Lutgard of Salzwedel or Liutgard/Luitgard of Stade, was a Danish Queen consort, spouse of King Eric III of Denmark.
Background
Lutgard was born to Richardis, Countess of Sponheim-Lavanttal, and Count Rudolf I of Stade and Ditmarsh (d 1124), Margrave of the Northern March, seated in Salzwedel. After the death of her father she lived at her mother"s estates near Jerichow.
Career
Lutgard"s paternal grandfather was Margrave Lothair Udo II (of the Udonids, German: Udonen). Her brother Hartwig, Count of Stade, provost at Bremen Cathedral since 1143, married her to Eric of Denmark in 1143 or 1144. However, in 1148 Hartwig stipulated with the cathedral chapter his election as Archbishop of Bremen in return for his bequest of the county to the archdiocese on his death, thus disinheriting Lutgard"s children.
As queen, she was criticized for being promiscuous and for influencing her spouse to waste money.
She separated from her spouse after she was accused of adultery and exiled to the Holy Roman Empire. As a widow, she became the second wife of the widowed Count Herman II of Winzenburg-Northeim in 1148, and had three more daughters with him.
Ministeriales of Bernard of Rothenburg, Bishop of Hildesheim, eventually at his instigation, murdered Count Herman, who was violent and ambitious to seize further territories, and the pregnant Lutgard in Winzenburg in the night between 29 and 30 January 1152. The murderers further robbed their treasury of 6,000 pound in silver.
With Frederick II of Sommerschenburg she had four children:
Albert (Adalbert), Count Palatine of Sommerschenburg (ca 1130-1115 January or 17 March 1179)
Adelheid (d 1 May 1184), Princess-Abbess of Gandersheim Abbey (1152/53–1184) and Quedlinburg Abbey (1161–1184)
With Hermann II of Winzenburg-Northeim she had the following three daughters:
Daughter (1149– before 1204), married (1) in 1170 Henry III, Count of Schwarzburg (d 26 July 1184), and (2) Ulrich I, Count of Wettin (ca 1170-1128 September 1206), son of Sophia and Henry I of Wettin
Daughter (b 1150), in 1166 married Buris/Burits Henriksen (likely 1130–1167, murdered), Earl of Jutland (since 1162), a son of Ingrid Ragnvaldsdotter and Henry Sweynson (Henrik Skadelår)
Hedwig (b 1151), Provostress of Gandersheim Abbey.