Otto IV of Brunswick
*1177-†19.05.1218
THE ONLY WELF EMPEROR
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Otto IV of
Brunswick |
*1177 - † 19.05.1218 Count of York and Marche 1190 Duke of Brunswick 1195-1218 Count of Poitou 1196 Regent of Aquitainia 1196-1198 King of Rome 1198 - 1209 Elected Cologne 09.06.1198 Crowned Aachen 12.07.1198 King of Germany 1198 - 1218 Reelected Frankfurt 11.11.1208 1 ¥ Beatrix Hohenstaufen 24.05.1209-†11.08.1212 Roman Emperor 1209 - 1211 Crowned Rome 21.06./04.10.1209 Deposed as an Emperor 09.1211 2 ¥ Mary of Brabant 1214 |
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Otto IV was probably born in Argentan in Normandy in 1177 and was educated at the court of his uncle Richard I Lionheart of England. He was so much of the liking of Richard that he made him a regent in Aquitania. As the youngest of the sons of Henry the Lion Otto was enfeoffed , his brothers inheriting the possessions in Saxony. After the unexpected death of Henry VI Otto was elected a Roman King in Cologne in July 1198, on recommandation of Richard, as a counter candidate of Philip of Swabia who had been elected in Mühlhausen in March, representing the Staufic party. After his
election Otto took control of Aachen, the place of coronation, and was
crowned by Adolf, Archbishop of Cologne, on 12 July 1198. This was of great symbolic
importance, since the Archbishop of Cologne alone could crown the King of the
Romans. Nevertheless, the coronation was done with fake regalia, because the
actual materials were in the hands of the Staufen. Otto's election
pulled the empire into the conflict between England and France. Philip had
allied himself with the French king, Philip II, while Otto was supported at
first by Richard I, and after his death in 1199 by his brother John. Innocent III
favoured Otto, whose family had always been opposed to the house of
Hohenstaufen. In 1201, he announced that he recognized him as the only
legitimate king. Otto’s cause was further strengthened by the support of the
Danish king, Valdemar II. But Philip achieved a great deal of success in a
civil war, allowing him in 1204 to be again crowned king, this time by the
archbishop of Cologne. In the
following years, Otto's situation worsened because after England's defeat by
France he lost England's financial support. Many of his allies changed sides
to Philip, including his brother Henry. Otto was defeated and wounded in
battle by Philip on 27 July 1206, and was forced to retire to his possessions
near Braunschweig, leaving Philip virtually uncontested as German king. Innocent III
forced the two warring parties into negotiations at Cologne, and in exchange
for renouncing his claim to the throne, Philip promised Otto the hand of his
daughter Beatrix in marriage, together with the Duchy of Swabia and an
enormous dowry. Otto refused, and as the civil war was again about to
recommence, Philip was murdered on 8 June 1208. After Philip's
death, Otto made amends with the Staufen party and became engaged to Philip's
daughter Beatrix. In an election in Frankfurt on 11 November 1208, he gained
the support of all the electoral princes, and as a result, Otto could make
preparations to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor. Travelling down via Verona,
Modena, and Bologna, he eventually arrived at Milan where he received the
Iron Crown of Lombardy and the title of King of Italy in 1208. In Rome he was
taken to St. Peter's Basilica, where he was crowned emperor by Pope Innocent
on 21 October 1209, before rioting
broke out in Rome, forcing Otto to abandon the city. After abandoning Rome Otto set on to restore imperial
power in Italy. This earned him a prompt excommunication in 1210.
Nevertheless he subsequently tried
to conquer Sicily. But, as a commander was urgently requested by the German
princes in the north, they elected Frederick Hohenstaufen of Sicily as their
king instead of him at the Diet of Nuremberg in 1211. Otto returned
to Germany to deal with the situation, hopeful to salvage something from the
looming disaster but all to no avail.
Instead on 5 December 1212, Frederick was elected king for a second
time by a majority of the princes. The support
that Philip II of France was giving to Frederick forced King John of England
to throw his weight behind his nephew Otto. On 27 July 1214, the army of Otto
IV and the english army met with the french army at Bouvines but the ensuing
battle was lost by Otto and his allies. As a result Otto was forced to
withdraw to his private possessions around Brunswick and had to abdicate in
1215. He died there on 19 May 1218. |
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1198 Seal of Majesty: The 22-year old king on his throne with crown, sceptre and orb. L: X OTTO DEI GR(ATI)A ROMANOR(UM) REX ET SEMP(ER) AVGVST(US). D.: 1198. (Die Zeit n° 36) |
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1209 Seal of Majesty: The 32-year old emperor on his throne with crown, sceptre and orb. On his dexter a sun and on his sinister a crescent. L.: X DEI GRACIA : OTTO : ROMANORVM IMPERATOR : ET : SEMPER AVGVST(US) : . Date: 1209. [1] |
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Soon after his coronation and wedding in 1209 Otto apparently grew a beard. This can be seen on this sculpture of the couple in Magdburg Cathedral representing young Beatrix of Hohenstaufen at the age of about 14, shortly before her death, and Otto IV, in 1211 deposed as an emperor and consequently royally crowned. Enthroned couple. Magdeburg, about the middle of the 13th. century. |
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King Otto IV after his deposure as an emperor. 1212ca. Signet ring: Portrait of King Otto IV with beard. L.: X REX ODDO. 3. [2] |
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1214
Statues on the Adams gate of Bamberg Cathedral..
Bamberg, before 1237. The statues are usuully said to represent Emperor Henry II and Empres Kunigunde because the diocese of bamberg was founded by the grace of Henry II. The man represented however is not an emperor but a king and resmbles very much some other representations of him. So, most likely the couple represents Otto IV and his second wife Queen Mary of Brabant (*1190-†1260). She is also represented on an other spot as the figure of Eve, and there also as a very young and slender woman. Probably the group is donated by Mary calling herself after 1222 “Empress”. Seal of Empress Mary of Brabant, 1218. The legend reads: X
MARIA . (dei gracia romano)R(um)
IMPERA(trix semper) AVGVSTA. [3] |
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Socalled ‘Crown of Otto II’ from Berge Monastery Watercolor in the Halleschen
Heiltumsbuch. Aschaffenburg, Hofbibliothek, Ms. 14, fol. 173v.[4] Representation of a gilded royal bust with crown and necklace. The crown usually is considered to be of 10th century manufacture but is certainly younger because the leaves are not soldered but sawed out like usual in later times. Also such crowns are very much late 12th century and later. The setting with jewels may be, for the 13th century, old-fashioned german work but generally the things having belonged to Otto IV are of a lesser quality than those of the Hohenstaufen, originating from sicilian workshops. The portrait very much resembles the portraits of Otto IV presented before and the conclusion must be that the king represented is not Otto II but Otto IV. Apart of this Halle is situated in the territory of the Welfs where Otto retired after his deposure. |
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Statue of
Otto IV on the northern façade of Reims Cathedral (France), 13th century The statue is a part of a series of royal statues |
King
resembling Otto IV. 13th century in a series
of royal portraits in Straatsburg Cathedral. Due to war damage many
names are reshuffled |
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After the
excommunication and the defeat at Bouvines in 1214, the representations of
Otto IV seem to have posed a problem, reason perhaps why they were renamed in
some cases, preferably in Henry II or another Otto. This is by no means
unique because many other royal statues in Germany and elsewhere have been
renamed quite randomly depending on the caprices of history and ignorance. |
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The first emblem which may have a connection with Otto IV as a german king can be found in the baptistery of St. John in Poitiers. It is a medaillion with a black eagle which is a part of the frescoes which were painted in the baptistery in the 12th-13th century. Maybe this was painted right after the election in June and the coronation of Otto IV in July 1198. At that date Otto was a count of Poitou and a regent in Aquitaine since 1196 and still under the protection of Richard Lionheart. Baptistère Saint Jean de Poitiers. Fresco: medallion with black eagle. After his coronation however, he dimidiated this eagle with the arms of his patron, according to Matthew Paris [Scutum mutatum] pro amore regis Angliæ (for the love of the king of England). This, indeed, may have happened at his coronation as Philip of Swabia had been elected a German king some three months before and the arms with the black eagle of Germany were no longer vacant. On the other hand this may not have been a reason and the change was probably made after the death of Richard on 6 April 1199 to the memory of him or to demonstrate the regency of the Plantagenet possessions in France (claimed by John Lackland and Arthur of Brittany). In any case only the dimidiated arms are documented by Matthew Paris. They are confirmed by some other documents. |
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1198 Mattheus Parisiensis H.A. B.L. Ms. Roy. 14.C.VII, fol. 84. Coronation of Otto IV, King of Germany, 1198. Unpainted shield (three lions passant, dimidiating a displayed eagle) surmounted by a crown. Scutum Ottonis Imperatoris, cujus medietas de scuto est Imperii, alia vero de scuto regis Angliae. [5] 1199 Mattheus Parisiensis: Historia Anglorum B.L. Ms Roy. 14.C.VII,
fol. 86v. Election of Otto IV as Emperor, 1199. Upper left margin: shield of
the kingdom dimidiated by the arms of Richard Lionheart of England surmounted
by three closed crowns::
Argentea - Aurea -
Ferrea. |
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The “Ottenton” In 1208 at the reelection of Otto, Walther von der Vogeweide wrote a poem to praise him. This poem is called the Ottenton and describes the arms of Otto: |
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Hêr
keiser, swenne ir Tiuschen fride gemacht
staete bî der wide, sô
bietent iu die fremeden zungen êre. Die
sult ir nemen ân arbeit und
süenen al die kristenheit: daz
tiuret iuch, und müet die heiden sêre. Ir
tragt zwei keisers ellen, des
aren tugent, des lewen kraft: die
sint des hêren zeichen an dem schilte. die
zwêne hergesellen, wan
woltens and die heidenschaft! waz
widerstüende ir manheit und ir milte? |
Lord
Emperor when you have brought
peace to the Germans by
threatening with capital punishment the
foreign peoples will honour you You will win them over without effort And
reconcile all Christianity That
is to your credit and saddens the heathens very much You
possess two imperial qualities the
virtuousness of an eagle and the force of a lion. That
are the symbols of power on your shield; oh
if those two friends in combat would
once march against the heathens! Who
could resist your valiance and generosity then? |
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These eagle and lion(s) on his shield confirm the arms as documented by Matthew Paris. 1209.05.24 Wedding of Otto IV and the elven-year old Beatrice of Hohenstaufen, daughter of Philip. On a wedding-chest, probably made for the occasion, are the arms of Otto IV and his allies. The arms of Otto IV are: Arms: Per pale: Or, a dimidiated eagle Sable impaling Gules, three lions passant guardant Or. Wedding
chest with the arms of Otto IV 1209 ca Quedlinburg [6] |
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Pommel of the Sword
of State German, about 1200 Pommel of
the Sword of State Vienna, Treasury Nr. 135[7] When the sword of state had come into the possession of Otto IV, probably at his election in Frankfurt, Otto IV added his own arms to the arms already engraved on the pommel, showing (Or,) and eagle (Sable). His arms are identical with his arms on the wedding chest. The inscription above both arms reads: BENEDICTVS DOMINVS DEVS QVI DOCET MANVS |
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Mantle of
Otto IV. Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum Braunschweig. Inv. Nr. MA
1. |
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The mantle is dated before 1218 and maybe 1209-’14) Red silk with golden embroidery, strewn with suns, crescents and lions passant guardant. On the back there are three golden eagles. The program of the mantle is as follows:
The suns, crescents and lions are also on the seals and the arms of Otto IV and the golden eagle is also on the earlier royal mantle from Metz and on the later gloves of Frederick II. ëOf the mantle there exists a counterpart in the Archdiocesan Museum in Ravenna. This mantle is of exactly the same style and manufacture as the mantle from Brunswick. It is blue and strewn with silver crescents and eagles. This suggests that the mantle has been of a royal head of state. For this office Dietrich I von Hengebach (1208-’12), archbishop of Cologne and supporter of Otto IV is a candidate. He may have been the chancelor of Italy which would explain why the mantle is in Ravenna. |
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1209.10.04 Coronation as an Emperor in
Rome. In about 1216 Thomasin von Zirclaria described his stay in the city and the coat of arms of Otto IV at his coronation in a poem entitled “Wälschen Gast”: Do der her Otte was ze Lamparten dem nu ist misselungen harte und was ouch ze Rôme komen, als ir wol habt vernomen dô kom ich zuo den zîten dar und was in sînem
hove, deist wâr wohl ahte wochen und mêre: dô misseviel mir harte sêre daz an sim schilde erschinen gar drî lewen und ein halber ar ez was getan unmaezliche bedenthalben sicherlîche...[8] which makes the arms: Three lions and an eag dimidiated. Matthew Paris ascribes a two-headed eagle to him. Its colors suggest papal suzereinty or at least papal military service, the two-headed eagle being an emblem of a caesar, the colors being the papal color Sable, the Or the color of secular authority. The arms seem to have been ignored by Frederick II at his coronation in 1220 but had to be readopted by him in 1230. 1209 Mattheus Parisiensis Chronica Majora. Corpus Christi College MS 16, fol
18. Coronation of Otto IV as Emperor in Rome, 1209: lower right margin: three
crowns (corona argentea, corona aurea,
cxorona ferrea) above a shiels (or, a double eagle sable): Otto creatur in imperatorem Romanorum;
and a second shield (gules, three lions passant gardant or, dimidiating or,
an eagle sable): Scutum mutatum pro
amore regis Angliæ. Coin from
an unknown mint Obv.: Bust
of a ruler with helmet, a banner of four lappets and cross and lily sceptre.
Inscription: BEATRIX VI Rev.: Two headed eagle. [9] This coin is ascribed to Poppo VII of Henneberg (1190-1245) and dated ca 1200 which makes the images and inscription quite incomprehensible. Therefore it is suggested that the ruler with banner and sceptre is actually Otto IV and the two-headed eagle his emblem as an Emperor. The inscription should be read BEATRIX VI(rgo) or Lady Beatrice. Accepting this, the coin may have been minted at the occasion of the consummation of the marriage of Otto and Beatrice in Nordhausen on 22.07.1212. The banner probably
is the Imperial banner which was red with a white cross or white with a red
cross. |
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1211 The Italian Campaign At the Italian
Campaign Otto IV seems to have worn a crusaders sign. In the tomb of Frederick
II opened in 1781 and described by Daniele in 1784, an alba
was found which according to an inscription has been of Otto IV. Daniele
writes: "...
di lino è la prima (of three attires)
che discendo insino a tutti i piedi, simile a quella che da' liturgisti alba
vien appellata: la stringa a'fianchi un grosso cordone pur di lino aggruppato
nel mezzo. Vi si osservo sotto all'omero sinistro a ricamo in seta, che tenea
ancor del color rosso, una croce. All'estremità del collo, e delle maniche è
quest' alba ornata di diversi fregi; anzi nelle maniche havvi ricamata a oro
un' inscrizione in caratteri cufici. The inscription reads: "Imperium Alemannicum mite est. Hoc est munus pro Othone amico, liberali, strenuo, inclyto, victorioso, hospitali, sapienti, excellenti, fideli, magno, vigilanti/, inclyto, victorioso, hospitali, protectori, iusto". [10] About this alba
Schramm writes: Probably made for Otto IV after hist conquest of southern
Italy in 1211 and not come into his possession. The
cross sewn below the left shoulder a crusader sign? [11] |
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1214 The Imperial standard of Otto at the Battle of Bouvines. Guillaume le Breton has described the standard which was borne at the Battle of Bouvines by the army of Otto IV. The quote reads: 20 Mox
Otho, imperii declarans signa, volensque Jam quasi promeriti rem prelibare trophei, Standardum
edificat, miroque insignit honore Imperii, ut, fasces tanto illustrante paratu Se
dominatorem totius disputet orbis. Erigitin
carro palum, paloque draconem implicat, ut possit procul hinc atque inde videri, Hauriat et ventos cauda tumefactus at alis, Dentibus
horrescens, rictusque patentis hiatu; Quem
super aurata volucer Jovis imminet ala, 30 Tota superficies cujus nitet aurea solis Emula,
quo jactat plusse splendoris habere. Liber XII 41 Carrus
quo reprobus erexerat Otho draconem, Quem
super auratis aquilam suspenderat alis, Cogitur
innumeras in se sentire secures, Fragminibusque
dolet ignis cibus esse minutis, Nec
saltem ut susperent fastus vestigia tanti, Cumque
suis perat damnata superbia pompis. Ast
aquilam, fractis reparatam protinus alis, Rex
hora regi Frederico misit eadem, Hoc sciat ut dono fasces, Othone repulso, 50 Jam
nunc divino translatos munere in ipsum.[12] So the standard of Otto was mounted on a cart and consisted of a pole with a wind bag of a terrible looking winged dragon. Above it was a golden eagle with spread wings and above the eagle was a golden sun radiant. On the other side the place of Philip August was marked with a lily-banner (oriflamme). |
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After his death empress Mary returned to Brabant and married 1220 with
count William I of Holland who, however, died in 1222. Later Mary was
culturally and politically active, calling herself still Empress Mary. In a
way she belonged to the anti-hohenstaufen faction and her brother Henry II
was a candidate for the roman kingship after the excommunication of Frederick
II. He, however recommeded his and her sisters son William II of Holland
who was elected indeed. All the rest of her life she seems to have used a seal showing the arms
of her first husband. Secret seal of Mary of Brabant, 1258 Showing the arms of Otto IV |
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© Hubert de Vries 2014-08-22
[1] Die Zeit der Staufer, Stuttgart, 1977, n° 39
[2] Nürnberg, Germ. Nationalmuseum, Inv. Nr. Si 437. Die Zeit, Kat. 37. Due to the royal title usually dated between 1200 and 1209
[3] Die Zeit, Kat. 41 Abb. 13.
[4] Lit.: Halm, Ph.M. &R.
Berliner: Das Hallesche Heiltum. Berlin 1931, p. 41, Taf. 74a. Rademacher F.:
Eine Krone Ottos II. Ein Beitrag zur ottonischen Goldschmiedekunst. In:
Zeitschrift des Deutschren Vereins für Kunstwissenschaft 1, 1934. pp 79 e.v.
Schram, P.E. Herrschaftszeichen II, p. 403. e.v. Biehn, H.: Die Kronen Europas
und ihre Schicksale. Wiesbaden 1957. Pp. 91 e.v. Schramm, Percy Ernst &
Florentine Mütherich: Denkmale der deutsche Könige und Kaiser. München, 1962.
N° 71.
[5] Lewis, Suzanne: The Art of Matthew Paris in the
Chronica Majora. Univ. of California Press. Berkeley/Los Angeles, 1987.
[6]
Schwineköper, B.: Eine unbekannte heraldische
Quelle zur Geschichte Kaiser Ottos IV. und seine
Anhänger. In: Festschrift für H. Heimpel zum 70. Geburtstag am 19. Sept. 1971. II. Göttingen 1972, 959-1022. Also: Die Zeit, nr. 525
[7] J. von Schlosser, Schatzkammer des Allerhöchsten Kaiserhauses, S. 63. - H. Fillitz, Insignien und Kleinodien, S. 56f. Ders., Kat Schatzkammer Nr. 135.
[8]
Cited by: Seyler, Gustav A.: Geschichte der
Heraldik. [Wappenwesen, Wappenkunst, Wappenwissenschaft]. J. Siebmacher's
grosses Wappenbuch Band A. Nürnberg 1885-1889.p. 282
[9] Die Zeit der Staufer, Stuttgart 1977 n° 195.15. Abb. 115.12. [Bl. f. M’fr. Tf. 148,7, 0,77g.] Württembergisches Landesmuseum, Münzkabinett n° 15943
[10] Daniele, F.: I Regali Sepolchri del Duomo di
Palermo. Napoli, 1784
[11] Schramm, Percy Ernst & Florentine Mütherich:
Denkmale der deutsche Könige und Kaiser. München, 1962. N° 215c
[12] Breton, Guillaume le: Philippidos. Lib. 11, vs.
20-31; Lib. 12 vs. 41-50. (Delaborde,
H.F.: Oeuvres de Rigord et de Guillaume le Breton, Historiens de Philippe
Auguste. 2 TT. Paris, 1882 & 1885.)