History Atlas

How The Past Is Known
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Historical Figure

Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Also Known As Heinrich IV
Monarchs and Rulers

Henry IV was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, and King of Italy and Burgundy from 1056 to 1105. A Salian ruler, he was the son of Henry III and Agnes of Poitou. After his father's death in 1056 his mother acted as regent, granting lands to secure aristocratic support but unable to control papal elections as the principle of the liberty of the church, central to the emerging Gregorian Reform, gained force. In 1062 Archbishop Anno II of Cologne kidnapped the young Henry and governed in his name until Henry came of age in 1065.

Facts
Birth Year
1050 1
Death Year
1106 1
Role
Holy Roman Emperor 1
Birth Date
1050-11-11 1
Death Date
1106-08-07 1
Death Place
Liege 1
Partially Attested
Birthplace
Goslar 1
Infobox marks the place Goslar with a query.
Classification
Gender
Male 1
Role
Role (category)
Monarch / Royalty 1
FAQs

Why did Henry IV do penance at Canossa?

Henry did penance at Canossa in 1077 after his struggle with Pope Gregory VII over lay investiture brought his excommunication.

Henry IV did penance at Canossa in 1077 after a long struggle with Pope Gregory VII, who had earlier been known as Hildebrand, over the question of lay investiture, a dispute now called the Investiture Controversy. The struggle drew excommunication on Henry, and the penance at Canossa was part of that conflict. It did not end his troubles: his last years were spent countering a rebellion by his sons Conrad and Henry, the future Henry V.
Connections

In Era

The Post-Classical and Medieval Period, Eras
Source Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases

Originated In

Goslar

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.

Sources
1. Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, Wikipedia
  • Lead paragraph, first sentence, birth year
    Henry IV (German: Heinrich IV; 11 November 1050 - 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor (1084-1105), King of Germany (1054-1105), and King of Italy and Burgundy (1056-1105).
  • Lead paragraph, first sentence, death year
    Henry IV (German: Heinrich IV; 11 November 1050 - 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor (1084-1105), King of Germany (1054-1105), and King of Italy and Burgundy (1056-1105).
  • Lead paragraph, first sentence, office
    Henry IV (German: Heinrich IV; 11 November 1050 - 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor (1084-1105), King of Germany (1054-1105), and King of Italy and Burgundy (1056-1105).
  • Lead paragraph, first sentence, birth date
    Henry IV (German: Heinrich IV; 11 November 1050 - 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor (1084-1105), King of Germany (1054-1105), and King of Italy and Burgundy (1056-1105).
  • Lead paragraph, first sentence, death date
    Henry IV (German: Heinrich IV; 11 November 1050 - 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor (1084-1105), King of Germany (1054-1105), and King of Italy and Burgundy (1056-1105).
  • Infobox, Born
    Born: 11 November 1050, Imperial Palace of Goslar, Saxony (?)
  • Infobox, Died
    Died: 7 August 1106, Liege, Lower Lorraine
  • Infobox, Alternative names
    Alternative names: Heinrich IV
  • Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor: Gender
    A Salian ruler, he was the son of Henry III and Agnes of Poitou.
  • In Era: The Post-Classical and Medieval Period, lead paragraph, lifespan
    Henry IV (German: Heinrich IV; 11 November 1050 - 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor (1084-1105), King of Germany (1054-1105), and King of Italy and Burgundy (1056-1105).
View the Source

Take a Related Quiz

Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.