Lothar III (1125-1138)
The age of the Hohenstaufen begins with an emperor who wasn’t a Hohenstaufen. Lothar of Supplinburg was a Saxon duke who had spent his early years in opposition to the reigning Salian house and their allies, the Hohenstaufen. The circumstances of his election victory against Frederick of Hohenstaufen kicks off the long lasting political antagonism between Staufer and Welf, between Guelphs and Ghibellines. But despite the outward differences in background and initial political positioning, Lothar III continued the Salian policy of forcing their will upon the princes and pushing back against the papacy. And he brings a new element to German history – the colonisation of the  East that will ultimately bring about the Baltic empire of the Teutonic Knights and the Hanse
Welcome to Season 3 of the History of the Germans, diving into one of the most dramatic and consequential periods of medieval German history — the age of the Hohenstaufen. But before the Hohenstaufen can take centre stage, someone else has to get out of the way first.
It is 1125, and the Salian dynasty is dying with Emperor Henry V in the palace of the Bishop of Utrecht. After a century of Salian rule — marked by civil war, the Investiture Controversy, and a catastrophic weakening of imperial authority — the princes of the realm face a fundamental question: what is an emperor actually for?
In this episode, we set the scene for the next great chapter of German medieval history by exploring the three strategies available to any new emperor seeking to rebuild royal power, and then watch as those strategies are tested almost immediately — at one of the most chaotic and dramatic royal elections the Holy Roman Empire ever produced.
At Mainz in August 1125, four great dynasties — the Hohenstaufen, the Welf, the Babenberg, and the Supplinburg — converge to elect a new king. What follows is a masterclass in medieval political theatre: tearful refusals, procedural confusion, a man jumping on a horse at entirely the wrong moment, and a last-minute betrayal that will echo through German and Italian politics for the next 150 years.
Topics covered in this episode:
- The collapse of Salian imperial authority and the legacy of the Investiture Controversy
- The three strategic options facing any new Holy Roman Emperor
- The key players at the election of 1125: Lothar of Supplinburg, Frederick of Hohenstaufen, Henry the Black of Bavaria, and Leopold of Austria
- Why not wanting the crown was the surest way to win it
- The Welf betrayal that ignited the Guelf vs Ghibelline conflict across medieval Europe
- The election of Lothar III — and why the age of the Hohenstaufen paradoxically begins without one
Keywords: Holy Roman Empire, Hohenstaufen, Salian dynasty, Lothar III, medieval German history, Welf dynasty, Guelph Ghibelline, election 1125, Frederick of Hohenstaufen, History of the Germans podcast, medieval Europe, Investiture Controversy, House of Babenberg
The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.
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To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.
So far I have:
Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy
Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen
The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356
The Reformation before the Reformation
The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.
#43 All Change All Change
The tumultuous Election of Emperor Lothar III
The age of the Hohenstaufen starts with emperor Lothar III who was not a Hohenstaufen at all – how could that happen?
#44 A Saxon Emperor
Lothar III takes the crown and ends in a civil war with the Hohenstaufen
Lothar III takes the reins of the kingdom but soon finds opposition from the Hohenstaufen brothers
#45 Triple Division
The role of Bernard of Clairvaux
The church is split three ways though Bernard of Clairvaux stands ready in the wings to push it just where he wants it
#46 A Topsy Turvy World
Lothar III and the schism between Anaclet II Innocent II
Lothar III is dragged into the schism between Innocent II and Anaclet II. Thanks to the efforts of Bernard of Clairvaux he receives little for his efforts.