Individual Details
Ludwig IV (Der Bayer) Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
(1 Apr 1282 - 11 Oct 1347)
Duke of Bavaria
Ludwig was born on 1 April 1282, the son of Ludwig II 'der Strenge', Herzog von Bayern, and his second wife Mathilde von Habsburg. In 1294 he followed his father as duke of Bavaria, but with his brother Rudolf and his mother acting as his regents. About 1309 he married Beatrix von Schlesien-Glogau, daughter of Bolko I von Schlesien, Herzog von Jauer und Schweidnitz, and Markgräfin Beatrix von Brandenburg. They had six children of whom two sons and a daughter who would have progeny.
On 20 October 1314 he was elected German king (emperor-elect) and he was crowned as emperor in Aachen on 25 November of the same year. In 1322 at the battle of Mühldorf he defeated Friedrich of Austria and consolidated his position. Ludwig's wife Beatrix died the same year, and on 26 February 1324 he married Margarethe, countess of Holland, Zeeland and Hainault, daughter of Willem III 'the Good', Graaf van Holland and Hainault, and Jeanne de Valois. They had nine children of whom two sons and two daughters would have progeny.
When Ludwig asked for the blessing of Pope John XXII on his coronation as emperor, the pope refused, giving rise to a violent disagreement between them. The ideas of Marsilius of Padua and William of Ockham on the invalidity of the pope's temporal power provided ammunition for Ludwig. On 23 March 1324 the pope excommunicated Ludwig. In 1327 he led a German army into Italy to fight for the independence of the German crown and free Germany from a pope who was only interested in obtaining free land for himself in Italy.
The last imperial puppet-pope was appointed when in 1328 Ludwig IV declared Pope John XXII deposed and replaced him with an obscure Franciscan as 'Nicholas V', who crowned Ludwig again in Rome on 17 January 1328. Nicholas V then left Rome in the imperial baggage train, and his ignominious reign ended in capture and imprisonment in 1330. In 1337 Ludwig entered into an alliance with Edward III, king of England, as Philippe VI, king of France had started to prey on German territory. In 1338 the leader of the Church in Germany approached the restored Pope John XXII and asked him to forgive Ludwig, which the pope refused to do, causing ill feeling against the pope throughout Germany. In 1340 war broke out between England and France, and the French lost the battle of Sluys, which stopped the French king from seizing more German territory. Ludwig only half-heartedly supported the English as the German princes withdrew their support.
On 20 December 1340 Ludwig inherited Lower-Bavaria. He died on 11 October 1347 while hunting bears at Fürstenfeld near Munich.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Ludwig was born on 1 April 1282, the son of Ludwig II 'der Strenge', Herzog von Bayern, and his second wife Mathilde von Habsburg. In 1294 he followed his father as duke of Bavaria, but with his brother Rudolf and his mother acting as his regents. About 1309 he married Beatrix von Schlesien-Glogau, daughter of Bolko I von Schlesien, Herzog von Jauer und Schweidnitz, and Markgräfin Beatrix von Brandenburg. They had six children of whom two sons and a daughter who would have progeny.
On 20 October 1314 he was elected German king (emperor-elect) and he was crowned as emperor in Aachen on 25 November of the same year. In 1322 at the battle of Mühldorf he defeated Friedrich of Austria and consolidated his position. Ludwig's wife Beatrix died the same year, and on 26 February 1324 he married Margarethe, countess of Holland, Zeeland and Hainault, daughter of Willem III 'the Good', Graaf van Holland and Hainault, and Jeanne de Valois. They had nine children of whom two sons and two daughters would have progeny.
When Ludwig asked for the blessing of Pope John XXII on his coronation as emperor, the pope refused, giving rise to a violent disagreement between them. The ideas of Marsilius of Padua and William of Ockham on the invalidity of the pope's temporal power provided ammunition for Ludwig. On 23 March 1324 the pope excommunicated Ludwig. In 1327 he led a German army into Italy to fight for the independence of the German crown and free Germany from a pope who was only interested in obtaining free land for himself in Italy.
The last imperial puppet-pope was appointed when in 1328 Ludwig IV declared Pope John XXII deposed and replaced him with an obscure Franciscan as 'Nicholas V', who crowned Ludwig again in Rome on 17 January 1328. Nicholas V then left Rome in the imperial baggage train, and his ignominious reign ended in capture and imprisonment in 1330. In 1337 Ludwig entered into an alliance with Edward III, king of England, as Philippe VI, king of France had started to prey on German territory. In 1338 the leader of the Church in Germany approached the restored Pope John XXII and asked him to forgive Ludwig, which the pope refused to do, causing ill feeling against the pope throughout Germany. In 1340 war broke out between England and France, and the French lost the battle of Sluys, which stopped the French king from seizing more German territory. Ludwig only half-heartedly supported the English as the German princes withdrew their support.
On 20 December 1340 Ludwig inherited Lower-Bavaria. He died on 11 October 1347 while hunting bears at Fürstenfeld near Munich.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | 1 Apr 1282 | Munich | |||
| Marriage | 26 Feb 1324 | Köln - Countess Margaretha of Holland, Zeeland et Henegouwen | |||
| Death | 11 Oct 1347 | Fürstenfeld, nr. Munich | |||
| Burial | Munich |
Families
| Spouse | Countess Margaretha of Holland, Zeeland et Henegouwen (1310 - 1356) |
| Child | Duke Albrecht I of Bavaria, Count of Holland (1336 - 1404) |
| Father | Duke Ludwig II (der Strenge) of Bavaria (1229 - 1294) |
| Mother | Mathilde von Habsburg (1253 - 1304) |