Sophia I

Early life

According to the chronicles by Thietmar of Merseburg, Sophia was born to Emperor Otto II and Theophanu. She may have been the first surviving daughter, born in 975, though other sources indicate that her sister Adelaide, born 977, was in fact the eldest. Sophia is first documented in a 979 deed of donation, when her father entrusted her education to his first cousin, Abbess Gerberga II of Gandersheim. Sophia was raised and educated in Gandersheim Abbey to become abbess from childhood. Sophia being placed to take over Gandersheim abbey is significant as the abbey held a place of importance to the Ottonian dynasty. The abbey was founded by Duke Liudolf of Saxony, the oldest member of the Ottonian lineage, and was the site where many members of the family were laid to rest. The Abbey's significance to the dynasty likely also helped keep peace between the often opposed Ottonian and Henrican lines of the Liudolfings, with Duke Henry the Quarrelsome, son of Henry of Bavaria who threatened the rule of his brother Otto I and father of Emperor Henry II, dying and being buried at the abbey while Sophia was a canoness there in 995. Abbess Gerberga taught her convent discipline and common law, both of which she mastered. Sophia received many grants of rights and property from her father as well as from her brother, Otto III, who succeeded as King of the Romans in 983.

Sophia took the vows to become a canoness in 989. As an emperor's daughter, she insisted on receiving the veil from the hands of The contemporary chronicler Thangmar, in his Vita Bernwardi (Life of Saint Bernward), records several incidents in which Sophia exercised her influence in the abbey to influence a dispute between the Bishops of Mainz and Hildesheim over their jurisdictions. Thangmar is often criticized as being an unreliable and biased source with authorship of portions of the Vita Bernwardi being brought into question by some scholars. This was a significant dispute at the time as bishops exercised a considerable amount of political influence during the Ottonian Dynasty. Sophia insisted that she take the veil from Archbishop Willigis of Mainz, the archchancellor of the Holy Roman Empire, affronting the local Bishop Osdag of Hildesheim. Archbishop Willigis was very close to Otto III as he was one of the few members of clergy that supported Otto III during an attempted coup by Henry the Quarreler in 983. It is likely that Theophanu saw the veiling of Sophia as an opportunity for Willigis to show authority over Gandersheim as reward for his support during the coup attempt. This led to Osdag moving his episcopal throne from Hildesheim to the altar at Gandersheim. This led to a public argument between Osdag and Willigis before an assembly of canonesses as well as the Emperor Otto III and Theophanu. The two later agreed to veil Sophia together as long as Osdag retained the right to veil all other canonesses at the abbey.