Sophia of Hungary
Overview
Biography
(See also Genealogical Table(s): 2.2.)
Sophia was the daughter of king Béla II of Hungary and Helena of Serbia/Rascia. She was betrothed at a very young age to Henry, the son of Conrad III of Germany. She was sent to Germany c.1139 to be educated in German language and customs and was marooned there when her father died in 1141 and his successor, her brother Géza II and Conrad fell out. The engagement was broken c.1146, but Conrad apparently held on to Sophia’s considerable dowry. Sophia was probably then living at the convent of Admont where she may have been sent to be educated and she chose to stay there rather than return to Hungary, presumably to be married to someone else, as her brother preferred. Sophia wrote to her brother, to her mother, and to Archbishop Conrad I of Salzburg, whom she describes as a friend to her family, asking them to permit her to stay in the convent as a nun. She also asks the archbishop’s help in having part of her dowry restored, and there is a letter from him to Conrad in which, if it is authentic, he asks the king to do so, particularly since he should have provided her with a dower. There is no record of the king’s doing so. So she had no income until her brother finally agreed to her entering the convent and apparently supplied the wealth necessary for her entrance gift, for which she thanks him in her second letter to him.*