Saint Leopold III (
1073 –
November 15, 1136) was the
Margrave of
Austria in
1095-1136. He is the
patron saint of Austria, of the city of
Vienna, of
Lower Austria, and, jointly with
Saint Florian, of
Upper Austria. His
feast day is
November 15.
Leopold was the son of Margrave
Leopold II and
Ida of Formbach-Ratelnberg. He married twice. His first wife may have been one of the von Perg family, who died in
1105. His second wife was
Agnes, the widowed sister of Emperor
Henry V whom he had supported against her father
Henry IV. This connection to the
Salians raised the importance of the House of
Babenberg, to which important royal rights over the margravate of Austria were granted. Also, Agnes had influential connections through her previous marriage, one of her sons being
Conrad III of Germany.
Leopold called himself "Princeps Terrae", a reflection of his sense of territorial independence. He was considered a candidate in the election of the
Kaiser of
The Holy Roman Empire 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
Virgin 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 the settlement to become his residence.
Leopold also founded the monasteries of
Heiligenkreuz, Kleinmariazell and
Seitenstetten which developed a territory still largely covered by forest. 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 never attained great importance.
The writings of
Henry of Melk and
Ava of Göttweig, which are the first literary texts from Austria, date back to Leopold's time.
He is buried in the
Klosterneuburg Monastery, which he founded. His skull is kept in an embroidered reliquary, which leaves the forehead exposed; it also wears an archducal crown.
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. 
