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The Holy Roman Empire

What is it exactly?

A germanic empire located in central Europe, that began with the coronation of Charlemagne in 800 AD.

It was theoretically the western half of the remains of the Roman Empire. The spiritual leader of the empire was the pope, beginning with Pope Leo III.

The pope gained the power to crown Charlemagne from an "ancient document" that he "found" called the Donations of Constantine. It would cause the question of who really held the power: the emperor or the pope.

The Holy Roman Empire was horribly decentralized. Although it was officially ruled by an emperor, his power was largely limited to his personal resources and persuasive abilities with the strong noble families.

Princes were the main authority within their territories. They had much power, including the right to levy taxes and borrow money as needed. Many towns were protected from taxes so the burden fell to the peasants.

Peasants were the absolute lowest group on the social ladder. They were the property of their masters and everything that belonged to a peasant also belongs to their superior.

Corruption within the clergy was rampant. Like many princes, clergymen would often take advantage of their subjects by the selling of indulgences and other interesting items.

Saxony became an economic hub. It was a place where merchants from the east and west could meet and trade. Many northern cities came together to form the Hanseatic League, founded in 1241.

With the spread of humanism as well as the ease of the new printing technology, literacy rates rose and the Catholics no longer held a monopoly on higher learning.

The Black Death

The black death came to Europe around 1347. The plague enhanced the power of the church within the empire. It also caused widespread immigration to Poland, Bohemia, and Hungary.

The Printing Press

Jews

The printing press was invented in Germany in 1439. It was very helpful to spread the ideas of the renaissance and Christianity.

The people of the holy Roman Empire were highly anti-Semitic. They were blamed for causing and spreading the black death. Because of this they were oppressed, tortured, or even killed. Others were forced to leave the empire (1349). Many immigrated to Poland where they were welcomed.

Bibliography

Gascoigne, Bamber. “History of The Holy Roman Empire.” HistoryWorld. From 2001, ongoing. <http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=aa35>.

"Holy Roman Empire." Holy Roman Empire. Web. 31 Aug. 2012.

<http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/holy_roman_empire_30YW.htm>.

“Holy Roman Empire”. Medieval World. 2001. Print.

McKay, John P., Bennett D. Hill, John Buckler, Clare Haru Crowston, Merry E. Wiesner-

Hanks and Joe Perry. A History of Western Society. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. Print.

Warnock, Robert, George K. Anderson. “Politics in Fifteenth Century Europe.” Headlines in

History: the 1400s. Ed. Stuart A. Kallen. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2001. 41.

Print.

"Worldology." Worldology. Web. 31 Aug. 2012. <http://worldology.com/>.

"Historical Maps of the Holy Roman Empire." Historical Maps of the Holy Roman Empire. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 30 Aug. 2012. <http://www.edmaps.com/html/holy_roman_empire.html>.

“Holy Roman Empire.” Exploring the Middle Ages. 2006. Print.

“Holy Roman Empire.” The Middle Ages. 1996. Print.

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