Leopold V of Austria ^{1 2}

   Cause of his death was a fall from a horse.

  General Notes:

Hertug av Østerrike 1177-1194.

Leopold utmerket seg på det tredje korstog ved inntagelsen av Ptolemais. Under besettelsen av Akka, var Leopold den første som plantet sin fane på byens citadell. Men midt under hærens gjallende jubelrop over at Akka igjen tilhørte de kristne, grep Richard Løvehjerte av pur misunnelse hertugens fane, kastet den i bakken og satte sin egen opp istedet. Hertugen bet imidlertid harmen i seg og utsatte hevnen til et gunstigere tidspunkt.

For vågehalsen Richard Løvehjerte gjorde imidlertid hjemferden slett ikke slutt på eventyrene. De ble tvert imot verre enn noensinne. Først ble skipet hans drevet ut av kurs av storm og strandet til slutt på nordkysten av Adriaterhavet. Med tanke på Filip August og andre fiender som lurte på ham for å ta ham til fange, forkledte hans seg nå som kjøpmann og fortsatte reisen til lands. Men i nærheten av Wien ble han oppdaget, falt i hendene på sin dødsfiende Leopold og ble holdt som fange i nesten to år, helt til hans trofaste vasaller greide å skaffe til veie den veldige løsesummen som ble forlangt for ham. Den skal ha beløpet seg til mer enn to års inntekter for den engelske krone.

I 1192 knyttet Leopold Steiermark til sitt hertugdømme.
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Leopold V of Austria (Babenberg):

Leopold V, the Virtuous, was a Babenberg duke of Austria from 1177 to 1194 and Styria from 1192 to 1194.

Leopold was the son of Henry II Jasomirgott and his Byzantine wife Theodora Comnena. He was also the father of Frederick I and Leopold VI.

He is mainly remembered for his participation in the Third Crusade, where he quarreled with the English king Richard Lionheart outside Acre; Richard and Philip II of France had raised their flags in Acre, but Richard removed Leopold's flag when he attempted to do the same. On the journey back to England in 1192, Richard had to stop in Vienna, where he was recognized (supposedly because of his signet ring) and was arrested in the Erdberg district (modern Landstraße). For some time the king was imprisoned in Dürnstein, and was then brought before Emperor Henry VI. The immense ransom, supposedly six thousand buckets of silver, became the foundation for the mint in Vienna, and was used to build new city walls for Vienna, as well as to build Wiener Neustadt. However, the duke was excommunicated by Pope Celestine III for having taken a fellow crusader prisoner.

On August 17, 1186 the Georgenberg Pact was negotiated, by which Styria and the central part of Upper Austria were amalgamated into Austria after 1192. This was the first step towards the creation of modern Austria.

In 1194 he died in Graz after a fall from a horse at a tournament, without having been absolved of the excommunication.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Acceded: Duke of Austria, 1177.

• Acceded: Duke of Styria, 1192.

Leopold married Helena of Hungary, daughter of Géza II of Hungary and Euphrosyne of Kiev, in 1174. (Helena of Hungary was born before 1156 and died on 25 Mar 1199.)