Ep. 43: Welf vs Staufer - Lothar III (1125-1137) - All Change, All Change

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.

As always:

Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com

If you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans Podcast

For do it yourself merchandise go to: Merchandise • History of the Germans Podcast

Facebook: @HOTGPod

Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcast

Bluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.social

Instagram: history_of_the_germans

Twitter: @germanshistory

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:

The Ottonians

Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy

Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen

Frederick II Stupor Mundi

Saxony and Eastward Expansion

The Hanseatic League

The Teutonic Knights

The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356

The Reformation before the Reformation

The Empire in the 15th century

The Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs