The Werla meeting takes place in April and Henry, through his cousins, Abbess Sophia I of Gandersheim and Adelheid I of Quedlinburg, the sisters of deceased Otto III, succeed in having his election confirmed, at least in part by hereditary right.

Nevertheless, Eckard receives enough support to commandeer the closing banquet of the Werla assembly and dine in state with Duke Bernard I of Saxony and Bishop Arnulf of Halberstadt.

Eckard is subsequently honored as royalty by Bishop Bernward when he arrives at Hildesheim.

Within days, however, he his assassinated by agents of his Saxon opposition in Pöhlde.

Among these rivals are Count Henry III of Stade, his brother Udo, and Count Siegfried II of Northeim.

The new German monarch appears before the Saxons in mid-July in full regal apparel as " King Henry II".

Here, Henry peersuades Bernard I, Duke of Saxony, to support his claims to the throne.

In return for his support, Henry will guarantee Bernard's right to rule the Saxons and to represent their interests before the king.

Henry II had promised to install Henry of Schweinfurt, Margrave of Nordgau, as his successor to the Duchy of Bavaria in exchange for supporting his claim to the German crown.

Upon assuming the throne, however, Henry II had refused to honor his promise, and instead supported the rights of the Bavarians to elect their own duke.

With Henry II's support, Count Henry I of Luxembourg becomes the Duke of Bavaria as Henry V. Margrave Henry, thus betrayed by Henry II, allies with Duke Boleslaw I of Poland against the king.

However, his rebellion is soon quashed and the Nordgauian Margrave is deposed in 1004.

Henry II now abolishes the March of Nordgau.

He will establish the Diocese of Bamberg in 1007, and transfer secular authority over the March's former territory to the Diocese in order to prevent further uprisings.