Conrad, Duke of Lorraine

Who was Conrad, Duke of Lorraine?

Conrad the Red was a Duke of Lorraine from the Salian dynasty.

He was the son of Werner V, Count of the Nahegau, Speyergau, and Wormsgau. His mother Cunigunde was a daughter of Conrad I of Germany. In 941, he succeeded his father in his counties and obtained an additional territory, the Niddagau. In 944 or 945, he was also invested with Lorraine by King Otto I.

In 947, he married Liutgarde, daughter of Otto and Edith, daughter of Edward the Elder, King of England. He and Liutgard had one son, Otto of Worms, later duke of Swabia and Carinthia.

In 953, Conrad joined his brother-in-law, Liudolf, Duke of Swabia, in rebellion against Otto, who bitterly complained about Conrad's ingratitude. The rebellion was quashed and Conrad was deprived of Lorraine, which was instead granted to Otto's brother, Bruno I, Archbishop of Cologne. Eventually Conrad and Otto were reconciled.

In 954 Conrad participated in a successful campaign against the Ukrani of the Uckerland. In 955, Conrad was killed in the Battle of Lechfeld while fighting alongside Otto against the Magyars. According to the chronicler Widukind of Corvey: