Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great (912 - May
7, 973), son of Henry I the Fowler, king of the Germans, and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany and
arguably the first Holy Roman Emperor.
Succeeding his father as king in 936, Otto
defeated the Magyars
in 955 at the Battle of Lechfeld near Augsburg,
halting their advance in central Europe. In 963, Otto defeated Mieszko I, duke of Poland and
compelled him to pay tribute.
On February 2,
962 Pope
John XII crowned Otto Emperor. Though the term "Holy Roman
Empire" was not used for more than 200 years afterwards, Otto is sometimes
considered its founder, and is counted as the first in a succession of emperors
of various dynasties which ended only in 1806. (Note: Charlemagne
was crowned Emperor in 800, reviving the idea of a western Roman Emperor, so is
also seen by some as the first Holy Roman Emperor. He was followed by a number
of Carolingian
Emperors. Otto began the association between the title of Emperor and the
German kingship.)
His younger brother was Archbishop Bruno I of Cologne.
Preceded by:
Henry I the Fowler (as king of Germany)
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Holy Roman Emperors
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Succeeded by:
Otto II
(as king of Germany)
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