Leopold IV

margrave of Austria, son of Leopold III, was born Sept. 29, 1073. He was educated by the priest Udalrich, under the direction of Altmann. bishop of Passau, and succeeded his father in 1096. His chief object during his whole reign was to promote the happiness of his subjects. He avoided war, and husbanded the resources of his country with great care. He was about to accompany the emperor, Henry IV, in a crusade to Jerusalem, when the insurrection of the emperor's son, Henry V, obliged him to change his plans. At first he went to assist the emperor (in 1105), but somewhat later he was influenced by his brother-in-law, Borzywoy II, duke of Bohemia, and the promises of Henry V, to join the latter, to whose sister Agnes, widow of Frederick of Suabia, he was married in 1106. The remainder of his reign passed in peace and prosperity, although occasionally (especially in 1118) he was subjected to annoyances by the inroads of the Hungarians. In 1125, after the death of Henry V, he was spoken of for emperor, but declined in favor of Lothaire, duke of Saxony. Leopold died Nov. 15, 1136, and was canonized by pope Innocent VIII in 1485. He founded a large number of convents, among which are those of Neuburg, of Mariazell, and of the Holy Cross, and built a number of churches. See A.

Klein, Gesca. des Christenthums in Oesterreich (Vienna, 1840), vol. 1 and 2; Leopold d. Heiliqe (Vien. 1835); L. Lang, D. hl. Leopold (Reutlingen, 1836); Pez, Vita sancti Leopoldi; same, Scriptores Rerum Austriacarum, 1:575; Poltzmann, Compendium vitae S. Leopoldi; Jaffe, Gesch. des deutschen Reiches unter Lothasr dem Sachsen (Berlin, 1843); and his Geschichsfe d. deutsch. Reiches u. Konrad III (Han. 1845); Herzog, Real- Encyklop. 8:332; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 30:797.