Succession Crisis of Lothair III (1137)

Name: Succession Crisis of Lothair III (1137)
Start: 1137
End: 1138

Type Event Region Germany Time 1137–1138

Lothair III died in December 1137 returning north from Italy, sparking a fierce succession struggle;…

Timeline

1137Breitenwang · TyrolLothair III died in Tyrol while returning north from his second Italian expedition; the imperial regalia and seal were held by his son-in-law Henry the Proud, and the succession to the German throne was suddenly in doubt.
1137–1138Germany · GermanyThe Welf faction nominated Henry the Proud as successor while the Hohenstaufen faction backed Conrad III. Henry refused to hand over the regalia and acted arrogantly; the princes' assembly split, and the succession of the Duchy of Saxony also became a disputed focus.

Germany in the High Middle Ages: c.1050–1200 — Horst Fuhrmann (1986)
The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume 4: c.1024–c.1198 — David Luscombe (ed.) (2004)