Reign of Conrad II (31 mars 1026 – 4 juin 1039)

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Conrad II (c. 990 – 4 June 1039), also known as Conrad the Elder and Conrad the Salic, was Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 until his death in 1039. The first of a succession of four Salian emperors, who reigned for one century until 1125, Conrad also served as King of Germany from 1024, King of Italy from 1026, and King of Burgundy (Arelat) from 1033.

The son of Franconian count Henry of Speyer (also Henry of Worms) and Adelaide of Metz of the Matfriding dynasty, that had ruled the Duchy of Lorraine from 959 until 972, Conrad inherited the titles of count of Speyer and Worms during childhood after his father had died around the year 990. He extended his influence beyond his inherited lands, as he came into favor of the princes of the kingdom. When the imperial dynastic line was left without a successor after Emperor Henry II's death in 1024, on September 4 an assembly of the imperial princes appointed the 34 year-old Conrad king (Rex romanorum).

Conrad II largely continued the political course, the Renovatio regni Francorum of his Ottonian predecessor Henry II regarding the role and organisation of the Church and the status and affairs of Italy. He proceeded to evolve the Proprietary church as a basis for imperial power, preferring to appoint clerics over secular lords for important offices throughout the empire. Like Henry II before him, he insisted on his feudal claim (Honor Imperii), yet granted Italy a high degree of self-governance, near complete economic autonomy and recognized and respected the political importance and influence of the city of Rome and its curia in particular. His reign marked a high point of medieval imperial rule during a relatively peaceful period for the empire. Upon the death of the childless King Rudolph III of Burgundy in 1032, Conrad claimed dominion over the Kingdom of the Two Burgundies, conquered it and incorporated it into the empire. The three kingdoms (Germany, Italy, and Burgundy) formed the basis of the empire as the "royal triad" (regna tria).

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