enry IV, German emperor (1056-1106), son
of Henry III, was born in 1050, and ascended the throne under the
regency of his mother, Agnes of Poitou. The severest struggle of
his reign was against the energetic and ambitious Pope Gregory
VII (Hildebrand), who in 1076 excommunicated Henry; and it was
only by personally humiliating himself, in sackcloth and barefoot,
for three days, outside the castle of Canossa (January, 1077) in
Italy, that the emperor was able to get the papal ban removed.
Meanwhile the German princes elected a successor to Henry in
Rudolf of Swabia; but Rudolf fell in battle (1080), and the
emperor, in spite of a second ban of excommunication, not only
set up a rival Pope (Clement III), but marched into Italy, and
had himself crowned emperor by Clement III. From 1093 to the end
of his reign he was engaged in renewed strife, first against the
successors of Gregory VII, and secondly against the hostile
princes in Germany, who won over to their side Henry’s own
sons, Conrad and Henry, the latter of whom forced him to abdicate.
See Floto’s Heinrich IV (1855-7). [World Wide
Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1935]
Henry IV (Holy Roman Empire)
(1050-1106), Holy Roman emperor (1056-1106). He was the son of
Emperor Henry III.
Born in Goslar, Germany, on November 11, 1050, Henry succeeded
his father at the age of six, but during most of his minority,
his mother ruled in his name. After Henry came of age in 1065 he
crushed a rebellion in Saxony. About that time there began the
struggle between pope and emperor for temporal power in the
empire. Despite a papal decree prohibiting appointment of church
officials by the emperor, Henry appointed (1075) prelates in
various parts of Italy. On being reprimanded by Pope Gregory VII,
Henry convoked (1076) a German council at Worms to depose the
pope. This act resulted in the excommunication of the emperor,
with the consequent release of his subjects from allegiance to
him. The nobles formed a coalition, threatening not to recognize
Henry unless he secured absolution by February 1077. By dressing
as a penitent and standing barefoot in the snow for three days
outside the castle of Canossa, where Pope Gregory was staying,
Henry obtained readmission to the communion of the church.
The German nobles, however, elected Rudolf, duke of Swabia, to
replace Henry. This election caused a civil war. In 1080 the pope
recognized the kingship of Rudolf and again excommunicated Henry,
who declared Pope Gregory deposed and had the Italian archbishop
Guibert of Ravenna elected in his stead as Pope Clement III.
Rudolf was killed in 1080, and Henry regained control of Germany.
He then led his forces into Italy and captured (1084) Rome, where
he was crowned emperor by Clement III. A Norman army, led by
Robert Guiscard, came to the aid of Pope Gregory, however, and
drove Henry from Rome. Henry returned to Germany and there
participated in a long series of civil wars, in which his sons
eventually turned against him. In 1105 he was taken prisoner by
his son Henry, later Emperor Henry V, and forced to abdicate.
Escaping in the next year, Henry IV solicited aid from various
sources, including England, Denmark, and France. He died at Liège,
Belgium, on August 7, 1106, while gathering an army. [Microsoft
Encarta 98 Encyclopedia]
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