declined this honour. He is mainly remembered for the development of the country and, in particular, the founding of several monasteries. His most important foundation is
Klosterneuburg (1108). According to legend, the
Virgin Mary appeared to him and led him to a place where he found the veil of his wife Agnes, who had lost it years earlier. He established the
Klosterneuburg Monastery there. He subsequently expanded the settlement to become his residence. Leopold also founded the monasteries of
Heiligenkreuz,
Kleinmariazell and
Seitenstetten which developed a territory still largely covered by forest. All of these induced the church to
canonize him in 1485. Leopold also fostered the development of cities, such as Klosterneuburg,
Vienna and
Krems. The last one was granted the right to
mint but never attained great importance. The writings of
Henry of Melk and
Ava of Göttweig, which are the first literary texts from Austria, date back to Leopold's time. He is buried in the
Klosterneuburg Monastery, which he founded. His skull is kept in an embroidered reliquary, which leaves the forehead exposed; it also wears an
archducal hat. In 1663, under the rule of his namesake Emperor
Leopold I, he was declared patron saint of Austria instead of
Coloman of Stockerau. The brothers
Joseph and
Michael Haydn, each of whom sang in the choir of
St. Stephen's Cathedral, both sang in that capacity at Klosterneuburg on this day. Joseph Haydn later became the more famous composer of the two. Michael Haydn later (in 1805) wrote a mass in honour of Leopold, the
Missa sub titulo Sancti Leopoldi. Since the death of Emperor Leopold I, the
King's Feast is celebrated in
Belgium on Leopold's feast day. ==Children==