Henry of Schweinfurt is the son of Berthold and Eilika (Eiliswintha or Eila) of Walbeck.

His father's parentage is not known with certainty, but he may have been a son of Arnulf, Duke of Bavaria.

Henry is Bavarian, whoever his grandfather.

Henry has held a succession of countships after his father's death in 980.

He is appointed marchio, like his father, of the Bavarian Nordgau in 994.

Leopold I, Margrave of Austria, travels to Würzburg in 994 to mediate a dispute between his cousin Henry of Schweinfurt and Bishop Bernward von Rothenburg of Würzburg, one of whose knights Henry had seized and blinded.

At a tournament held on July 8, Leopold is hit in the eye by an arrow directed at his cousin.

Two days later, on July 10, Leopold dies from his injuries.

He is buried in Würzburg.

Henry II had promised to install Henry of Schweinfurt, Margrave of Nordgau, as his successor to the Duchy of Bavaria in exchange for supporting his claim to the German crown.

Upon assuming the throne, however, Henry II had refused to honor his promise, and instead supported the rights of the Bavarians to elect their own duke.

With Henry II's support, Count Henry I of Luxembourg becomes the Duke of Bavaria as Henry V. Margrave Henry, thus betrayed by Henry II, allies with Duke Boleslaw I of Poland against the king.

However, his rebellion is soon quashed and the Nordgauian Margrave is deposed in 1004.

Henry II now abolishes the March of Nordgau.

He will establish the Diocese of Bamberg in 1007, and transfer secular authority over the March's former territory to the Diocese in order to prevent further uprisings.