Primary Source Document From MACKVIA
Henry IV was king of Germany during 1056-1105 and Holy Roman emperor during 1084-1105. He was the third Holy Roman emperor of the Salian (or Franconian) dynasty. Under his rule, the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic Church began a long struggle for supremacy in Europe. His reign was characterized by continual difficulties balancing his loyalties to his German nobles and to the papacy. He began the Investiture Controversy by insisting on his right, as a secular ruler, to choose bishops and other high Church officials.
Henry was the son of Holy Roman emperor Henry III and Agnes of Poitou. He was born on November 11, 1050, probably at Goslar in Saxony. His father died in 1056, and his mother served as regent on his behalf. His mother was not a strong ruler, and she was unable to ward off the hostility of nobles her husband had alienated. During her regency, various German nobles and Church officials seized power that had been held by the empire.
Henry was kidnapped in 1062 by Archbishop Anno of Cologne, who took over the regency from Agnes. Anno used that opportunity to seize imperial lands and funds. He also governed Germany and saw to Henry's education. Archbishop Adalbert of Hamburg-Bremen subsequently took over the regency and also used it to enrich himself. Henry came of age in 1065, but Adalbert refused to give up the power of the regency until Henry dismissed him the following year on the advice of other nobles.
The revolts in Saxony and other provinces that had been brewing during Henry's father's reign had broken out during the regency; Duke Godfrey of Lorraine and his Tuscan allies continued to cause problems. Henry had to regain control of those areas. He worked to centralize German government, which the various local rulers opposed bitterly. He tried to make peace with the Saxon nobles at Gerstungen in 1074 but finally had to overthrow Saxony with an army in 1075. That brought about a temporary peace, but the Saxon nobles continued to resent Henry's power.
Henry then set to work restoring the empire's power in Italy, but the pope would not cooperate. Gregory VII became pope in 1073. He soon forbade investiture by laymen; bishops were thereafter to be appointed and maintained by the papacy, not by temporal rulers. Henry believed that he should have his father's power of lay investiture, which was the king's right to choose high church officials, but Gregory opposed this. Henry defied the pope and installed a new bishop in Milan. Gregory refused to acknowledge the new bishop and continued to support the old one. He threatened to depose Henry from his position as emperor.
Henry retaliated by summoning a council in Worms that declared Gregory deposed as pope in January of 1076. Gregory excommunicated Henry the following month, declared that he was no longer emperor, and told his subjects that they no longer had to be loyal to him. That was welcome news to the rebellious nobles in Saxony and other areas of Germany, who agreed in October that they would no longer recognize Henry as their ruler unless he sought absolution by February. Henry decided to seek absolution; he made the journey from his court to Rome, crossing the Alps. He met the pope in Canossa in January 1077 and was granted absolution.
The rebellious nobles still wanted to depose Henry. They elected their own ruler, Duke Rudolf of Swabia. That action precipitated a civil war in Germany. Pope Gregory was initially neutral, but in March 1080, he cast his lot with Rudolf. He once again excommunicated Henry and declared him deposed, acknowledging Rudolf as king. Henry's many supporters, including Italian and Germany bishops, refused to recognize Gregory's authority to do this. They declared that Gregory was deposed as pope and elected their own antipope, Clement III.
Rudolf died later that year, and Henry used this opportunity to retrieve his position. Henry marched on Italy in 1081, and after three years of fighting, installed Clement III as pope in 1084. Clement crowned him Holy Roman emperor. Henry then left Rome before former pope Gregory's Norman allies reached the city, plundered it, and then left with Gregory.
Back in Germany, Henry faced the wrath of his family; they thought that he had endangered the monarchy by deposing Gregory and supporting Clement. Henry had two wives during his life. His first wife, Bertha, bore him Conrad and Henry. He was married to his second wife, Praxedis of Kiev, from 1089 to the early 1090s.
Henry's elder son, Conrad, had been his successor before unsuccessfully rebelling against him. Henry's son Henry was then named his successor. However, he rebelled against him in 1104. Henry IV was placed in prison and forced to abdicate in 1105. His son Henry declared himself King Henry V. Henry IV escaped from prison in 1106 and found many supporters, but died soon afterward in Liège, Lorraine on August 7, 1106.
Further Reading
Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/); Heer, Friedrich, Holy Roman Empire, 2002.
MLA Citation
Blackwell, Amy Hackney. "Henry IV." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Henry IV was king of Germany during 1056-1105 and Holy Roman emperor during 1084-1105. He was the third Holy Roman emperor of the Salian (or Franconian) dynasty. Under his rule, the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic Church began a long struggle for supremacy in Europe. His reign was characterized by continual difficulties balancing his loyalties to his German nobles and to the papacy. He began the Investiture Controversy by insisting on his right, as a secular ruler, to choose bishops and other high Church officials.
Henry was the son of Holy Roman emperor Henry III and Agnes of Poitou. He was born on November 11, 1050, probably at Goslar in Saxony. His father died in 1056, and his mother served as regent on his behalf. His mother was not a strong ruler, and she was unable to ward off the hostility of nobles her husband had alienated. During her regency, various German nobles and Church officials seized power that had been held by the empire.
Henry was kidnapped in 1062 by Archbishop Anno of Cologne, who took over the regency from Agnes. Anno used that opportunity to seize imperial lands and funds. He also governed Germany and saw to Henry's education. Archbishop Adalbert of Hamburg-Bremen subsequently took over the regency and also used it to enrich himself. Henry came of age in 1065, but Adalbert refused to give up the power of the regency until Henry dismissed him the following year on the advice of other nobles.
The revolts in Saxony and other provinces that had been brewing during Henry's father's reign had broken out during the regency; Duke Godfrey of Lorraine and his Tuscan allies continued to cause problems. Henry had to regain control of those areas. He worked to centralize German government, which the various local rulers opposed bitterly. He tried to make peace with the Saxon nobles at Gerstungen in 1074 but finally had to overthrow Saxony with an army in 1075. That brought about a temporary peace, but the Saxon nobles continued to resent Henry's power.
Henry then set to work restoring the empire's power in Italy, but the pope would not cooperate. Gregory VII became pope in 1073. He soon forbade investiture by laymen; bishops were thereafter to be appointed and maintained by the papacy, not by temporal rulers. Henry believed that he should have his father's power of lay investiture, which was the king's right to choose high church officials, but Gregory opposed this. Henry defied the pope and installed a new bishop in Milan. Gregory refused to acknowledge the new bishop and continued to support the old one. He threatened to depose Henry from his position as emperor.
Henry retaliated by summoning a council in Worms that declared Gregory deposed as pope in January of 1076. Gregory excommunicated Henry the following month, declared that he was no longer emperor, and told his subjects that they no longer had to be loyal to him. That was welcome news to the rebellious nobles in Saxony and other areas of Germany, who agreed in October that they would no longer recognize Henry as their ruler unless he sought absolution by February. Henry decided to seek absolution; he made the journey from his court to Rome, crossing the Alps. He met the pope in Canossa in January 1077 and was granted absolution.
The rebellious nobles still wanted to depose Henry. They elected their own ruler, Duke Rudolf of Swabia. That action precipitated a civil war in Germany. Pope Gregory was initially neutral, but in March 1080, he cast his lot with Rudolf. He once again excommunicated Henry and declared him deposed, acknowledging Rudolf as king. Henry's many supporters, including Italian and Germany bishops, refused to recognize Gregory's authority to do this. They declared that Gregory was deposed as pope and elected their own antipope, Clement III.
Rudolf died later that year, and Henry used this opportunity to retrieve his position. Henry marched on Italy in 1081, and after three years of fighting, installed Clement III as pope in 1084. Clement crowned him Holy Roman emperor. Henry then left Rome before former pope Gregory's Norman allies reached the city, plundered it, and then left with Gregory.
Back in Germany, Henry faced the wrath of his family; they thought that he had endangered the monarchy by deposing Gregory and supporting Clement. Henry had two wives during his life. His first wife, Bertha, bore him Conrad and Henry. He was married to his second wife, Praxedis of Kiev, from 1089 to the early 1090s.
Henry's elder son, Conrad, had been his successor before unsuccessfully rebelling against him. Henry's son Henry was then named his successor. However, he rebelled against him in 1104. Henry IV was placed in prison and forced to abdicate in 1105. His son Henry declared himself King Henry V. Henry IV escaped from prison in 1106 and found many supporters, but died soon afterward in Liège, Lorraine on August 7, 1106.
Further Reading
Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/); Heer, Friedrich, Holy Roman Empire, 2002.
MLA Citation
Blackwell, Amy Hackney. "Henry IV." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.