Henry II (jun 7, 1002 – jul 13, 1024)

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second cousin of Otto II, the son of Henry II, Duke of Bavaria and his wife Gisela of Burgundy, and a great-grandson of German King Henry I. The Duke of Bavaria from 995, Henry became King of Germany following Otto III's sudden death in 1002, was crowned King of Italy in 1004, and was crowned by the Pope as Emperor in 1014. Since his father had rebelled against two previous emperors, the younger Henry was often in exile. Unlike his predecessor, who had focused upon imperial attention in Italy, Henry spent most of his reign concerned with imperial territory north of the Alps. His main focus was on a series of wars against the Polish Duke Bolesław I, who had already conquered a number of countries surrounding him. Henry did, however, lead three expeditions into Italy to ensure imperial dominion over the peninsula. The rule of Henry II is seen as a period of centralized authority throughout the Empire. He consolidated his power by cultivating personal and political ties with the Catholic Church. He greatly expanded the Ottonian dynasty's custom of employing clergy as counter-weights against secular nobles. Through donations to the Church and the establishment of new dioceses, Henry strengthened imperial rule across the Empire and increased control over ecclesiastical affairs. He stressed service to the Church and promoted monastic reform. His marriage to Cunigunde of Luxembourg produced no children; after Henry's death the German nobles elected Conrad II, a great-great-grandson of Emperor Otto I, to succeed him. Conrad was the first of the Salian dynasty of Emperors.

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