Maria of Brabant, Duchess of Bavaria


Maria of Brabant was a daughter of Henry II, Duke of Brabant, and Maria of Swabia. She married Louis II, Duke of Bavaria, being the first of three wives.

Background

Maria was the fifth of six children born to Henry by his first wife, Maria, a daughter of Philip of Swabia. Maria's siblings included Henry III, Duke of Brabant and Matilda of Brabant. After the death of her mother, her father remarried to Sophie of Thuringia; from this marriage she gained two half-siblings, including Henry I of Hesse.

Betrothals and marriage

On 2 August 1254, Maria was married to Louis II, Duke of Bavaria. The couple were married for only two years, during which time they had no children.

Execution

Maria was executed by beheading in Donauwörth in 1256, after being accused of adultery by her husband, following the standard practice for women found guilty of adultery; however, proof of guilt of adultery on her part could never be validated. As expiation, Louis founded the Cistercian friary Fürstenfeld Abbey near Munich.