The flight and fall of the eagle : a history of medieval germany, 800-1648 / John R. Sommerfeldt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sommerfeldt, John R., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Politics and government.

Germany--Politics and government--To 1517.

Germany.

Germany--Politics and government--16th century.

Germany--Politics and government--17th century.

Physical Description:

xii, 198 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham : Hamilton Books, An Imprint of Rowman & Littlefield, [2017]

Summary:

The intellectual, cultural and political renaissance that characterized the Europe of Charlemagne was threatened severely by invasions from all sides. Only Germany avoided the consequent phenomenon of feudalism. This was due to a series of rulers who provided protection to the people, reform to the Church, and patronage of cultural revival. From the thirteenth century, this cultural and political unity began to fragment, and by 1648 what had been a successful revival of the Roman Empire had been destroyed. In addition to tracing the political, cultural -and religious history of medieval Germany, this volume examines the thought of outstanding German men and women, and includes an extensive account of the changing status of German Jews. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 The Eagle Is Born 1

2 Restoring the Roman Empire 5

A Prelude to Empire 5

B The Carolingians Replaced 7

C Protecting the Homeland 10

D Creating a State 12

E Enlisting Leaders of the Church 13

F Administering the Kingdom 14

G Italy and Empire 16

H The Ottoman Renaissance 17

J Hrotswitha of Gandersheim 19

K The End of the Old Warrior's Campaign 20

3 Growing Peace and Prosperity 23

A The Agricultural Revolution 23

B Otto II: Advances and Setbacks 26

C Sources of Strength 29

D A Flourishing Culture 29

4 A Vision of Christendom 31

A The Early Years of Otto in 31

B Pope Sylvester II 32

C Adelbert of Prague, Boleslav the Bold, and Stephen of Hungary 33

D Church Reform and Roman Restoration 34

E Intellectual Life under Otto III 35

F The End of the Reign 36

5 Reform and Imperial Theocracy 37

A The King and Emperor 37

B Episcopal and Monastic Reform 38

C Imperial Theocracy 39

D The Making of the Theocrat 40

E The Governance of the Empire 41

F Universality and Regionalism 42

6 The Construction of a State 45

A Choosing the King 45

B The Governance of the Realm 46

C The Triumphant Warrior and Diplomat 49

D Conrad and the Church 51

E Death and Legacy 52

7 Apogee of Empire 55

A The Accession of Henry III 55

B The Governance of the Realm 56

C Dealing with Dukes and Kings 57

D Defending Frontiers 58

E The Benevolent Theocrat 58

F The Reform Captures Rome 59

8 The Investiture Conflict 63

A Reform: The Second Phase 63

B Henry IV 64

C The Battle Is Joined 66

D The Roots of the Struggle 69

9 The Great Settlement 71

A Henry V Ascends the Throne 71

B Pursuing a Compromise 74

C The Resolution 76

10 Kings, Cistercians, and Crusades 79

A Lothar the Saxon 79

B Cistercians and the Third Stage of the Reform 80

C The Schism of 1130 82

D The Reign of Conrad in 83

E Calling a New Crusade 83

F The Journey to the East 85

G The Other Crusades 86

11 Three Gifted Germans 89

A Anselm of Havelberg and the Idea of Progress 89

B Hildegard of Bingen: The Sibyl of the Rhine 91

C Otto of Freising Offers a Mirror for Princes 93

12 The Red-Bearded Ruler 97

A The Long Reign Begins 97

B Building a Power Base 98

C Capturing the Church 99

D Taming the Most Powerful 100

E The First Italian Expedition and the Diet of Besancon 100

F The Second Italian Expedition and the Diet of Roncaglia 102

G The Third and Fourth Expeditions 104

H The Fifth and Sixth Expeditions 105

J The Defiance of Henry the Lion 107

K The Third Crusade 108

L The Legacy 109

M Assessments 112

13 The Flowering of Medieval German Literature 113

14 The Turning Point 119

A Henry VI, an Ambitious Emperor 119

B Pope Innocent III 121

C The Much-disputed Succession 122

D The End of the Ottoman Empire 123

15 Political Reconstitution 127

A The Failure of Imperial Rule 127

B The Golden Bull 130

C Continuing Decentralization 132

D Territorialism 135

16 The Late Medieval Laity 139

A The Governing and Military Classes 139

B Merchants, Manufacturers, and Tradesmen 140

C The Farmers' Life 142

D Pandemic and Persecution 143

17 Thirteenth-Century Friars and Holy Women 145

A Blackfiiars 146

B Holy Women 149

18 Fourteenth-Century Spiritual Leaders 157

A Meister Eckhart 157

B John Tauler 159

C Henry Suso 160

D John Ruusbroec 162

E Gert Groote and the Devotio Moderna 163

19 The Failure of the Institutional Church 165

A The Late Medieval Papacy 165

B The Babylonian Captivity 165

C The German Church: The Bishops 168

D The German Church: Parish Life 168

E Popular Piety 169

F Indulgences 171

20 The Cusanus 173

A Youth and Education 173

B The Council of Basel 174

C The Mission to Constantinople 175

D The Papal Legate 175

E The Reforming Cardinal 176

F The Bishop of Brixen 176

G The Wide Range of Intellectual Concerns 177

H The Last Days 178

21 The Death of the Eagle 179

A Two German Reformers 179

B The Indulgence Controversy 180

C Biblical Editions and Translations 181

D Grace and Free Choice 182

E The Churches Split 183

F The Thirty Years' War 183.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9780761868385

0761868380

OCLC:

957021981

Publisher Number:

99970014547