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42-764: Today, the ruins of the legendary "palace" of Bodfeld are suspected to lie on a hill spur called the Schloßkopf north of Elbingerode. Surviving documents record at least 17 occasions when kings or emperors stayed at Bodfeld whilst hunting in the Harz. Henry I stayed in Bodfeld several times, for example he fell ill here in 935. Otto I characterised Bodfeld in 936 as a hunting lodge ( Jagdhof ); he visited Bodfeld at least 3 times and Otto II four times. Otto III spent at least 14 days in Bodfeld in 991 together with his grandmother, Adelheid, and visited it again in 995. Conrad II

84-577: A centralized monarchy, ruling through federated autonomous stem duchies instead. Henry built an extensive system of fortifications and mobile heavy cavalry across Germany to neutralize the Magyar threat and in 933 routed them at the Battle of Riade , ending Magyar attacks for the next 21 years and giving rise to a sense of German nationhood. Henry greatly expanded German hegemony in Europe with his defeat of

126-686: A character in Richard Wagner 's opera, Lohengrin (1850), trying to gain the support of the Brabantian nobles against the Magyars. After the attempts to achieve German national unity failed with the Revolutions of 1848 , Wagner strongly relied on the picture of Henry as the actual ruler of all German tribes as advocated by pan-Germanist activists like Friedrich Ludwig Jahn . There are indications that Heinrich Himmler saw himself as

168-445: A foot (gressum pedis) of land. This was also the reason – by God's will (Dei nutu) – for him having been defeated in this first campaign. This can be seen as proof that Henry did campaign against Bavaria, and Arnulf, more than once. In the second chapter, the unknown chronicler hints that Henry's predecessor on the throne, Conrad I , had also invaded Bavaria in an equally unlawful and hostile (non regaliter, sed hostiliter) fashion. Conrad

210-413: A great hall, a second assembly hall, other residential buildings, gatehouse and stone walls on two sides. Bodfeld is also the name of an area of forest which Henry II ceded to Gandersheim Abbey in 1009 as part of an exchange. Its boundaries may be deduced from an enfeoffment letter by Abbess Sophia of Gandersheim dating to the year A.D. 1319. According to that this forest area extended from Braunlage in

252-418: A new elite cavalry force. Henry built fortified settlements as a defense against Magyar and Slav invaders. In 932 Henry refused to pay the annual tribute to the Magyars. When they began raiding again, Henry, with his improved army in 933 at the Battle of Riade , crushed the Magyars so completely that they never returned to the northern lands of Henry's kingdom. During the truce with the Magyars, Henry subdued

294-529: A place of subordination as allies in 935. Henry planned an expedition to Rome to be crowned emperor by the pope , but the design was thwarted by his death. Henry prevented a collapse of royal power, as had happened in West Francia , and left a much stronger kingdom to his successor Otto I . He was buried at Quedlinburg Abbey , established by his wife Matilda in his honour. Born in Memleben , in what

336-527: A question mark over Thankmar's legitimacy. Later that year he married Matilda , daughter of Dietrich of Ringelheim , Count in Westphalia . Matilda bore him three sons and two daughters, Hedwig and Gerberga , and founded many religious institutions, including the Quedlinburg Abbey where Henry and Matilda are buried. She was later canonized . His son Otto I , traditionally known as Otto

378-644: Is described as a glorious leader (gloriosus dux), being blessed by heaven (ex alto) with all kinds of virtues, brave and dynamic. He alone had saved his people from the scourge of the Saxons (de sevienti gladio paganorum) and given them back their freedom. This panegyric to the Bavarian duke is unparalleled for its time and underlines his position of power in the southeast of the East Frankish realm, so endangered by disintegration, so that "Arnulf ... nearly [found]

420-567: Is now Saxony-Anhalt , Henry was the son of Otto the Illustrious , Duke of Saxony, and his wife Hedwiga , who was probably the daughter of Henry of Franconia . In 906 he married Hatheburg of Merseburg , daughter of the Saxon count Erwin. She had previously been a nun. The marriage was annulled in 909 because her vows as a nun were deemed by the church to remain valid. She had already given birth to Henry's son Thankmar . The annulment placed

462-407: Is said to have marauded through the land, murdering and pillaging, having made many children orphans (orphanos) and women widows (viduas). Ratisbon , the duke's seat, was set to light and looted. After Conrad committed all these crimes (peccatis), it reports that divine providence (divino nutu) forced him to withdraw. The reason for this is not mentioned. The last section is a eulogy to Duke Arnulf who

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504-584: The Duchy of Bohemia and forced Duke Wenceslaus I to resume the annual payment of tribute to the king. Meanwhile, the Slavic Redarii had driven away their chief, captured the town of Walsleben and massacred its inhabitants. Counts Bernard and Thietmar marched against the fortress of Lenzen beyond the Elbe, and, after fierce fighting , completely routed the enemy on 4 September 929. The Lusatians and

546-588: The Polabian Slavs who lived on his eastern borders. In the winter of 928 he marched against the Slavic Hevelli tribes and seized their capital, Brandenburg . He then invaded the Glomacze lands on the middle Elbe river, conquering the capital Gana (Jahna) after a siege , and had a fortress (the later Albrechtsburg ) built at Meissen . In 929, with the help of Arnulf of Bavaria, Henry entered

588-559: The Ukrani on the lower Oder were subdued and made tributary in 932 and 934, respectively. In conquered lands Henry did not create march administration, which was implemented by his successor Otto I. Henry also pacified territories to the north, where the Danes had been harrying the Frisians by sea. The monk and chronicler Widukind of Corvey in his Res gestae Saxonicae reports that

630-549: The king of East Francia from 919 until his death in 936. As the first non- Frankish king of East Francia, he established the Ottonian dynasty of kings and emperors , and he is generally considered to be the founder of the medieval German state , known until then as East Francia. An avid hunter , he obtained the epithet "the Fowler" because he was allegedly fixing his birding nets when messengers arrived to inform him that he

672-418: The reincarnation of Henry, who was proclaimed to be the first king of Germany. Himmler traveled to Quedlinburg several times to hold a ceremony in the crypt on the anniversary of the king's death, 2 July. This started in 1936, 1,000 years after Henry died. Himmler considered him to be the "first German king" and declared his tomb a site of pilgrimage for Germans. In 1937, the king's remains were reinterred in

714-529: The Bavarian March of Carinthia by Eberhard and the Count of Meran and another group was routed by Liutfried , count of Elsass (French reading: Alsace ), the Magyars continued raiding East Francia. Henry, having captured a Hungarian prince, managed to arrange a ten-year truce in 924, though he agreed to pay annual tribute. By doing so he and the dukes gained time to build new fortified towns and to train

756-654: The Danes were subjects of Henry the Fowler. Henry incorporated into his kingdom territories held by the Wends , who together with the Danes had attacked Germany, and also conquered Schleswig in 934. As the first Saxon king of East Francia, Henry was the founder of the Ottonian dynasty . He and his descendants ruled East Francia, and later the Holy Roman Empire, from 919 until 1024. Henry had two wives and at least six children: Henry returned to public attention as

798-608: The Early Historical Period in Lower Saxony . In 1933 castle researcher, Paul Grimm, proved that the Königsburg could never have existed in the era of the Saxon kings, but had been built later. His evidence was the fact that in excavations of the Königsburg no trace of red pottery had been found. In the run up to this, Schuchhardt had already changed his opinion in 1931. Grimm now suspected Bodfeld to be on

840-584: The Franks to the Saxons , who had suffered greatly during the conquests of Charlemagne and were proud of their identity. Henry, as Saxon, was the first non-Frank on the throne. Conrad's choice was conveyed by his brother, duke Eberhard III of Franconia at the Imperial Diet of Fritzlar in 919. The assembled Franconian and Saxon nobles elected Henry to be king with other regional dukes not participating in

882-579: The Great , continued his father's work of unifying all German tribes into a single kingdom and greatly expanded the king's powers. He installed members of his family in the kingdom's most important duchies, subjected the clergy to his personal control, defeated the Magyars and conquered the Kingdom of Italy . Henry became Duke of Saxony after his father's death in 912. An able ruler, he continued to strengthen

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924-608: The Slavs in 929 at the Battle of Lenzen along the Elbe river, by compelling the submission of Duke Wenceslaus I of Bohemia through an invasion of the Duchy of Bohemia the same year and by conquering Danish realms in Schleswig in 934. Henry's hegemonic status north of the Alps was acknowledged by the kings Rudolph of West Francia and Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy , who both accepted

966-518: The author gives a very lively impression of the disconcert Henry's claims caused in Bavaria: The piece abruptly starts with a clause. It relates that Henry I ( Saxo Heimricus ), following the advice of an unnamed bishop, had invaded the Bavarian kingdom ( regnum Baioariae ) in a hostile way. Decidedly, it hints at the unlawfulness of this encroachment, namely in that Bavaria was a territory in which none of Henry's forefathers had ever possessed even

1008-413: The duchy and besieged Gilbert at Zülpich (Tolbiac), captured the town, and became master of a large portion of his lands. Allowing Gilbert to remain in power as duke, Henry arranged the marriage of his daughter Gerberga to his new vassal in 928. Thus he brought that realm, which had been lost in 910, back into the kingdom as the fifth stem duchy. The threat of Magyar raiders improved his situation, as all

1050-402: The dukes and nobles realized that only a strong state could defend their lands against barbarian incursions. In 919 Henry was defeated by the Magyars in the Battle of Püchen , hardly escaping from being killed in battle, managing to take refuge in the town of Püchen. In 921 the Magyars once again invaded East Francia and Italy. Although a sizable Magyar force was defeated near Bleiburg in

1092-428: The election. Archbishop Heriger of Mainz offered to anoint Henry according to the usual ceremony, but he refused – the only king of his time not to undergo that rite – allegedly because he wished to be king not by the church's but by the people's acclaim. Henry, who was elected to kingship by only the Saxons and Franconians at Fritzlar, had to subdue the other dukes. Duke Burchard II of Swabia soon swore fealty to

1134-606: The end of the 19th century. In view of the place name Königshof ( Königshütte since 1936 when it merged with Rothehütte) he wrongly believed it to be the Königsburg on a rocky hill above the confluence of the Warme and Kalte Bode . He publicized this several times in the Harz Association's magazine for history and archaeology. Others supported his view including C. Schuchhardt in his 1924 publication, Fortresses of

1176-778: The hitherto suspected presence of a royal lodge from the Ottonian period on the Schloßkopf by the upper reaches of the Teufelsbach in the Drecktal valley northeast of Elbingerode. This could well be the royal lodge of Bodfeld which, characteristically for the period of its construction, was built on a hill spur (see also Königspfalz Werla ) although the River Bode that gave the lodge its name is about four to five kilometres from here. However, that appears to be irrelevant because

1218-773: The medieval Bodfeld was an extensive area of territory. In terms of its design, the site on the Schloßkopf resembles the Pfalz of Grone laid out by Henry I. Based on Henry's written records, Carl Erdmann described the king, who was buried in Quedlinburg , as the owner of Bodfeld and proves that "Bodfeld cannot be judged to have the political character of a 'Pfalz'" . This underscores the fact that resident monarchs in Bodfeld patently did not come here to celebrate an important church festival, whereas they always did in other places such as Quedlinburg , Magdeburg or Goslar . In 1967, Friedrich Stolberg, however, pointed out that this site

1260-432: The new king, but when he died, Henry appointed a noble from Franconia to be the new duke. Duke Arnulf of Bavaria , lord over a realm of impressive extent, with de facto powers of a king and at times even named so in documents, proved a much harder nut to crack. He would not submit until Henry defeated him in two campaigns in 921. In the short remnant of a more lengthy text, " Fragmentum de Arnulfo duce Bavariae ( de )",

1302-420: The only one who could hold the kingdom together in the face of internal revolts and external Magyar raids . Henry was elected and crowned king in 919. He went on to defeat the rebellious dukes of Bavaria and Swabia , consolidating his rule. Through successful warfare and a dynastic marriage, Henry acquired Lotharingia as a vassal in 925. Unlike his Carolingian predecessors, Henry did not seek to create

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1344-567: The other, northern side of the River Bode in the vicinity or on the site of the abandoned village of Lüttgen-Bodfeld , whose church, St. Andrew's, had been uncovered in the 19th century. He did not reach a definite conclusion, however, and wrote: "Confirmation of the exact location of the Bodfeld hunting lodge remains the subject of further research." In 1940, the diplomat, Carl Erdmann , also questioned Höfer's thesis and agreed with Grimm. Other researchers, such as Friedrich Stolberg, author of

1386-519: The position of his duchy within the weakening kingdom of East Francia , and was frequently in conflict with his neighbors to the South in the Duchy of Franconia . On 23 December 918 Conrad I , king of East Francia and Franconian duke, died. Although Henry had rebelled against Conrad I between 912 and 915 over the lands in Thuringia , Conrad recommended Henry as his successor. Kingship now changed from

1428-540: The position of the monarchy could only be consolidated gradually. Even under Otto the Great and later monarchs, consensus building would remain important. In 920, the king of West Francia , Charles the Simple , invaded and marched as far as Pfeddersheim near Worms , but retreated when he learned that Henry was organizing an army. On 7 November 921, Henry and Charles met and concluded the Treaty of Bonn , in which Henry

1470-487: The same resonance in the scarce historiography of his time, as did King Henry". Henry besieged Arnulf's residence at Ratisbon and forced the duke into submission. Arnulf had crowned himself as king of Bavaria in 919, but in 921 renounced the crown and submitted to Henry while maintaining significant autonomy and the right to mint his own coins. In his time, the king was considered primus inter pares (first among equals) . The king and princes formulated policies together and

1512-543: The standard work first published in 1967, Fortifications in and around the Harz from Early History to the Modern Period , followed suit and wrote: "The Königsburg near Königshütte is not directly related to the royal hunting lodge of Bodfeld on the other side of the Bode" It was only the most modern infra red aerial photographic technology and most recent archaeological analysis of excavated stone artefacts that confirmed

1554-427: The west to Elbingerode in the northeast and to Stiege and Beneckenstein in the south. 51°47′20″N 10°50′19″E  /  51.78889°N 10.83861°E  / 51.78889; 10.83861 Henry I of East Francia Henry the Fowler ( German : Heinrich der Vogler or Heinrich der Finkler ; Latin : Henricus Auceps ; c.  876 – 2 July 936 ) was the duke of Saxony from 912 and

1596-414: Was abandoned in the late Middle Ages in favour of nearby Elbingerode. From Heinz A. Behrens, historian and building archaeologist, who conducted the most recent research, we now have a reconstructed picture of the whole site thanks to archaeological and geo-electric surveys. There is an information board at the site which shows that the lodge was extensive yet defensible; it had a chapel, two round towers,

1638-691: Was recognized as the east Frankish king and Charles rule in Lotharingia was recognized. Henry then saw an opportunity to take Lotharingia when a civil war over royal succession began in West Francia after the coronation of King Robert I . In 923 Henry crossed the Rhine twice, capturing a large part of the duchy. The eastern part of Lotharingia was left in Henry's possession until October 924. In 925 Duke Gilbert of Lotharingia rebelled. Henry invaded

1680-599: Was recorded there once, and Henry III at least four times. The last document issued by him was written in Bodfeld (28 September 1056). Henry III died in Bodfeld after a seven-day illness on 5 October 1056 in the presence of the pope and many imperial princes. Henry IV became King of the Germans in Bodfeld in 1056. Towards the end of the 13th century the royal hunting lodge at Bodfeld and its exact location began to sink into oblivion. However, thanks to intensive research by Paul Höfer memories of Bodfeld were re-awakened at

1722-475: Was related to Saxon hunting lodges like Siptenfelde and its proximity to the Königsstieg ("King's Path") suggests there is a connexion. In all probability there was also a link between this hunting house ( Jagdhaus ) mentioned in 1483 and 1531 and the village of Erdfeld on the old Halberstadt Military Road, mentioned in 1343 in a deed by the Count of Regenstein and which lay just 1½ kilometres away. Erdfeld

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1764-462: Was to be king. He was born into the Liudolfing line of Saxon dukes. His father Otto I of Saxony died in 912 and was succeeded by Henry. The new duke launched a rebellion against the king of East Francia, Conrad I of Germany , over the rights to lands in the Duchy of Thuringia . They reconciled in 915 and on his deathbed in 918, Conrad recommended Henry as the next king, considering the duke

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