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The Middle Ages
Home » Germany » Germany: A History » The Middle AgesKing Conrad I’s accention to the throne in 911 marked the transition from the East Franconian to a German empire. Yet due to Conrad’s origins, his title was officially “King of Franconia,” and later “Roman King.” As of the 11th century, the German empire was referred to as part of the “Roman Empire,” as of the 13th century “Holy Roman Empire.” In the 15th century the words, “of the German Nation” were added.
In this empire, the high nobility elected the King. With few exceptions, the King was related to his predecessor. The Medieval Empire had no capital city, the monarchy constantly moved from one city to the next and there were no imperial taxes
The King was perceived as a ruler bound by the laws of the people as handed down across time and subject to the approval of the great nobles of the realm, and yet he held the power to pass laws, decide on taxation, as well as over the courts and the army, added to which he was head of the Church. He was also the uppermost authority as regards the protection of peace. Otto I had himself crowned Kaiser in 962 in Rome.
This imperial status, likewise exercised by Otto’s successors, amounted in theory to dominance over the entire Occident. There was, however, a very great divide between theory and practice.
Throughout the Middle Ages states emerged in other western European countries, the forces in Germany tended to be disintegrative. This is one of the reasons why down Germany was long considered a “belated nation.”
Related Germany: A History Articles
- Germany: A History Overview
- The Middle Ages
- The Bismarck Reich
- World War I
- World War II
- The Cold War
- The New Berlin Republic