Otto III, having never married, has died without issue, leaving the Empire without a clear successor.

As the funeral procession moved through the Duchy of Bavaria in February 1002, Otto III's cousin Henry II, son of Henry the Quarrelsome, and the new Duke of Bavaria, had asked the bishops and nobles to elect him as the new king of Germany.

With the exception of the Bishop of Augsburg, Henry II had received no support for his claims.

At Otto III's funeral on Easter 1002, in Aachen, the German nobles repeat their opposition to Henry II.

Several rival candidates for the throne—Count Ezzo of Lotharingia, Margrave Eckard I of Meissen, and Duke Herman II of Swabia—strongly contest the succession of Henry II.

Henry takes the radical action of having himself anointed and crowned king by Archbishop of Mainz Willigis on June 7, 1002, without the support of the kingdom's nobility.

Henry's action marks the first time a German king is not crowned in Aachen Cathedral since Emperor Otto I began the tradition in 936 and the first time a German king assumes the throne without election by the German nobility.

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 arranges for Archbishop Willigis to crown his wife, Cunigunde of Luxembourg, as queen, one month after gaining the support of the Saxons.

He soon asserts his authority on the western frontier against the Frisians and the counts of Flanders and Luxembourg.

Henry II's Struggle for the German Throne and the Submission of Herman II of Swabia (1002)

Following the death of Emperor Otto III in January 1002, Henry II faced significant opposition in his bid to claim the German throne. The most formidable challenger was Herman II, Duke of Swabia, who contested Henry’s legitimacy based on his marital connection to the Ottonian dynasty. Their rivalry escalated into military conflict, followed by a prolonged struggle for the loyalty of the kingdom’s nobles.

Herman II’s Challenge to Henry II

• Herman II of Swabia asserted his claim as Otto III’s rightful heir due to his marriage to a daughter of Liudolf, the eldest son of Emperor Otto I.
• The armed conflicts between Henry and Herman were inconclusive, leading to a prolonged political strugglefor the support of Swabian nobles.
• Swabia, a powerful and autonomous duchy, became the primary battleground in this contest for legitimacy.

Henry II’s Strategy for Securing the Throne

• Unable to decisively defeat Herman militarily, Henry II embarked on a diplomatic campaign, traveling through the key duchies of the realm—Saxony, Bavaria, Swabia, Upper Lorraine, Lower Lorraine, and Franconia—to secure the loyalty of the regional elites.
• Rather than relying solely on the traditional election process, Henry sought general consent from his subjects, presenting himself as the natural successor to the Ottonian rulers.
• His familial ties to the Ottonian dynasty, as the great-grandson of Otto I, ultimately convinced the kingdom’s nobles to accept him as king.

Herman II’s Defeat and Submission (1002)

• After a prolonged power struggle, Henry II finally defeated Herman II near Strasbourg.
• On October 1, 1002, Herman II formally submitted to Henry, acknowledging his rule.
• In return for his submission, Henry II allowed him to retain the Duchy of Swabia until his death the following year (1003).

The Fate of Swabia After Herman II

• Upon Herman II’s death in 1003, his minor son, Hermann III, inherited the title of Duke of Swabia, but Henry II effectively took control of the duchy, ensuring that Swabia remained under royal influence.
• This direct intervention in Swabian affairs strengthened royal authority over the duchies, laying the groundwork for imperial centralization in the Holy Roman Empire.

Legacy and Significance

Henry II’s success in subduing Herman II and consolidating his rule marked a crucial step in securing the German crown. His reliance on noble support rather than outright military conquest demonstrated the shifting nature of royal power in medieval Germany, where kings had to balance military strength with political legitimacy. His actions set a precedent for future rulers seeking to assert dominance over the powerful regional duchies.