von WESTFALEN Widuking (Sachsen)

0755 - 0810  (~ 55 years)

• Name	von WESTFALEN Widuking (Sachsen)
  Birth	0755	Saxony. Germany
  Gender	Male
  Death	10 Nov 0810
  Notes	Widukind (8th/9th centuries; modernized name Wittekind) was a Germanic leader of the Saxons and the chief opponent of Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars. Widukind was the leader of the Saxons against the Frankish king Charlemagne (later emperor of the West). In 782, when Charlemagne organized Saxony as a Frankish province and ordered conversions of the pagan Saxons of Widukind to Roman Catholicism, the Saxons resumed warfare against the Franks. In later times, Widukind became a symbol of Saxon independence and a figure of legend. Widukind or Wittekind (743-807) was the leader of the Saxons and the first known by name Duke of the Duchy of Saxony. Originally the Saxons chose their dukes only as army commander (which is also the literal meaning of the word Duke) who had to resign again in peacetime.[1] By Widukind's tactic of permanent revolt, however, he remained in power for decades and this way the Saxons got used to be under a centralized regime.[1] With this, he also increased the influence of his family, from whom several Saxon dynasties emerged as the Ottonians, Guelph, and House of Ascania Billungen. Widukind was the leading force in the Saxon Wars for independence of the Franks and the preservation of their own religion.[1] After Charlemagne had defeated the Saxons in 777, he sought refuge in the Danes. [1] In the Bardengau in 785, Widukind agreed to surrender in return for a guarantee that no bodily harm would be done to him. Widukind and his allies were then baptized in Attigny in 785, with Charlemagne as his godfather. Wife of Widukind was the Danish princess Geva Eysteinsdotter (From Denmark / Van Raumerike / Van Westfold Saxony). For what's known so far there were three children [1] : Wigebert Duke of Saxony (799-827), Hasalda of Engern (756-) Wittekind II Wettin. Widukind probably died in 807 in a battle against the Swabians. It's said he was buried in Enger Herford (in current North Rhine-Westphalia), but the monumental tomb there dating not the ninth century, and the body therein is therefore likely to be of another.[1] Since the 9th century, Widukind had been idolized as a mythical hero. Around 1100, a tomb for him was made in Enger; recent excavations have found that the contents of the tomb are indeed early medieval, but it is impossible to decide whether the body is Widukind's. When in the 10th century Saxon kings (of the Ottonian dynasty) replaced the Frankish kings in East Francia (the later Holy Roman Empire), these kings proudly claimed descent from Widukind: Matilda, the wife of King Henry I, was apparently a great-great-great-granddaughter of Widukind. The House of Billung, to which several Dukes of Saxony belonged, had Matilda's sister among its ancestors and thus also claimed descent from Widukind. Death Date: 10 NOV 8100 Christening Date: 7850 Place: Attigny, 08130, Ardennes, Champagne-Ardenne, France Note Note: chef Wesphalien, héros de l'indépendance saxonne. Son nom apparait pour la première fois en 777 dans les chroniques. On y apprend que, seul parmi les aristocrates, il refuse se se soumettre au Roi (Charlemagne) au cours de l'assemblée dePaderborn. Il se réfugie au Danemark pour échapper à ses ennemis. De retour en Saxe, il lutte désespérémend contre l'envahisseur Franc. Voir Histoire Médièvale (les campagnes de Charlemagne en Saxe Research Notes Legendary Saxon Line of Descent from Witigail to Witikind George Fisher [2]in 1832 published his Genealogical Companion in which he presented a line of descent of princes and kings in Saxony from Hengist's father Witigail to Witikind the Great, conquered by Charlemagne. While many of these princes exist only in legend, they appear in many popular genealogies and therefore their line of descent is presented here for reference. Birth years are estimated and not part of Fisher's table. Wihtgils or Witigail, born 380, King of the Saxons, died 434 Hengist, born 425. First king of Kent, died 488. Audoacer or Hartwaker, born 455, succeeded his father as 15th Prince of the Saxons, died 480. Hatwigate, born 475,Prince of the Saxons, died 524 Hulderic. born 500, King of the Saxons, died 540 Bodicus, born 525, Prince of the Saxons, died 586 Berthold, born 550, King of the Saxons, died 633. Sighard, born 630, King of the Saxons, died 691 Dieteric, born 670,, King of the Saxons, died 740, married Dobogesa, daughter of Billung, King of the Vandals Wernich, born 705, son of Dieteric, King of the Saxons, died 768. Wernich had a brother Ethelbard, also son of Dieteric, also King of the Saxons. Ethelbard had two sons; Albion, was baptized by his cousin Witikund the Great, son of Ethelbard, 785, and Herman was slain by Charlemagne 798, Witikind the Great, born 755, the last King of the Saxons, conquered by Charlemagne, 785. Consentng to be baptized, the conqueror made him the first Duke of the old Upper Saxony, or on the Weser. He died 807 and was the patriarch of many great families in Europe, amongst whom may be reckoned the present Royal Family of England. Sources ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Translated from Source: De Wereld van Stad en Ommelanden by A. Koers pg 153 -154 Het Historisch Portaal ↑ George Fisher. A Genealogical Companion and Key to the history of England: Consisting of copious genealogical details of the British Sovereigns, Page 25 London: Simkin and Marshall, 1832. Accessed August 3, 2018 jhd Charles Cawley, 'Saxony, Dukes & Electors: Chapter 1 - Early Saxon Leaders, family of Widukind', in Medieval Lands: A prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families. Online edition, Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/index.htm : accessed 27 Dec 2023. Source: Wikipedia Widukind Source: Historische vijanden: Widukind en de Franken by M. van Exel Widukind Source: Widukind the known unknown Widukind de bekende onbekende Source: Widukind The last germanic hero of the Dark Ages See also video's: Learn about the Saxon leader Widukind Widukind quelle (well) Widukind Margareten kapelle Karl der Grosse und die Sachsen Momente der Geschichte: Sachsenherzog Widukind
  Person ID	I57993	Freeman-Smith
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026

  
  

  Father	von SACHSEN Warnechin,   b. 0705, Island, Rugen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany d. 0768, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany (Age ~ 63 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	RUGEN Gunilda,   b. Abt 0720, Rugen, Sachsen, Germany d. Engern, Schaumburg, Niedersachsen, Germany
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	0732	Saxony, Germany
  Family ID	F25875	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	UNKNOWN Geva,   b. Abt 0755, Denmark
  Marriage	0757	Saxony. Germany
  Children	1. de SAXE Wigbert (Sachsen),   b. 0770, Saxony, Heiliges Römisches Reich d. Aft 25 Dec 0834, Wettin, Sachsen, Germany (Age ~ 64 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F25874	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026