Background
She was a daughter of Count Otto of Eisenberg and his wife Anna of Kottwotz.
She was a daughter of Count Otto of Eisenberg and his wife Anna of Kottwotz.
Kunigunde was a lady-in-waiting of Albert"s first wife, Margaret of Sicily. Beautiful and ambitious, she attracted the attention of the Landgrave and became his mistress, bearing him two illegitimate children:
Elisabeth (1269 – c 23 April 1326), married before 11 April 1291 to Henry II of Frankenstein (d 23 April 1326). Albert, nicknamed Apitz, (1270 – between 1301 and 1305), Lord of Tenneberg from 1290, buried in the Saint Catherine monastery in Eisenach.
With her lover’s knowledge, is said that Kunigunde attempted the murder of Landgravine Margaret so that she could usurp her position and honours.
After some poison attempts, Kunigunde finally managed to so frighten her mistress, that Margaret fled the court the night of 24 June 1270, fearing for her life. She died six weeks later in Frankfurt am Main.
Kunigunde’s marriage with Albert took place soon afterwards (1272), despite the fact that she was of lower rank. However this marriage brought baneful consequences for Thuringia.
The affair was only able to be settled peaceably when Kunigunde died (before 31 May 1286), aged about forty.
She was buried in the Saint Catherine monastery in Eisenach.