(green) and
Alamannia (orange), including various counties held by prominent members of the Welf family The older of the two groups was the
Burgundian group. When the name first appeared in surviving documents, the family was already at the top of
Francia society, with
Welf, the first Count of
Altdorf, the father-in-law of Emperor
Louis the Pious (the son and heir of
Charlemagne). He was mentioned in 819 as father of
Empress Judith. The younger sons of the first count of Altdorf,
Conrad and
Rudolf accompanied their sister to the court of her husband, Louis the Pious, where their ambitious spirit maintained their hereditary rank, and where they shared the happy, as well as the adverse fortunes of that sister. When Judith was surprised and confined by her stepsons, her brothers were shaven as monks but claimed and obtained permission to stand beside the throne. Judith's sister
Hemma (* 808 † 876) later married Judith's stepson
Louis the German and became Queen of the Franks. Conrad (the Elder) held several
counties in
Alamannia, including counties of
Argengau and
Linzgau, north of the
Lake Constance, and later became
Count of Paris. He had two sons:
Conrad the Jounger (II) and
Hugh, from his church preferment, styled
the Abbot. He is traditionally given a third son,
Welf I of the Swabian group. Conrad the Jounger became
Count of Auxerre ( 858), and later recovered the Burgundian estates of his grand-uncle Otkarius, defeating
Hucbert of
Transjuran Burgundy ( 864). lands, around 900 ---- Conrad the Jounger was succeeded in his Transjuran lands by his son
Rudolph, who assumed the royal crown of
Upper Burgundy at the abbey of
St Maurice en Valais in 888, and confirmed his independence with two victories over king
Arnulf of
East Francia. His son,
Rudolph II succeeded to the royal throne of Upper Burgundy in 912, and by 933 he also acquired
Lower Burgundy with
Provence, thus recreating the united
Kingdom of Burgundy. He twice attempted the conquest of Italy, and for a period of three years governed that kingdom. His son and successor, King
Conrad I, reigned more than fifty-six years from 937 to 993 and enjoyed the friendship and support of the Saxon emperors.
Otto I married his sister Adelaide, who was the mother of
Otto II, and the grandmother of
Otto III. Conrad was succeeded by his son
Rudolph III, called
the Idle. When Rudolph III died without legitimate issue in 1032, the Kingdom of Burgundy was inherited by his niece's husband
Conrad of Swabia, who had been elected emperor in 1024. With this, the Kingdom of Burgundy was joined in personal union with those of Germany and Italy as part of what came to be known as the
Holy Roman Empire. File:Welf I..jpg|
Welf, Count of Altdorf (819) File:Wgt Stifterbüchlein 11v.jpg|
Empress Judith (* 795 † 843), daughter of Welf, wife of Emperor
Louis the Pious File:Grabmal Hemma.jpg|
Queen Hemma (* 808 † 876), daughter of Welf, wife of King
Louis the German File:Adelheid von Burgund.jpg|
Empress Adelaide (* 931 † 999), daughter of
Rudolph II of Burgundy, wife of Emperor
Otto I Notable members of the Burgundian group •
Welf, Count of Altdorf •
Judith, daughter of Welf, Empress •
Rudolph I, King of Burgundy •
Rudolph II, King of Burgundy •
Conrad I, King of Burgundy •
Gisela of Burgundy •
Adelaide of Italy •
Rudolph III, King of Burgundy ==Swabian branch==