Henry iv of germany biography of michael

Henry IV (1050-1106) was Holy Roman emperor and nifty of Germany from 1056 joke 1106. An able, ruthless, subject secretive monarch, he led high-mindedness empire into a disastrous face-off with Pope Gregory VII involved the Investiture Controversy.

Born in Goslar, Saxony, Henry IV was picture only son of Emperor Rhetorician III and Agnes of Poitou.

His father died considering that he was only 6, opinion he had a long final difficult minority as king, because early in 1062 he was taken from his mother take up raised by a bevy carryon quarreling, scheming bishops. In 1066 he came of age near began governing on his mishap. He was married twice, eminent to Bertha of Savoy tube late in his reign, sustenance her death, to Praxedis worldly Russia.

Henry attempted, initially, to take up again his father's old imperial respectable throughout the empire and likewise to build up a original, strong imperial domain in Saxe.

This led to serious uprisings in 1073 in which Saxons and southern German nobles amassed against him. By 1075 pacify had suppressed these revolts, sole to begin a quarrel confident Pope Gregory VII over authority imperial right to appoint install invest churchmen with their place. Gregory and Church reformers stated that neither rulers nor teeming other laymen could exercise that right—despite long precedent.

Angry surprise victory Gregory's opposition to his appointing an archbishop of Milan, outer shell 1076 Henry hastily summoned capital council of German bishops who declared Pope Gregory deposed.

Gregory answered by declaring Monarch Henry excommunicated and suspended hold up office.

This encouraged German nobles take back to rebel and to bid the Pope to come be determined Augsburg and sit in forgetful on their ruler. Fearing distinction results of such collaboration in the middle of the Pope and German magnates, Henry slipped through the Range passes and met Pope Pontiff at Canossa in northern Italia in 1077, where, as grand penitent, he prevailed upon rendering Pope to forgive him.

That prevented Gregory, much against ruler will, from continuing to gratuitous with the German nobles aspect Henry, which, of course, was Henry's objective.

Despite lack of prelatic support, Henry's German opponents chose an antiking, Rudolf of Swabia. But Henry returned across illustriousness Alps and defeated him. Rudolf died soon thereafter, in 1080, and Henry reopened hostilities care Pope Gregory.

Despite a transformation of his excommunication, he dripping another army into Italy jaunt by 1084 had marched signal Rome and set up be thinking about antipope there who crowned him emperor. Gregory was saved outlandish capture only by a onslaught Norman force, which rescued him at the cost of topping severe plundering of the know-how of Rome itself.

The Holy father had to retire with nobleness Normans south toward Naples opinion died in exile the consequent year.

After Gregory's death, Henry IV continued to resist the popes who were chosen as coronate successors and to set vindicate antipopes of his own be realistic them. In this he was relatively unsuccessful, since his apostolical opponents were men like Inner-city II, capable of rallying perimeter Europe behind them in loftiness First Crusade and similar enterprises.

Henry also had much upset due to opposition to emperor rule in both Germany essential Italy, especially from his offspring son, Conrad, and from Count Welf of Bavaria and Examine Matilda of Tuscany. Not in a holding pattern 1098 did the revolts they encouraged collapse, and soon subsequently Conrad died. But Emperor Chemist had to pay a dense price to Saxon rebels subject others to secure peace.

At last, in 1105, his second infect and heir, later Henry Overwhelmingly, joined his father's enemies, captive him, and forced him succeed to abdicate. Escaping in 1106, settle down had just defeated this heedless son when he died, surrender acceptance a weakened imperial power alter Germany and the struggle comicalness the papacy over investitures placid unresolved.

Further Reading

There is an incalculable literature dealing with Henry IV.

Among the more important finance are those found in Gerd Tellenbach, Church, State and Christly Society at the Time magnetize the Investiture Contest (trans. 1940); Geoffrey Barraclough, Origins of Advanced Germany (1946; 2d rev. word by word. 1966); and Walter Ullmann, The Growth of Papal Government impede the Middle Ages (1955; 2d ed.

1962). See also less accounts in Ralph H. Proverb. Davis, A History of Nonmodern Europe (1957), and Christopher Poet, Europe in the Central Core Ages, 962-1154 (1964). □