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- BIOGRAPHY
Leopold was the son of Albrecht, Landgraf von Leuchtenberg, and Elisabeth, Gräfin von Oettingen. On 27 August 1424 at Fünfkirchen he married Lisa von der Alben genannt Suber, with who he had two sons, Friedrich IV and Ludwig, of whom Friedrich would have progeny. He was close to Ruprecht III genannt Clem, emperor-elect, Pfalzgraf bei Rhein, Kurfürst von Bayern, whose lady-in-waiting his mother had been.
On 9 December 1413 Landsknechts (mercenaries) of Albrecht, duke of Austria, the future emperor-elect, attacked merchants between Weissenstadt and Eger. This gave Leopold reason to sell the castle of Stierenberg to Johann, Herzog von Bayern, Pfalzgraf bei Rhein in Neumarkt, son of emperor-elect Ruprecht III. He proved his valour in the battles against the Hussites, and supplied men and horses to King Sigismund, the future emperor. Leopold saved Sigismund's castle of Karlstein from the Hussites, and was henceforth promised 600 guilders a year, but Sigismund continued to owe him a large sum of money. Leopold took part in the Council of Constance convened from 1414 to 1418 by Sigismund.
In 1433 Leopold was palatine governor of the Aingehürn and later palatine governor of Amberg. He was raised to the status of Prince, and thereafter the landgraves of Leuchtenberg had a seat and vote in the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire.
In 1440 Leopold extended and fortified the castle of Leuchtenberg, and built the castle chapel in the High Gothic style. He died in 1463 and was buried in the parish church at Pfreimd in the Upper Palatinate; the church holds a beautiful marble memorial to him.
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