Leopold III, Margrave of Austria

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Leopold III (1073 – November 15, 1136), Margrave of Austria, 1095-1136, also known as Saint Leopold (his feast day being November 15), patron saint of Austria, in general, and of Vienna, Lower Austria, and, jointly with Saint Florian, of Upper Austria, in particular.

Leopold was the son of Margrave Leopold II and Ida of Formbach-Ratelnberg.

His sons were Leopold IV and Henry II Jasomirgott.

His second wife was Agnes, the sister of Emperor Henry V whom he had supported against his father Henry IV. This connection to the Salians raised the importance of the House of Babenberg, to which important royal rights on the territory of the margraviate of Austria were granted.

Leopold called himself "Princeps Terrae", a reflection on his consciousness of independence of his territorial rule. He was considered a candidate in the election of the King of Germany in 1125, but declined this honour.

He is mainly remembered for the development of the country and, in particular, the founding of several monasteries. His most important foundation is Klosterneuburg (1108). According to legend, the Lady Mary appeared to him and led him to a place where he found the veil of his wife Agnes who had lost it years earlier. He established the monastery of Klosterneuburg there. He subsequently expanded this city to become his residence.

Leopold also founded the monasteries of Heiligenkreuz, Kleinmariazell and Seitenstetten which, in fact, served the purpose of developing a territory still largely covered by forest at that time. All of these induced the church to canonize him in 1485.

Leopold also fostered the development of cities, such as Klosterneuburg, Vienna and Krems. The last one was granted the right to mint but Krems never attained great importance.

The writings of Henry of Melk and Ava of Göttweig, which are the first literary texts from the area of Austria, date back to Leopold's time.

He is buried in the Klosterneuburg monastery, which he founded.

In 1663, under the rule of his namesake Emperor Leopold I, he was declared patron saint of Austria instead of Saint Koloman.

There is no school on November 15 (Leopoldstag) in Vienna and Lower Austria.