Welf (father of Judith)

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Welf" father of Judith – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Welf" father of Judith – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Welf I
Depiction in the Historia Welforum, about 1170
Born	c. 776 Hall of Ramida
Died	c. 825
Noble family	Elder House of Welf
Spouse(s)	Hedwig of Bavaria
Issue Details...	Judith, Queen of the Franks Conrad I, Count of Auxerre Rudolph, Count of Ponthieu Hemma, Queen of East Francia

Welf I (or Hwelf; died c. 825) is the first documented ancestor of the Elder House of Welf. He is mentioned as a count (comes) in the Frankish lands of Altdorf in Alamannia. He is the son of Rothard of the Argengau and grandson of Hardrad.

Welf originated from a distinguished dynasty of Franconian nobles. He is mentioned only once: on the occasion of the wedding of his daughter Judith to Emperor Louis the Pious in 819 at Aachen. His son Conrad later appeared as a dux (duke) in Alamannia and achieved a powerful position in the Upper Swabian estates he possibly had inherited from his mother Hedwig.

His family became politically powerful when Louis the Pious chose Welf's oldest daughter as his second wife upon the death of his consort Ermengarde of Hesbaye. Though Welf himself never became publicly prominent, his family became interwoven with the Carolingian dynasty.

Welf married Hedwig (Heilwig),^[1] daughter of the Saxon count Isambart; Hedwig later became abbess of Chelles. The couple had the following children:

• Judith of Bavaria (c. 797–843); married Louis the Pious,^[1] who was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne.
• Conrad (c. 800–864), Count of Auxerre;^[1] ancestor of the Welf kings of Burgundy.
• Rudolph (c. 802–866),^[1] Count of Ponthieu.
• Hemma (c. 803–876); married King Louis the German,^[1] King of East Francia and son of Louis the Pious.

• Riche, Pierre (1993). The Carolingians, A Family Who Forged Europe. Translated by Allen, Michael Idomir. University of Philadelphia Press.