Kingdoms of Germany - Holy Roman Empire

Saxon Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire (Kings of Germany) (Central Europe)
AD 962 - 1024

The Holy Roman empire had a tortuous and complex history. Its origins lay in the Merovingian Frankish empire which was divided and reunified several times. Eventually this was formally divided into what would later become medieval France and the Holy Roman empire. The early eighth century AD saw the rise of the Carolingians. A palace usurpation took place, with the full backing of the Pope, in which the Carolingian mayor of the palace, Pepin III, took over.

However, it was his son, Charles, later known as Charles 'the Great', or Charlemagne, who really reversed Frankish fortunes and created a vast European empire. Shortly after he had completed his conquest of much of the Germanic-speaking lands by defeating the mighty Saxons, in AD 800 he was crowned 'Roman Emperor' by Pope Leo III. The rule of Charlemagne laid the foundations of future monarchies in Western Europe and Central Europe.

Following his death, during the governance of the Frankish Roman emperors, the Treaty of Verdun in 843 confirmed the official division of the empire between Charlemagne's surviving three grandsons, into the Western Franks, Eastern Franks, and Middle Franks. These kingdoms would, in time, provide the basis for the modern nation states of France, Germany, and Italy respectively.

Overall control in the east was labelled the Holy Roman empire, with a series of individually-ruled territories below the figure of the emperor himself. Five stem duchies also emerged at the same time in German lands, all of which were powerful divisions of the old territory of East Francia, and these were Bavaria, Franconia, Saxony, Swabia, and Thuringia.

With the accession of the Saxon king of Germany, Otto I, the power of the Germanic Roman empire was confirmed, subsuming previous names including East Francia and, to an extent, the 'Kingdom of Germany'. Carolingian Italy was also under their mastery as was Corsica, restored to full imperial control. This was the true beginning of a Holy Roman empire which was centred on Germany, as opposed to the Frankish-centric empire from which it sprang.

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information from Sword, Miter, and Cloister: Nobility and the Church in Burgundy, 980-1198, Constance Brittain Bouchard (New York 1987), from Noble Strategies in an Early Modern Small State: The Mahuet of Lorraine, Charles T Lipp, from The History of the Franks, Volume II, Gregory of Tours (O M Dalton, Trans, 1967), from From Roman Provinces to Medieval Kingdoms, Thomas F X Noble, from Popular Revolt, Dynastic Politics, and Aristocratic Factionalism in the Early Middle Ages: The Saxon Stellinga Reconsidered, Eric J Goldberg (Speculum, Vol 70, No 3, Jul 1995), from The Annals of Fulda (Timothy Reuter (Trans), Manchester Medieval Series, Ninth-Century Histories, Volume II, 1992), from Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians 751-987, R McKitterick (1983), and from External Links: the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, and from Encyclopaedia.com, and Cranach Digital Archive (in German and English), and Special Collections (University of Arizona), and Saints website, and Otto's Reign in Italy (Stories Preschool).)

962 - 974

Otto I

Succeeded Germanic rulers. King & duke of the Saxons.

963

Following on from a previous appeal from Pope Agapetus II to free the papacy from outside control, Otto has Pope John accused in an ecclesiastical court. The pope is deposed and replaced, but manages to mutilate Otto's representatives in the city and has himself reinstated, albeit temporarily.

Otto I accepts the surrender of Berengar of Ivrea in 961 to become undisputed German emperor, shown in this early thirteenth century text called the Manuscriptum Medioalense

967

Emperor Otto I repairs relationships with the republic of Venice. In 966 the doge of Venice, Peitro IV, marries a relative of Otto's, strengthening ties.

In the following year Otto grants Venice a general series of commercial agreements, with Pietro's family particularly benefiting. These agreements further strengthen Venice's ties to the west, which greatly angers the soon-to-be Eastern Roman emperor, John I Tzimisces, as Venice controls all sea trade between Western Europe and the Roman Levant in the east.

Germany in AD 962 may have had its new emperor to govern those territories which are shown within the dark black line, but it was still a patchwork of competing interests and power bases (click or tap on map to view full sized)

973 - 983

Otto II 'the Red'

Son. Co-emperor from 967. Suppressed revolts.

976

Henry 'the Quarrelsome', duke of Bavaria, rebels against Emperor Otto II. As a result, Henry is deprived of his Bavarian title and possessions. Otto I, duke of Swabia is created duke of Bavaria in his place, easily done as Swabia and Bavaria neighbour each other.

Carinthia is formally separated from Bavaria by Otto II and made a duchy in its own right - one of many large-scale reorganisations of German lands which also involves the creation of the stem duchies. Otto's ally in Venice is killed by the populace though.

978

The foreign policy of Lothair V of France drives Otto II to invade Lorraine. The king manages to repulse him, aided by Hugh Capet, count of Paris. In return, Lothair later tries to destabilise the Holy Roman empire when Otto's infant son succeeds to the throne.

The thick forest of the Ardennes formed part of the medieval county of Ardennes, with this region also gaining Luxembourg in 963, another county in the making

980

Notger, a former Benedictine monk of Swabian descent, is appointed by Otto as the first prince-bishop of Liège (see feature link), a tactic to keep out the Carolingian king of the Western Franks who claims the 'Land of Liège' and surrounding regions for his own state.

Bishop Notger is supporting the rebellious local nobility in the diocese which is not prepared to accept the authority of the German kings without putting up some sort of resistance.

982

The Kalbids, raiding into south-western Italy from their emirate on Sicily, are confronted by an army which is led by Otto II. The Kalbid forces prove their power at this time by defeating their opponents in battle near Crotone in Calabria.

Otto I, duke of Swabia, is amongst the defeated nobles, but he is able to escape a subsequent Arab ambush. The duke is selected to take the news of the defeat back to Germany but dies en route.

The chapel of San Cataldo in Palermo was built by the Saracen rulers of Sicily, operating as a mosque before its conversion into a Christian chapel

983

The Slavic revolt of the marches sees the Polabian Slavs, plus the Lutici and Obotrite tribes, on the east bank of the Elbe rise up against German overlordship.

Faced with a drive to convert them to Christianity as a way of integrating them into the German empire, they take the rare act of organising under Lutici leadership and destroy several churches and settlements. The Saxons are only just able to defend the line of the Elbe, but their 'March of the Billungs' and the North March are lost.

In the same year, while an initial embargo has shown little effect on Venice, Otto II imposes a second embargo which deals considerable damage to the Venetian economy. The effects are disastrous enough to cause the ruling Venetian families to surrender to Otto, but his untimely death in the very same year prevents that from taking place.

Stettin in Pomerania was for a brief time controlled by Poland during one of that state's many forays into Pomeranian lands in an attempt to control the pagan natives (and possibly also to block similar German incursions)

983 - 1002

Otto III

Son. Established archbishopric in Poland.

983 - 991

Theophanu

Mother, empress and regent. Died.

1000

On 7-15 March the 'Congress of Gniezno' (the capital of Poland) is held. Otto III establishes an archbishopric in Gniezno with three new bishoprics in Krakow (Cracow) for Little Poland, Wroclaw for Silesia, and Kolobrzeg for Pomerania, plus the reaffirmation of the old bishopric in Poznan.

1001 - 1002

Having taken direct control of Rome in 998, Otto's dream of recreating a Roman empire which is united with the Papacy now falls apart when the people of Rome revolt against him and force him from the city. He dies on the way back to the city with an army.

A personification of the early Wends was presented by a gospel book of 990 which showed them as the Sclavinia (early Slavs, of which the westernmost groups were known as Wends), plus Germania, Gallia, and Roma, all of whom were bringing tribute to Holy Roman Emperor Otto III

1002 - 1024

Henry II 'the Saint'

Cousin. Duke Henry IV of Bavaria. Last Ottonian.

1002

Swabia loses Alsace, which is separated from it by Henry II following Duke Herman's opposition to his accession as king and emperor. Herman had seen himself as a suitable candidate for the title and the two houses are now implacable enemies.

Also in 1002, it has become apparent that a ruling duke of Burgundy has failed to produce an heir. However, Duke Otto-Henry does have a stepson by his first wife, Gerberga of Mâcon, widow of Adalbert II of Italy.

It is this man, Otto William, who succeeds him, but the supporters of Robert II 'the Pious' of Capetian France see an opportunity to oppose him. A two year war of succession results, with the duchy being permanently divided in 1004.

The 'Free County of Burgundy' largely incorporates territory from the kingdom of Burgundy on the east bank of the Saône, but a small portion of the duchy of Burgundy in the north - on the western bank of the Saône - is also incorporated into it.

A medieval map of the city of Paris in the tenth century AD under the rule of Hugh Capet, although by this time Paris had declined from its two periods of greatness under the Romans and the Merovingians, although this map clearly shows the importance of the island at the city's heart

Ultimate control is vested in the kings of Germany and their successors (following the death of its current holder, Otto William, count of Mâcon and Nevers and the new duke of Burgundy). The remainder of the duchy is annexed to France by Robert 'the Pious'.

1009

The annals of the town of Quedlinburg in Germany report the arrival of Saint Brunon, known more normally as Bonifatius, on missionary work among the Prussians. His attempt ends in failure, and it is believed he is killed together with his eighteen companions somewhere in the vicinity of the Lithuanian border (the first mention of 'Lithuania' in written sources).

1015

The Gisonen are a powerful regional family in Hesse which provides the county's titular heads (see feature link). The names of the counts of Gudensberg ('Comes de Udenesberc' in Latin) are largely known, but their order of succession is relatively unclear. They now become advocates of the empire thanks to Henry II.

A general view of Gudensberg, with the Castle Hill prominent, and Fritzlar in the background from the Sciographia Cosmica, printed between 1637-1678

1018

A peace treaty is signed in Budziszyn with Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II 'the Saint'), ratifying Poland's control over Lusatia and Meissen (as well as Galicia).

In the same year, Germany and Hungary support an expedition against Kyiv, and Boleslaw defeats his son-in-law's enemy there, taking over 'Grody Czerwieńskie'. This is possibly the Cherven towns which include the town of Peremyshl of the Lyachs which had been conquered by St Vladimir 'the Great' of the Rus in 981.

1024

Cunigunde / Kinigundis

Widow of Henry II. Daughter of Sigfried of Luxemburg. Regent.

1024

Dietrich

Brother and co-regent.

1024

Heinrich

Brother and co-regent.

1024

With the death of Henry II, the empire is administered by his widow, Cunigunde. She has long been politically active at Henry's side and now, with the assistance of her brothers, Dietrich and Heinrich, she manages the regency period for about two months until the vacancy on the throne is filled by Conrad 'the Salian'.

The River Lahn ran through the gau or district of the same name, forming an important part of the origins of medieval Hesse even though, in the eighth century it was part of Rhenish Franconia (western Franconia)

Cunigunde hands over the imperial jewels to Conrad as a symbol of her legitimacy in office before retiring to Kaufungen Abbey, which she had previously founded in Hesse. The stage is set for the first of the 'Franconian Emperors'.