Dedo I

Several of Dedo I’s direct descendants were responsible for transforming the House of Wettin from a regional Saxon noble family into one of the most powerful dynasties in the Holy Roman Empire. The principal figures were:

Henry I of Eilenburg (c. 1070–1103)
Dedo I’s son inherited the Wettin family lands after his father’s death. Although his reign was brief, he preserved the family’s estates and ensured the continuation of the Wettin male line during a politically unstable period.

Conrad the Great (c. 1098–1157)
Dedo I’s grandson was the first great architect of Wettin power. As Margrave of Meissen and Margrave of Lusatia, he greatly expanded the family’s influence. Conrad consolidated territories, strengthened imperial loyalty, and secured hereditary control over key eastern frontier lands. Many historians regard him as the founder of the Wettins’ long-term political dominance.

Otto II “the Rich” (1125–1190)
Conrad’s son inherited Meissen and transformed the dynasty economically. During his reign, rich silver deposits were developed in the Ore Mountains near Freiberg. The resulting wealth financed castles, towns, monasteries, and military power, earning him the title “the Rich.” This economic prosperity elevated the Wettins above many rival noble houses.

Theodoric I (Dietrich I), Margrave of Meissen (1162–1221)
Otto II’s son secured the Wettin inheritance after years of conflict following his father’s death. Although he faced opposition from his brother Albert and political struggles within the Empire, he ultimately established stable rule over Meissen. His reign ensured the dynasty’s survival into the thirteenth century.

Traditional dynastic records place Henry III, Frederick I, Frederick II, Ernest, Albert, and their descendants within the later ruling House of Wettin. However, the Y-DNA evidence discussed by Iain McDonald identifies the commonly cited modern royal Wettin haplogroup as R-U106 > DF98, not the R-FT126776 / R-FT376779 line associated in your research with the Wettin-Dernbach-Turnbow paternal branch. Because DF98 and FT126776 are separate paternal lines, those later DF98-linked ruling branches cannot be treated as the same direct Y-DNA line as the von Dernbach-Turnbow lineage descending from Theodoric I through Heinrich von Dernbach.

Therefore, Henry those later men should be described as traditional dynastic Wettins, not as proven members of the R-FT126776 Wettin-Dernbach paternal line. The line you are presenting is:

Dedo I → Henry I of Eilenburg → Conrad the Great → Otto II the Rich → Theodoric I, Margrave of Meissen → Heinrich von Dernbach → von Dernbach → Turnbaugh/Turnbow