Christian Europe—Holy Roman Empire
912 to 1500
Henry the Fowler to Maximilian I
Era Summary Characters Timeline Reading Assignments
Timeline—Holy Roman Empire
| AD Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 962 | The imperial coronation of Otto I by Pope John XII in St Peter's puts in place the formal role of a Holy Roman emperor |
| 1024 | Conrad II is elected as the German king, beginning the dynasty variously known as Franconian or Salian |
| 1075 | Pope Gregory VII decrees that only the church may make ecclesiastical appointments, thus initiating the investiture controversy between pope and emperor |
| 1077 | The emperor Henry IV stands as a penitent outside the pope's castle at Canossa, so as to be released from excommunication. |
| 1138 | Conrad III, is elected as the first Hohenstaufen King of Germany. The title remains in the family for over a century. |
| 1152 | Frederick Barbarossa becomes king of Germany and Holy Roman emperor, greatly extending the power of the empire during a long reign |
| 1197 | The three-year old Frederick II has a claim to the thrones of both Sicily and Germany on the death of his father, the emperor Henry VI |
| 1220 | Frederick II is crowned Holy Roman emperor by a somewhat reluctant pope, Honorius III |
| 1254 | The death of the last Hohenstaufen ruler, Conrad IV, leaves a vacancy on the German throne which is not filled for nineteen years |
| 1260 | The Bohemian prince Otakar II, ruler also of Austria, extends his territories after defeating the Hungarians at Kressenbrunn |
| 1273 | The period without a German king, known as the Great Interregnum, ends with the election of a Habsburg prince, Rudolf I |
| 1278 | At Durnkrut Rudolf I defeats and kills Otakar II, his rival for Austria - thus bringing the Austrian territories into the Habsburg domain |
| 1346 | Charles IV, king of Bohemia, German king and Holy Roman emperor, makes Prague a glittering centre of learning and architecture |
| 1356 | Charles IV establishes a permanent group of seven electors - four hereditary German rulers and the archbishops of Mainz, Cologne and Trier |
| 1438 | The office of Holy Roman emperor becomes a hereditary title within the Habsburg dynasty |
| 1477 | Maximilian I weds Mary of Burgandy, in the first of the great marriage alliances which form the Habsburg empire |
| 1496 | Philip of Hapsburg marries Joanna of Castile. Their son Charles V reigned over both Spanish and Austrian Hapsburg Empires. |
Recommended Reading—Holy Roman Empire
Read chapters from "core" texts before reviewing study questions.
Core Reading Assignments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Marshall - The History of Germany | Henry the Fowler to Maximilian I (32) | |
Supplemental Recommendations | ||
| Aston - Stories from German History | Rise of Three Kingdoms to The Aftermath (4) | |
| Lansing - Patriots and Tyrants | Henry the Fowler to The Men of the Forest Cantons (4) | |
| Marshall - The Story of Europe | The Feudal System to Pope versus Emperor (4) | |
| Morris - Historical Tales: German | The Misfortunes of Duke Ernst to The Siege of Belgrade (15) | |
| Upton - The Swiss Heroes | entire book | |
| Upton - Barbarossa | entire book | |
| Pyle - Otto of the Silver Hand | entire book | |
Easy Reading Selections | ||
| Finnemore - Germany: Peeps at History | The German Tribes to The Seven Electors (6) | |
| Haaren - Famous Men of the Middle Ages | Henry the Fowler to Frederick Barbarossa (2) | |
| Marshall - Stories of William Tell Told to the Children | entire book | |