Home Region: Central Europe (Europe)

Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty

919 CE 1125 CE

D G SC CC

OTHER de_empire_1

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

842 CE 919 CE East Francia (de_east_francia) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

1126 CE 1254 CE Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2) [continuity]

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General Description

The Holy Roman Empire encompassed, at various times, the present-day countries of Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. It had no central capital. The Emperor did not rule the individual nations in the coalition; thus, it was not a unitary state, but a confederation of constituent polities. It did not have common laws, language or customs. What did unite the countries of the empire was the Catholic faith, under the twin leadership of the papacy, and an emperor, the ‘Defender of the Roman Catholic Faith’. Though there was no centralised governance, it was Germany and its kings, who emerged as the core region of the empire. By 1030 German kings were consistently crowned as the Holy Roman Emperor. ^[1]
At an earlier stage, the Empire consisted of the Kingdoms of Germany, Italy and Burgundy (from 1052) and was known more commonly as the Ottonian Empire. It wasn’t until the mid-twelfth century that historians generally consider it to be the Holy Roman Empire when other states such as Bohemia and Hungary were taken within its borders.^[2]
There is a lack of literature on the HRE as a single entity: “A major reason for the Empire’s relative scholarly neglect is that its history is so difficult to tell. The Empire lacked the things giving shape to conventional national history: a stable heartland, a capital city, centralized political institutions and, perhaps most fundamentally, a single ‘nation’. It was also very large and lasted a long time. A conventional chronological approach would become unfeasibly long, or risk conveying a false sense of linear development and reduce the Empire’s history to a high political narrative.” ^[3]
Because the Holy Roman Empire was such an inchoate polity, assigning its start and end dates, by necessity, involves a degree of arbitrariness. The origins of this polity go back to East Francia, which formed after the division of the Carolingian Empire in 843. In 919 the kingship of this polity passed from the Carolingian to the Ottonian dynasty. The first ruler of the Kingdom of Germany was the Duke of Saxony Henry the Fowler. His son, Otto I the Great, was crowned as Roman Emperor in 963. Thus, the medieval German Empire formed in stages between 843 and 963; we chose to assign the beginning date to 919, thus designating East Francia, ruled by Charlemagne descendants, to a separate Seshat polity.
The Ottonian period was generally characterized by (relative) internal peace and territorial expansion, and is considered as one of the three medieval renaissances.
When the last Ottonian emperor, Henry II, died childless, the imperial princes elected Conrad II as emperor. As a result, the empire passed from the Ottonian to Salian dynasty, the latter being based in Franconia. The Salian dynasty produced four Emperors.
Towards the end of the Salian rule, the Empire was riven by multiple conflicts between the emperor and the pope, imperial bishops, and secular princes. The last Salian emperor, Henry V, died childless in 1125, and the empire passed on to the Hohenstaufen dynasty.

[1]: Wilson 2016: 5-7. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/N5M9R9XA

[2]: Power 2006: 17, 210. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/4V4WE3ZK.

[3]: Wilson 2016: 5. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/N5M9R9XA

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

3 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

Religion

1 Religion Genus

1 Religion Family

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

1 Largest Communication Distance

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

1 Source Of Support

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

1 Communal Building

1 Utilitarian Public Building

1 Symbolic Building

1 Knowledge Or Information Building

1 Entertainment Building

1 Special Purpose House

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

1 Trading Emporia

1 Special Purpose Site

1 Ceremonial Site

1 Burial Site

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Non Phonetic Writing

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Article

1 Store Of Wealth

1 Debt And Credit Structure

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

1 Weight Measurement System

1 Volume Measurement System

1 Time Measurement System

1 Length Measurement System

1 Geometrical Measurement System

1 Area Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

Military use of Metals

Projectiles

Handheld weapons

Animals used in warfare

Armor

Naval technology

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions

9 Power Transition

Instability Events

43 Instability Event

General Variables

Identity and Location Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	32 U	919 CE 1125 CE
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Original Name	Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty	919 CE 1125 CE
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Capital	None	919 CE 1125 CE
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Alternative Name	German Kingdom	919 CE 1125 CE
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Alternative Name	Sacrum Imperium Romanum	919 CE 1125 CE
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Alternative Name	Heiliges Römisches Reich	919 CE 1125 CE
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Temporal Bounds Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	1050 CE
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Duration	[919 CE ➜ 1125 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Succeeding Entity	Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties	919 CE 1125 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuation	919 CE 1125 CE
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Preceding Entity 842 CE 919 CE	East Francia (de_east_francia) [continuity]
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Succeeding Entity 1126 CE 1254 CE	Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	confederated state	919 CE 1125 CE
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Language Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Religion Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Christianity	919 CE 1125 CE
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Religion Family	Catholicism	919 CE 1125 CE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	100,000 people	919 CE 1125 CE
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Polity Territory	1,000,000 km²	1050 CE
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Polity Population	21,500,000 people	919 CE 1125 CE
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Largest Communication Distance	1683	919 CE 1125 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	5	919 CE 1125 CE
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Religious Level	6	919 CE 1125 CE
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Military Level	- Suspected	919 CE 1125 CE
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Administrative Level	- Suspected	919 CE 1125 CE
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Professions Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present Inferred	919 CE 1125 CE
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Source Of Support	unknown Suspected	919 CE 1125 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Merit Promotion	Unknown Suspected	919 CE 1125 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Examination System	Unknown Suspected	919 CE 1125 CE
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Law Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Judge	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Court	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Irrigation System	Absent Inferred	919 CE 1125 CE
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Food Storage Site	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Unknown Suspected	919 CE 1125 CE
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Communal Building	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Utilitarian Public Building	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Symbolic Building	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Knowledge Or Information Building	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Entertainment Building	Unknown Suspected	919 CE 1125 CE
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Special Purpose House	Unknown Suspected	919 CE 1125 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Port	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Bridge	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Trading Emporia	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Special Purpose Site	Unknown Suspected	919 CE 1125 CE
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Ceremonial Site	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Burial Site	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Information / Writing System Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Script	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	919 CE 1125 CE
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Mnemonic Device	Unknown Suspected	919 CE 1125 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Sacred Text	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Religious Literature	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Practical Literature	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Philosophy	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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History	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Fiction	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Calendar	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Information / Money Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Absent Inferred	919 CE 1125 CE
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Precious Metal	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Paper Currency	Absent	919 CE 1125 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Article	Absent Inferred	919 CE 1125 CE
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Store Of Wealth	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Debt And Credit Structure	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Information / Postal System Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Absent	919 CE 1125 CE
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General Postal Service	Absent	919 CE 1125 CE
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Courier	Present Inferred	919 CE 1125 CE
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Information / Measurement System Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Weight Measurement System	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Volume Measurement System	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Time Measurement System	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Length Measurement System	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Geometrical Measurement System	Unknown Suspected	919 CE 1125 CE
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Area Measurement System	Present	919 CE 1125 CE
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Military use of Metals Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Projectiles Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Handheld weapons Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Animals used in warfare Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Armor Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Naval technology Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Human Sacrifice Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More