Henry IV
Henry IV, illumination from the manuscript Ekkehardi historia, c. 1113; in possession of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
Henry IV
Holy Roman emperor
Also known as: Henry VIII
Quick Facts
- Born:
- November 11, 1050, Goslar?, Saxony
- Died:
- August 7, 1106, Liège, Lorraine (aged 55)
- Title / Office:
- king (1054-1106), Germany
- House / Dynasty:
- Salian dynasty
- Notable Family Members:
- mother Agnes of Poitou
Henry IV (born November 11, 1050, Goslar?, Saxony—died August 7, 1106, Liège, Lorraine) was the duke of Bavaria (as Henry VIII; 1055–61), German king (from 1054), and Holy Roman emperor (1084–1105/06), who engaged in a long struggle with Hildebrand (Pope Gregory VII) on the question of lay investiture (see Investiture Controversy), eventually drawing excommunication on himself and doing penance at Canossa (1077). His last years were spent countering the rebellion of his sons Conrad and Henry (the future Henry V). Henry’s father, Henry III, had retained a firm hold on the church and had resolved a schism in Rome (1046), ...(100 of 2588 words)