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Otto IV

Type Figure Region Holy Roman Empire Time c. 1175–1218 Also known as Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor

A Welf King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor (crowned 1209); between 1211 and 1215 he fiercely contested imperial legitimacy with Pope Innocent III …

Timeline

  1. 1175–1198Brunswick · BrunswickSon of Henry the Lion, born into the Welf family long in rivalry with the Hohenstaufen dynasty, he grew up amid German princely politics and disputes over the imperial succession.
  2. 1198–1211Aachen · AachenElected King of Germany in 1198 with the support of Pope Innocent III, crowned emperor in Rome in 1209; he long contested recognition of the imperial title against Hohenstaufen Frederick II and the rival Philip faction.
  3. 1211–1215Rome · RomeAfter 1211 he lost the support of most princes due to deteriorating relations with the pope and military defeats; at the Battle of Bouvines in 1214 his ally England's King John was decisively defeated, and in 1215 the Fourth Lateran Council declared Otto deposed and recognized Frederick II as emperor.
  4. 1216–1218Harzburg · HarzAfter deposition he lost political influence, dying at Harzburg on 19 May 1218; the imperial title passed to Hohenstaufen Frederick II, and Welf power suffered a heavy blow.

Sources