- Also spelled:
- Lothair
- Born:
- early June 1075
- Died:
- Dec. 3/4, 1137, Breitenwang, now in Austria
- Title / Office:
- emperor (1133-1137), Holy Roman Empire
- king (1125-1137), Germany
Lothar II
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Who was Lothar II?
Lothar II, also known as Lothar III, was German King from 1125 to 1137 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. His election as king highlighted the importance of elective monarchy over hereditary succession, going against the Hohenstaufen family claims.
Son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, Lothar became Duke of Saxony after the death of Duke Magnus in 1106. Lothar supported King Henry V initially but later revolted against him from 1112 to 1115, defeating him in battle in 1115. As emperor, Lothar supported Innocent II as pope and was crowned in Rome in 1133. He launched military campaigns in Italy and against the Hohenstaufens in Germany, eventually making peace with them in 1135. Lothar also expanded German influence eastward, receiving declarations of vassalage from Denmark and Poland.
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When and where did Lothar II rule?
Lothar II (also known as Lothar III) was German King from 1125 to 1137 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. Born in early June 1075, he was the son of Gebhard, Count of Supplinburg. Lothar's election as king in 1125 underscored the principle of elective monarchy. Crowned in Aachen, he faced civil war with the Hohenstaufen brothers, Conrad and Frederick. In March 1131, he met Innocent II in Liège and marched into Italy in 1132–33, where he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in June 1133. Lothar died in Breitenwang, Austria, on December 3 or 4, 1137, while returning to Germany.
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What region of the Holy Roman Empire was under Lothar II's control?
The region under Lothar II's control within the Holy Roman Empire was Lorraine. By the Treaty of Verdun in 843, the medieval region of Lorraine became part of the realm of Lothar I. It then became known as Lotharingia. This area was contested by Germany and France after Lothar’s death, before coming under German control in 925. In 959, it was divided into Upper Lorraine and Lower Lorraine.
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What challenges did Lothar II face during his reign?
Lothar II, German king and Holy Roman emperor, faced several significant challenges during his reign. His election in 1125 underscored the principle of elective monarchy, setting him against the hereditary claims of the Hohenstaufen family. This disagreement led to civil war with Conrad and Frederick of Swabia, who maintained a fictitious title even after military defeats.
Lothar's involvement in a papal schism, supporting Innocent II against Anacletus II, led to his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor in 1133. Even so, conflict with the Hohenstaufen family continued after his return to Germany. Despite these internal conflicts, Lothar expanded German influence eastward, receiving oaths of fealty from Denmark and Poland. He also led a military campaign in Italy against Roger II of Sicily.
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Why was Lothar II's marriage and divorce controversial?
Lothar II's attempts to dissolve his marriage with Theutberga and marry his mistress, Waldrada, sparked significant controversy. His marriage to Theutberga in 855 was childless, leading Lothar to seek a divorce so he could legitimize his children with Waldrada.
Lothar accused Theutberga of incest, but after she was vindicated, he used subservient archbishops to dissolve the marriage and permit him to marry Waldrada in 862. Though a papal legate confirmed this decision, likely through bribery, Pope Nicholas I reversed it and deposed the archbishops. Although Pope Adrian II was more pliable, Lothar died in 869 on his way home after being received by the Pope.
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How did Lothar II's actions affect the politics of the Holy Roman Empire?
Lothar II's election as German king in 1125 underscored the principle of elective monarchy, contrasting with the hereditary succession claims of the Hohenstaufen family. Facing civil war with the Hohenstaufen brothers, Conrad and Frederick, Lothar's victories, such as the fall of Nüremberg and Speyer, weakened Hohenstaufen resistance.
His engagement with papal matters, supporting Innocent II, led to his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor in 1133. Further, Lothar's military actions extended German influence eastward, with Eric II of Denmark and Polish Prince Bolesław III recognizing his authority.
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Lothar II (or III) (born early June 1075—died Dec. 3/4, 1137, Breitenwang, now in Austria) was a German king (1125–37) and Holy Roman emperor (1133–37). He is reckoned as Lothar III by those who count not only Lothar I but also his son Lothar in their numeration of German kings. Lothar II’s election as king in 1125 represented a triumph for the principle of elective monarchy over that of hereditary succession, on which the claims of his Hohenstaufen opponents and their Salian predecessors were based.
Lothar, the son of Gebhard, count of Supplinburg, was born a few days before his father was killed in battle on June 9, 1075. He succeeded to extensive lands around Helmstedt, in Saxony, and in 1088 became involved in an uprising against the Holy Roman emperor Henry IV. By his marriage in 1110 to Richenza, heiress of both the Nordheim and the Brunswick houses, Lothar became the most powerful noble in Saxony and the wealthiest prince in northern Germany.
Having supported the German king Henry V against his father, Henry IV, in 1104, Lothar was appointed duke of Saxony by Henry V when Duke Magnus, the last of the Billung dynasty, died in 1106. Lothar’s independent attitude, however, soon brought him into conflict with the king. From 1112 to 1115 he was intermittently involved in revolts against Henry, and his forces defeated the king at the Battle of Welfesholz in 1115.
In 1125 Henry V died, and Lothar was elected German king and crowned at Aachen. Civil war between Lothar’s supporters and the heirs of the house of Hohenstaufen, the brothers Conrad and Frederick, duke of Swabia, broke out. In 1127 Conrad was elected king by his adherents. The fall of the Hohenstaufen strongholds Nürnberg and Speyer two years later ended effective resistance, although the Hohenstaufens carried on the struggle for several more years while Conrad maintained his fictitious title.
In 1130 Lothar’s support was solicited by two rival candidates for the papacy, Innocent II and Anacletus II. In March 1131 Lothar received Innocent at Liège, and, accompanied by Innocent, he marched with his army into Italy in 1132–33. Although part of Rome was held by Anacletus, Lothar was crowned Holy Roman emperor in June 1133. He then received as papal fiefs the vast estates of Matilda of Tuscany.
In 1134, after his return to Germany, Lothar resumed the campaign against the Hohenstaufens. Frederick of Hohenstaufen soon submitted. Peace was proclaimed at the Diet of Bamberg (March 1135), at which Swabia was returned to Frederick. In September 1135 Conrad made peace with Lothar under similar lenient conditions.
Lothar, in addition, encouraged the extension of German authority and the spread of Christianity in the districts east of the Elbe. In 1135 Eric II of Denmark declared himself a vassal of Lothar, and the Polish prince Bolesław III promised tribute and received Pomerania and Rügen as German fiefs.
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As the result of an agreement with the Byzantine emperor John Comnenus, Lothar launched a second Italian expedition in 1136–37, driving the forces of Roger II of Sicily from the southern part of the Italian peninsula. He died on his way back to Germany.