Ottonian dynasty

Not to be confused withOttoman Empire.

House of Otto
Country	Duchy of Saxony,Kingdom of Germany,Holy Roman Empire
Founded	9th century:Liudolf, Duke of Saxony
Final ruler	Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Titles	Holy Roman Emperor King of the Romans King of Germany
Dissolution	1024 (after the death of Emperor Henry II)
Cadet branches	Brunonids House of Savoy

Depiction of the Ottonian family tree in a 13th-century manuscript of theChronica Sancti Pantaleonis.The founder of the dynastyLiudolf, Duke of Saxonyis at the top center.

TheOttonian dynasty(German:Ottonen) was aSaxondynasty ofGerman monarchs(919–1024), named after three of its kings andHoly Roman Emperorsnamed Otto, especially its first EmperorOtto I.It is also known as theSaxon dynastyafter the family's origin in the Germanstem duchyofSaxony.The family itself is also sometimes known as theLiudolfings(Liudolfinger), after its earliest known member CountLiudolf(d. 866) and one of its most common given names. The Ottonian rulers were successors of the Germanic kingConrad I,who was the only Germanic king to rule inEast Franciaafter theCarolingian dynastyand before this dynasty.

The Ottonians are associated with the notable military success that transformed the political situation in contemporary Western Europe: "It was the success of the Ottonians in molding the raw materials bequeathed to them into a formidable military machine that made possible the establishment of Germany as the preeminent kingdom in Europe from the tenth through the mid-thirteenth century." They are also associated with a notable cultural movement (especially new literary traditions) known as theOttonian Renaissance.

After the end of Ottonian rule in 1024, theSalian dynastywent on to occupy the Imperial throne for just over a century, until 1125.

Origins

Gandersheim Abbey Church

In the 9th century, the Saxon count Liudolf held large estates on theLeineriver west of theHarzmountain range and in the adjacentEichsfeldterritory ofThuringia.His ancestors probably acted asministerialesin the Saxon stem duchy, which had been incorporated into theCarolingian Empireafter theSaxon WarsofCharlemagne.The family's substantial holdings in Thuringia suggest that they originated from that region, and their Saxon lands may have been granted as a reward for their service to the Carolingians.Liudolf married Oda, a member of the Frankish House ofBillung.About 852 the couple together with BishopAltfrid of Hildesheimfounded Brunshausen Abbey, which, once relocated toGandersheim,rose to a family monastery and burial ground.

Liudolf already held the high social position of a Saxondux,documented by the marriage of his daughterLiutgardwithLouis the Younger,son of the Carolingian kingLouis the Germanin 869. Liudolf's sonsBrunoandOtto the Illustriousruled over large parts of SaxonEastphalia,moreover, Otto acted as lay abbot of theImperial abbey of Hersfeldwith large estates in Thuringia. He marriedHedwiga,a daughter of theBabenbergdukeHenry of Franconia.Otto possibly accompanied KingArnulfon his 894 campaign toItaly;the marriage of his daughter Oda withZwentibold,Arnulf's illegitimate son, documents the efforts of the Carolingian ruler to win the mighty Saxon dynasty over as an ally. According to the Saxon chroniclerWidukind of Corvey,Otto upon the death of the last Carolingian kingLouis the Childin 911 was already a candidate for the East Frankish crown, which however passed to theFranconiandukeConrad I.

Upon Otto's death in 912, his sonHenry the Fowlersucceeded him asDuke of Saxony.Henry had marriedMatilda of Ringelheim,a descendant of the legendary Saxon rulerWidukindand heiress to extended estates inWestphalia.

Ottonian kings and emperors

German royal dynasties
Ottonian dynasty
Chronology
Henry I	919 – 936
Otto I	936 – 973
Otto II	973 – 983
Otto III	983 – 1002
Henry II	1002 – 1024
Family
Ottonian dynasty family tree Family tree of the German monarchs Category:Ottonian dynasty
Succession
Preceded byConradine dynasty
Followed bySalian dynasty

The Ottonian rulers of East Francia, the German kingdom, and the Holy Roman Empire were:

• Henry the Fowler(Henry I), Duke of Saxony from 912, King of East Francia from 919 until 936
• Otto I,the Great,Duke of Saxony and King of East Francia from 936, King of Italy from 951, Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until 973
• Otto II,co-ruler from 961, Holy Roman Emperor from 967, sole ruler from 973 until 983
• Otto III,King of the Romans from 983, Holy Roman Emperor from 996 until 1002
• Henry II,the Saint,Duke of Bavaria from 995 (as Henry IV), King of the Romans from 1002, King of Italy from 1004, Holy Roman Emperor from 1002 until 1024

Henry I

Although never Emperor, Henry the Fowler was arguably the founder of the imperial dynasty. While East Francia under the rule of the last Carolingian kings was ravaged byHungarian invasions,he was chosen to beprimus inter paresamong the German dukes. ElectedRex Francorumin May 919, Henry abandoned the claim to dominate the whole disintegrating Carolingian Empire and, unlike his predecessor Conrad I, succeeded in gaining the support of theFranconian,Bavarian,SwabianandLotharingiandukes. In 933 he led a German army to victory over the Hungarian forces at theBattle of Riadeand campaigned both the land of thePolabian Slavsand theDuchy of Bohemia.Because he had assimilated so much power through his conquest, he was able to transfer power to his second sonOtto I.

Otto I

Former collegiate church of St. Servatius inQuedlinburg,founded in 936 by King Otto I, at the request of his mother Queen Matilda, in honor of her late husband, Otto's father, King Henry the Fowler, and as his memorial

Otto I, Duke of Saxony upon the death of his father in 936, was elected king within a few weeks. He continued the work of unifying all of the German tribes into a single kingdom, greatly expanding the powers of the king at the expense of the aristocracy.Through strategic marriages and personal appointments, he installed members of his own family in the kingdom's most important duchies. This, however, did not prevent his relatives from entering into civil war: both Otto's brother DukeHenry of Bavariaand his son DukeLiudolf of Swabiarevolted against his rule. Otto was able to suppress their uprisings, in consequence, the various dukes, who had previously been co-equals with the king, were reduced to royal subjects under the king's authority. Otto's decisive victory over the Magyars at theBattle of Lechfeldin 955 ended the threat of Hungarian invasions and secured his hold over his kingdom.

The defeat of thepaganMagyars earned King Otto the reputation as the savior ofChristendomand theepithet"the Great". He transformed theChurch in Germanyinto a kind ofproprietary churchand major royal power base to which he donated charity and for the creation of which his family was responsible. By 961, Otto had conquered theKingdom of Italy,which was a troublesome inheritance that none wanted, and extended his kingdom's borders to the north, east, and south. In control of much of central and southern Europe, the patronage of Otto and his immediate successors caused alimited cultural renaissanceof the arts and architecture. He confirmed the 754Donation of Pepinand, with recourse to the concept oftranslatio imperiiin the succession ofCharlemagne,proceeded toRometo have himself crowned Holy Roman Emperor byPope John XIIin 962. He even reached a settlement with theByzantineemperorJohn I Tzimiskesby marrying his son and heirOtto IIto John's nieceTheophanu.In 968 he established theArchbishopric of Magdeburgat his long-time residence.

Otto II

Co-ruler with his father since 961 and crowned emperor in 967, Otto II ascended the throne at the age of 18. By excluding the Bavarian line of Ottonians from the line of succession, he strengthened Imperial authority and secured his own son's succession to the Imperial throne. During his reign, Otto II attempted to annex the whole of Italy into the Empire, bringing him into conflict with the Byzantine emperor and with theSaracensof theFatimid Caliphate.His campaign against the Saracens ended in 982 with a disastrous defeat at theBattle of Stilo.Moreover, in 983 Otto II experienced aGreat Slav Risingagainst his rule.

Otto II died in 983 at the age of 28 after a ten-year reign. Succeeded by his three-year-old sonOtto IIIas king, his sudden death plunged the Ottonian dynasty into crisis. During her regency for Otto III, the Byzantine princess Theophanu abandoned her late husband's imperialistic policy and devoted herself entirely to furthering her own agenda in Italy.

Otto III

When Otto III came of age, he concentrated on securing the rule in the Italian domains, installing his confidantsBruno of CarinthiaandGerbert of Aurillacas Popes. In 1000 he made a pilgrimage to theCongress of GnieznoinPoland,establishing theArchdiocese of Gnieznoand confirming the royal status of thePiastrulerBolesław I the Brave.Expelled from Rome in 1001, Otto III died at age 21 the next year, without an opportunity to reconquer the city.

Henry II

Detail from the monument to Emperor Henry II, built over his tomb inBamberg Cathedralmore than 350 years after his death

The childless Otto III was succeeded by Henry II, a son of DukeHenry II of Bavariaand his wifeGisela of Burgundy,thereby a member of the Bavarian line of the Ottonians. Duke of Bavaria since 995, he was crowned king on 7 June 1002. Henry II spent the first years of his rule consolidating his political power on the borders of the German kingdom. He waged several campaigns against Bolesław I of Poland and then moved successfully to Italy where he was crowned emperor byPope Benedict VIIIon 14 February 1014. He reinforced his rule by endowing and founding numerous dioceses, such as theBishopric of Bambergin 1007, intertwining the secular and ecclesiastical authority over the Empire. Henry II wascanonizedbyPope Eugene IIIin 1146.

As his marriage withCunigunde of Luxembourgremained childless, the Ottonian dynasty became extinct with the death of Henry II in 1024. The crown passed toConrad IIof theSalian dynasty,great-grandson ofLiutgarde,a daughter of Otto I, and the Salian dukeConrad the Red of Lorraine.When KingRudolph III of Burgundydied without heirs on 2 February 1032, Conrad II successfully claimed also this kingship on the basis of an inheritance Emperor Henry II had extorted from the former in 1006, having invadedBurgundyto enforce his claim after Rudolph attempted to renounce it in 1016.

Ottonian rulership

Historians have written extensively about how the Ottonian kings and emperors ruled their lands.For some historians, following in the wake of Karl Leyser, Ottonian government was primarily conducted through oral and ritual means, in which the written word took a back seat.Other historians, such as David Bachrach, have argued strongly for the continuing use of writing in administering the Ottonians' far-flung lands.Attention has recently focused on how the rulers took advantage of their royal estates, known as the fisc.

Family tree

Detailed Ottonian Dynasty Family tree
The colors denote themonarchsfrom the Houses of: - Ottonian (919–1024) -Salian(1024–1125) Otto I the Illustrious Duke of Saxony c.851–912 r.880–912 Hedwiga of Babenberg ≈856–903 Matilda of Ringelheim c. 895–968 Henry I the Fowler King of Germany 876–936 r.919–936 Hatheburg Gilbert Duke of Lorraine c.890–939 r.915–939 Gerberga of Saxony c.913–984? Louis IV King of the Franks 920–954 r.936–954 Bruno the Great Archb. of Cologne 925–965 r.953–965 Thankmar ≈908–938 Hugh the Great Duke of the Franks 898–956 Hedwig of Saxony c.910–965 Eadgyth of England 910–946 Otto I the Great King of Germany 912–973 r.936–973 HRE r.962–973 Adelaide of Italy 931–999 Henry I Duke of Bavaria 919/921–955 948–955 Judith of Bavaria 925–≈985 Hugh Capet King of the Franks c.941–996 r.987–996 Liudolf Duke of Swabia c.930–957 r.950–957 Liutgarde 931–953 Conrad Duke of Lorraine c.922–955 r.944–955 William Archb. of Mainz 929–968 r.954–968 Otto II the Red King of Germany 955–983 r.961–983 HRE r.967–983 Theophanu c.955–991 Bruno 954–957? Matilda Abbess of Quedlinburg 954–999 r.966–999 Henry II the Wrangler Duke of Bavaria 951–995 Gisela of Burgundy d.1006 Otto I Duke of Carinthia ≈948–1004 Judith of Carinthia d.991 Sophia I Abbess of Gandersheim 975–1039 r.1001–1039 Adelaide I Abbess of Quedlinburg 977–1044 r.999–1044 Matilda of Germany 979–1025 Ezzo Count Palatine of Lotharingia ≈955–1034 r.1015–1034 Otto III King of Germany 980–1002 r.983–1002 HRE r.996–1002 Cunigunde of Luxembourg c.975–1040 Henry II King of Germany 973–1024 r.1002–1024 HRE r.1014–1024 Henry of Speyer 965/970– 989/992 Adelaide of Alsace d.1039/1046? Conrad II King of Germany 990–1039 r.1024–1039 HRE r.1027–1039
Notes: For further detailed dynastic relationships, see alsoFamily tree of the German monarchs.

Other notable members

Ottonian family tree

• Liudolf,Count of Saxony, died in either 864/866
• SaintAltfrid, Bishop of Hildesheim,died in 874
• Otto the Illustrious,Duke of Saxony, died in 912
• Gerberga of Saxony,died in 954
• Henry I, Duke of Bavaria,died in 955
• Liudolf, Duke of Swabia,died in 957
• Hedwige of Saxony,died in 965
• Bruno I, Archbishop of Cologneand Duke of Lotharingia, died in 965
• William, Archbishop of Mainz,died in 968
• Mathilde, Abbess of Essen,ruled from 973-1011
• Matilda, Abbess of Quedlinburg,died in 999
• Adelheid I, Abbess of Quedlinburg,died in 1044
• Matilda of Germany, Countess Palatine of Lotharingia,ruled from 979-1025
• Otto, Duke of Swabia and Bavaria,died in 982
• Henry II, Duke of Bavaria,the Wrangler, died in 995
• Bruno, Bishop of Augsburg,died in 1029
• QueenGisela of Hungary,died in 1065

See also

• Ottonian Renaissance
• Ottonian art
• Ottonian architecture
• Concordat of Worms

Bibliography

• Bachrach, D. S. (December 2010). "The Written Word in Carolingian-Style Fiscal Administration under King Henry I, 919-936".German History.28(4): 399–423.doi:10.1093/gerhis/ghq108.
• Bachrach, David S. (2014).Warfare in Tenth-Century Germany.Boydell & Brewer.ISBN978-1-84383-927-9.
• Bachrach, David S (April 2011). "Early Ottonian Warfare: The Perspective from Corvey".Journal of Military History.75(2): 393–409.
• Leyser, Karl (1981). "Ottonian government".The English Historical Review.96(381): 721–753.doi:10.1093/ehr/XCVI.CCCLXXXI.721.JSTOR569838.
• Middleton, John (2015).World Monarchies and Dynasties.doi:10.4324/9781315698014.ISBN978-1-317-45158-7.
• Leyser, Karl (1979).Rule and conflict in an early medieval society: Ottonian Saxony.Edward Arnold.hdl:2027/heb01063.0001.001.ISBN978-0-7131-6218-9.
• Ranft, P. (2003).Women in Western Intellectual Culture, 600–1500.Springer.ISBN978-0-230-10825-7.
• Wangerin, Laura (January 2017). "The governance of Ottonian Germany in historiographical perspective: Governance of Ottonian Germany".History Compass.15(1): e12367.doi:10.1111/hic3.12367.
• West, Charles (2019). "Royal estates, confiscation and the politics of land in the kingdom of Otto I".Biens publics, biens du roi.Seminari del Centro interuniversitario per la storia e l'archeologia dell'alto medioevo. Vol. 9. pp. 157–177.doi:10.1484/M.SCISAM-EB.5.118742.ISBN978-2-503-58645-8.S2CID214096327.