• Born: 11 Nov 1050, Goslar, Saxony
• Married (1): 13 Jul 1066, Tribur, Hessen, Germany
• Married (2): 17 Aug 1089, Köln, Germany
• Died: 7 Aug 1106, Liège, Belgium
• Buried: Speyer Cathedral

  Research Notes:

The Annalista Saxo records the birth of "Heinrico inperatori filius quartus Heinricus".

He was installed as HEINRICH VIII Duke of Bavaria 1053-1054. His father crowned him associate king of Germany at Aachen 17 Jul 1054. He succeeded his father in 1056 as HEINRICH IV King of Germany, under the regency of his mother until 1062 when she resigned after Heinrich was kidnapped by Anno [II] Archbishop of Köln, who continued as regent until the king was declared of age 29 Mar 1065. King Heinrich faced many difficulties with his nobility. He deprived Otto von Northeim of the duchy of Bavaria in 1070 after accusing him of an assassination plot. He imprisoned Magnus Billung Duke in Saxony, who had supported Otto von Northeim. He also lost the support of Rudolf von Rheinfelden Duke of Swabia, Berthold Duke of Carinthia and Welf IV Duke of Bavaria, who were said to have considered deposing him. King Heinrich was eventually forced to leave his fortress of Harzburg and seek protection in Worms, for which he rewarded the town with special privileges in 1074. Under the peace of Gerstungen in early Feb 1074, he was obliged to demolish his castles, except Harzburg although the latter was stormed by Saxon peasantry and destroyed. Difficulties with the papacy centred around the dispute about lay investiture in Germany. After King Heinrich's accession, the right of patricius to cast the first vote in papal elections was largely ignored, resulting in declining German influence in the selection of new Popes. Matters came to a head when the king sent Pope Gregory VII an accusatory letter, issued by the assembly at Worms held 21 Jan 1076. The Pope, in response, deposed and excommunicated the king, who was forced into obedience. King Heinrich crossed the Alps into Italy with his family and appeared in Jan 1077 as a penitent before the castle of Canossa, in which the Pope had taken refuge, and forced a reconciliation. The German princes, affronted by the withdrawal of the excommunication, elected Rudolf von Rheinfelden as rival king of Germany at Forcheim in Feb 1077. The Pope repeated his excommunication order in 1080, and declared support for the anti-king. King Heinrich responded by having Archbishop Wibert of Ravenna elected as Pope Clement III in Brixen in Jun 1080, and eventually bringing the rival pope to Rome for his enthronement at Easter 1084, after which Heinrich was crowned Emperor HEINRICH III 31 Mar 1084. In the deepening dispute between Church and empire, Emperor Heinrich enjoyed temporary success against Matilda Ctss of Tuscany, one of the Pope's most ardent supporters, and defeated her troops at Tresenta in 1091. However, the emperor was left without political support and was obliged to remain confined in a castle near Verona to avoid capture. He returned to Germany in 1097 after six years campaigning in Italy, and recovered some of his political power after reconciling himself with the Welf and Zähringen families. He held an assembly at Mainz in 1098 to regulate the succession, declaring his older son deposed and nominating his younger son as his successor. In 1102, Pope Paschal II renewed the excommunication against the emperor who largely ignored the move. At a general assembly in Mainz in 1103, the emperor proclaimed a four year peace for the empire, but in 1105 his son Heinrich rebelled against him, captured his father, forced him to hand over the royal insignia, and held him semi-prisoner at Ingelheim. The younger Heinrich declared himself sole king of Germany at an assembly in Mainz in early 1106. His father, however, escaped and rallied his forces around Liège, where he defeated his son's army. The victory was short-lived as Emperor Heinrich III died soon after.

The Gesta Friderici of Otto of Freising records his death at Liège and burial at Speyer. The necrology of Prüm records the death "1106 7 Id Aug" of "Heinricus imperator filius Heinrici imperator". The Annales Spirenses record his burial at Speyer. ¹