Henry IV of Franconia

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: 1056-1084, King of Germany
• Fact: 1084-1106, Emperor of the West

Henry married Bertha Of TURIN on 13 Jul 1066. Bertha (daughter of Eudes (Odo) and Adelaide Duchess Of TURIN) was born in 1051; died on 27 Dec 1087. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Agnes Of GERMANY was born in 1072/3; died on 24 Sep 1143; was buried in Kloster Neuburg.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: 1039, King of Burgundy
• Fact: 1039-1056, King Of Germany
• Fact: 1046-1056, Emperor of the West

Henry married Agnes Of POITOU on 21 Nov 1043. Agnes (daughter of William III "The Great" Count of POITOU and Princess of Lombrdy Agnes Of BURGUNDY) was born in 1024; died on 14 Dec 1077. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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The adult life of Agnes consisted of three parts, and the first part was her years with Henry III. As Henry dealt with the affairs of his realm, he left the operations of his court to Agnes. She became known throughout Europe as a generous patron of writers, painters, and poets. Europe's most creative minds came to Germany, and with them Agnes created a brilliant court. She also had six children with Henry, including his first-born son and heir Henry IV, born in 1050. These happy years ended abruptly when Henry III died in 1056.

When Henry IV succeeded his father, he was only six years old, and the second part of Agnes' life began when she started to rue as regent for her son. Besides her administrative responsibilities, she also acted as Chief justice and commander-in-chief of the military. The princes of the empire had approved her becoming regent and for the first few years were quite satisfied with her performance. They might have remained content for much longer but for the fact that Agnes relied very often on the advice of bishop Henry of Augsburg. The other princes felt that they were losing their own status as advisers to the royal court, and they began to consider how they might usurp the regency. They decided that separating Henry IV from his mother would give them control over the boy and his empire. One day in 1062 while Henry IV was on an island in the Rhine near Cologne, archbishop Anno of cologne and other princes sailed up in a small ship, seized Henry IV, and kidnapped him.

Agnes' reaction was cool and calculated. Henry IV was twelve when he was abducted but would reach the age of majority just two years later when he turned fourteen. Agnes gave up all the powers she was exercising as regent, moved to Rome, and offered her services to the pope. The second part of her life was over, but the third part was about to begin.

In Rome, Agnes quickly became a close friend of Pope Alexander II, who gave her new ecclesiastical responsibilities and sent her back to Germany on several papal missions. In 1064, Agnes was back in the imperial German court, and she was also present at the ceremony in March 1065 where Henry IV was declared an adult. her personal intervention was all that prevented Henry IV from taking the sword he had jut received and killing archbishop Anno of Cologne.

For the rest of her life Agnes served the pope and the church at the highest diplomatic levels. She made her last trip to Germany in 1074 and then retired to a convent in Rome to pray, fast, and tend the sick. She died on 14 December 1077 and was buried in Rome in the church of Petronilla, which later became part of St. Peter's.