|
East Germany Salian Dynasty, 1024 - 1125
After the death of Henry II in 1024, the crown passed to the
Salians, a Frankish tribe. The German monarchy established itself
as a major European power under the Salian emperors. The main
Salian accomplishment was the development of a permanent
administrative system based on a class of public officials who
served the crown. Salian rule was challenged in 1075 by the
Investiture Controversy, a papal-imperial struggle in which Pope
Gregory VII demanded that the Salian king Henry IV renounce his
rights over the German church. The pope further attacked the
concept of monarchy by divine right and gained the support of
significant elements of the German nobility interested in
delimiting imperial absolutism. Henry was forced to journey to
Canossa in northern Italy to do penance and receive absolution
from the pope. He resumed the practice of lay investiture,
however, and had an antipope elected.
The papal-imperial struggle resulted in civil war, which
ravaged the German lands from 1077 until the issue was resolved
by the Concordat of Worms in 1122. Control of Italy was lost, and
the crown became dependent on the political support of competing
aristocratic factions. Feudalism advanced rapidly as freemen
sought protection by swearing allegiance to a lord. The princes,
having thereby acquired extensive territories and large military
retinues, took over administration within their territories and
organized it around an increasing number of castles. Hence the
foundations of the territorial particularism characteristic of
subsequent German history were laid during the civil wars. The
ultimate result was the monarchy's loss of pre-eminence.
Data as of July 1987
|
