Henry II, the last ruler of the Ottonian dynasty, was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1014. His reign is distinguished by strong cooperation with the papacy, energetic involvement in Italian affairs, and sustained support for ecclesiastical reform. He is the only German king to be canonised, recognised as Saint Henry by the Church (canonised 1146).

Imperial Policy and Italy

Henry secured the German crown in 1002 following the death of Otto III. His authority was contested, but he consolidated power through diplomacy and force. In 1004 he was crowned King of Italy at Pavia, asserting imperial claims south of the Alps.

In 1014, he travelled to Rome where Pope Benedict VIII ⓘ crowned him Emperor. The alliance between emperor and pope proved central to both men’s policies.

During the 1020s Henry intervened repeatedly in southern Italy. Responding to Benedict’s concerns about Byzantine expansion and local defection to Greek authority, Henry led an expedition in 1022 to restore imperial control in the Mezzogiorno. Although not permanently decisive, the campaign reinforced imperial prestige and papal-imperial cooperation.

Reform and the Church

Henry was deeply committed to ecclesiastical reform. He opposed simony ⓘ, supported clerical discipline, and worked closely with Benedict VIII at the Synod of Pavia ⓘ (1022) to address abuses within the clergy.

He promoted monastic reform and maintained close relations with reforming circles influenced by Cluny Abbey ⓘ. His reign reflects the growing alignment between imperial authority and moral reform within the Church — developments that foreshadowed the wider eleventh-century reform movement.

Foundation of Bamberg

One of Henry’s most enduring legacies was the foundation of the bishopric of Bamberg in 1007. He endowed it richly, intending it as a missionary and reform centre within the empire.

Bamberg Cathedral became the spiritual heart of this foundation and later his burial place. Henry and Empress Cunigunde are both interred there.

Sanctity and Canonisation

Henry and Cunigunde lived in a childless marriage that medieval tradition regarded as marked by piety and chastity. Henry was canonised in 1146 by Pope Eugenius III, reflecting his reputation as a just ruler and patron of the Church.

He died in 1024, bringing the Ottonian dynasty to an end. The imperial crown passed to the Salian dynasty under Conrad II.

Historical Significance

Henry II stands at the intersection of empire and reform. His reign strengthened cooperation between emperor and papacy before the tensions that would later erupt in the Investiture Controversy. As both emperor and saint, he occupies a unique position in medieval political and ecclesiastical history.