On This Day
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Otto IV, nephew of Richard the Lionheart of England, is elected Holy Roman Emperor at Frankfurt

Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France.

Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218.

Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a follower of his uncle Richard the Lionheart, who made him Count of Poitou in 1196. With Richard's support, he was elected King of Germany by one faction in a disputed election in 1198, sparking ten years of civil war. The death of his rival, Philip of Swabia, in 1208 left him sole king of Germany.

In 1209, Otto marched to Italy to be crowned emperor by Pope Innocent III. In 1210, he sought to unite the Kingdom of Sicily with the Empire, breaking with Innocent, who excommunicated him. He allied with England against France and participated in the alliance's defeat at Bouvines in 1214.

Historical Significance

Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218.

Events Before

  1. Philip of Swabia becomes King of the Romans

    Philip of Swabia becomes King of the Romans

  2. Chinese southern Song dynasty officially declares war on the northern Jin dynasty

    Chinese southern Song dynasty officially declares war on the northern Jin dynasty

  3. Crusader Wallon de Sarton presents Bishop of Amiens Richard de Gerberoy with purported skull of John the Baptist, stolen

    Crusader Wallon de Sarton presents Bishop of Amiens Richard de Gerberoy with purported skull of John the Baptist, stolen from Constantinople (Amiens cathedral later built to house it)

  4. King John of England grants small town of Liverpool a charter (right to elect a mayor and aldermen)

    King John of England grants small town of Liverpool a charter (right to elect a mayor and aldermen)

  5. Henry III is born

    Henry III is born

Events After

  1. Pope Innocent III crowns King of the Romans, Otto IV, as Holy Roman Emperor at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome

    Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France.

  2. Pope Innocent III excommunicates Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV

    Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France.

  3. The Santiago de Compostela Cathedral to St James is consecrated before King Alfonso IX of Leon (begun 1075) [1]

    The Santiago de Compostela Cathedral to St James is consecrated before King Alfonso IX of Leon (begun 1075) [1]

  4. Frederick II, later Holy Roman Emperor, is crowned King of Germany in Mainz

    The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans (Latin: Imperator Romanorum; German: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor...

  5. French and Spanish crusaders unite against the Almohaden at Toledo

    French and Spanish crusaders unite against the Almohaden at Toledo

More from the 1200s

The Fourth Crusade occupies and plunders Constantinople

The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III.

Louis of France (Later Louis VIII) (13) marries Blanche of Castile (12), daughter of Alfonso VIII King of Castile at Por

Louis of France (Later Louis VIII) (13) marries Blanche of Castile (12), daughter of Alfonso VIII King of Castile at Port-Mort

Siege of Constantinople begins during the Fourth Crusade, as Roman Catholic Crusaders, aboard a Venetian fleet, attack t

Siege of Constantinople begins during the Fourth Crusade, as Roman Catholic Crusaders, aboard a Venetian fleet, attack the city

King John of England (32) marries Isabella of Angoulême (12) in Bordeaux, despite her engagement to Hugh de Lusignan, Co

King John of England (32) marries Isabella of Angoulême (12) in Bordeaux, despite her engagement to Hugh de Lusignan, Count of La Marche, prompting a rebellion

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 11, 1208?
Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218. Otto spent most of his early life in England and France. He was a follower of his uncle Richard the Lionheart, who made him Count of Poitou in 1196.
Why is Otto IV, nephew of Richard the Lionheart of England, is elected Holy Roman Em... significant?
Otto IV (1175 – 19 May 1218) was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1209 until his death in 1218.

Explore More

November 11 in HistoryYear 1208