Otto I

(912–73)

   Monarch.

   Otto inherited the throne of Saxony from his father, Henry I, in 936. He was anxious to restore the alliance of Church and State that apparently existed in the time of Charlemagne and, to this end, he insisted on his right to appoint new Bishops and Archbishops. He did much to establish new dioceses and he supported the cultural initiatives of the Church. He extended his territory to the east and in Italy and he was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope John XII in 962. The Pope also confirmed his rights in papal elections. Subsequently, however, John schemed against Otto who deposed him and appointed a layman as Pope Leo VIII. Although John later disposed of Leo, the Papacy itself was left in a less than satisfactory position. Otto’s determination to control the Papacy set a precedent for many later conflicts.

   W. Ullmann, ‘The origin of Ottonianum’, Cambridge Historical Journal, xi (1953/5).