Imperial Library

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Welcome to the Imperial Library. Scholars from all across the land have gathered histories of all the lands, events, and important persons in the the history of the Holy Roman Empire since the coronation of Emperor Otto I. All the great dynasties and dukedoms are explored within these tomes, and accounts of those struggles that have defined the world we live in today are enclosed here as well.


To request a change or addition, offer an in-character account of an event or character (e.g., an "excerpt" from a letter), or any other feedback, post in the questions and comments thread. Note that I reserve the right to tweak any submissions to keep a consistent style.

Table of Contents
Background
Realms & Past Rulers

The Present Empire [962 - ?]  

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Background

Harking back to the Roman Empire itself, the title of Emperor was first granted by the pope to Otto I and was assumed by every King of Germany elected after him. Since each emperor had to travel to Italy to be crowned by the pope -- officially, he was just a king otherwise -- a great deal of controversy surrounded the relative positions of the pope and emperor, with each asserting their supremacy over the other whenever they had the opportunity. This worsened severely with concerns about the emperor appointing his own bishops as a way to subvert the dukedoms, arguably abusing the church to strengthen his own crown.

Herzog in German, the Dukes originally formed around ancient tribal regions that once had their own kings, their ties to the King of Germany largely being through lack of a neighboring king to swear fealty to. Indeed, the two Slavic duchies of Bohemia and Poland would later become kingdoms, Poland becoming separate from the empire entirely. Since it stemmed from the tribal kingship, dukes were often chosen by the duchies they represented instead of the king: A great deal of struggle took place since the king wanted the dukes to act as servants while the dukes tended to see themselves as rulers in their own right.

Pfalzgraf in German, the Counts Palatine were appointed by the king to fill the role the dukes failed to: A representative of the king in an area. The title was still often passed from father to son, but since it lacked the electoral qualities of the dukedom, an unruly count palatine was generally easier to deal with than an unruly duke. That isn't to say that they couldn't become quite powerful in their own right, though: Some of the early dukes were counts palatine before gaining enough power to claim the dukedom.  

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Realms & Rulers Since 962

Kingdom of Germany

The Kingdom of Germany started as the Kingdom of East Francia, the eastern third of Charlemagne's empire. It was largely made up of German tribes that Charlemagne had conquered, their dukes often serving the role their kings had previously. The conversion of Slavic Bohemia and Poland to Catholicism placed them in the German sphere of influence, but their exact role is not yet well defined: They are no longer pagans to subjugate like the tribes in the Eastern Marches, but they are also not subjects of the crown like their fellow dukes.
German politics is largely a struggle between the king and the dukes, some of which are practically kings themselves in their own lands. While the king may be the nominal ruler of the entire kingdom, attempts to assert this are inevitably met with resistance, and royal authority is generally to weak to truly deal with the problem.

Duchy of Bavaria

One of the younger duchies, Bavaria also has been a favorite of the Carolingian kings and has prospered as a result: The marches of Austria, Carinthia, and most recently Vernoa all are considered a integral part of the dukedom. Its earliest dukes were first margraves and its past rife with conflict against the fierce Magyar horde, but its position as a frontier of the kingdom has also left the dukes a great deal of independence.

Duchy of Franconia

The heart of the kingdom, Franconia's first duke was also the first king to be elected by the other duchies. Its history as a dukedom ends shortly afterward, though, as the duchy was seized by Otto I in 939 after the revolt of Eberhard. Because of the Rhine river, the western half of Franconia is tied closely with Lower Lorraine: Counts will often have influence going along the river in both realms.

Duchies of Lorraine

Once the Kingdom of Lotharingia, one of the successors to Charlemagne's empire, Lorraine is now firmly in the grasp of the Germans. The region is a source of conflict between the Germans and French and will often revolt against its German lords. As a result of the turmoil, the ancient Roman cities that populate the area, and Lorraine being the "foreign" German duchy, it tends to be the most common target in Germany for increasing imperial authority.

Duchy of Saxony

As the last of the German tribes to be subjugated by Charlemagne, the Saxons are arguably the most powerful dukes. Its vast area, rich silver mines, and strong leadership have brought a great deal of influence to the dukedom. Indeed, their independence has largely remained unchallenged by the kings, and Otto I, who managed to conquer Italy and be crowned emperor, was a Saxon. Its power may be its undoing, however, as it finds itself facing new foes where previously it was content to keep to itself.

Duchy of Swabia

Also known as Alamannia, Swabia has had less success at finding a strong ruling house than Saxony and Bavaria. However, its key position may increase the duchy's importance with the recent acquisition of Italy, and the collapse of Franconia and Lorraine give plenty of opportunities for a strong enough ruler to establish a new base of power.  

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The Present Empire
[962 - present]

Characters

Emperor Otto I began his reign by declaring himself as the successor to Charlemagne. While this could be seen as arrogant by some, pure force of personality and a sharp mind has made achieving it a reality with his coronation in Rome.
Otto has devoted himself utterly to his role as king and emperor and any sort of resistance has been met harshly: The dukedom of Franconia was blatantly dissolved after a failed rebellion, and numerous other uprisings have all been similarly crushed. In contrast is his willingness to work to find allies: His younger brother has been allowed the Dukedom of Bavaria despite having rebelled against him twice, and those who he trusts are rewarded with a great deal of independence. This pragmatism is what has allowed Otto to find friends despite his heavy-handed approach to dealing with others.


Duke Henry I of Bavaria is the younger brother of Emperor Otto I and has managed to amass great power during his lifetime. His first major struggle against his brother was in 938 when he joined with the dukes of Franconia and Lorraine, claiming the German throne for himself. He fled to France after being defeated but reconciled the same year and was awarded the Duchy of Lorraine. He failed to assert his authority in the duchy, however, and was stripped of the title a year later, prompting him to plot against his brother again, this time being held captive for a year before being released again.
In 648, he acquired through marriage the Duchy of Bavaria. In spite of his experience in Lorraine, he has proven to be as shrewd a leader as his brother, enlarging his realm into Hungary and Italy and supporting his brother in both German and Italian affairs.



Archbishop Bruno I is the last and youngest brother of the emperor. Unlike his older brother Henry, he has remained close to Otto's side and has prospered immensely for it, first being appointed Archbishop of Cologne during the revolt of the last duke of Lorraine and then receiving the ducal title itself when the rebellion was put down.
Otto has allowed his brother a great deal of freedoms normally reserved for the crown, and Bruno has used them to full effect and rules over Lorraine quite well despite delegating most activities outside Cologne to the local nobility. Indeed, the two brothers are alike in as many ways as they are different: Both are accomplished and powerful men who are respected greatly, but while Otto's court is always travelling from battle to battle, Bruno has turned his court in Cologne into the main intellectual and artistic center in Germany, in many ways rivaling Rome itself.



Margrave Hermann Billung is in many ways the true Duke of Saxony. Although the Emperor Otto still nominally holds that title, he has entrusted his duchy more and more to the markgraf while his focus has been drawn elsewhere. With Hermann's authority in his march being greater than many of his peers, it's obvious that he has a great deal of trust from the emperor.



Duke Burchard III fled to Saxony after the murder of his father when he was just 11 years old. He had two sons by his first wife there before her passing, and has since married Henry I of Bavaria's daughter. He was rewarded the Duchy of Swabia after the revolt of its previous holder and has remained a close friend of the emperor's, having fought against the Magyars and campaigned in Italy alongside him.