The imperial chancellor, the Archbishop of Mainz,…
1125 CE
The imperial chancellor, the Archbishop of Mainz, views Lothair of Saxony is as a perfect replacement candidate when Henry V dies in 1125.
As an extensive landowner, Lothair brings power to the table, but he is old (slightly over fifty years of age) and has no male issue, potentially making him malleable for the nobility.
He is therefore elected king of Germany after a contentious power struggle with Frederick II, Duke of Swabia, head of the Hohenstaufen.
His election is notable in that it marks a departure from the concept of hereditary succession.
Somewhat naive concerning the complex power struggle between the papacy and the empire, Lothair also consents to several symbolic acts that will subsequently be interpreted by Rome as signaling acceptance of papal confirmation of his position.
A campaign undertaken in the same year against Bohemia ends in defeat.
Among those imprisoned by the Bohemians is Albert of Ascania, future Margrave of Brandenburg.
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