The Children of Adam and Eve

Henry the Lion (circa 1129-95), duke of Saxony (1139-80) and duke of
Bavaria (1156-80), a powerful German prince, who became a rival of the
Holy Roman emperor Frederick I Barbarossa.

The only son of Henry the Proud, duke of Bavaria and Saxony (1108-39),
Henry was probably born in Ravensburg. At the age of ten he succeeded his
father to the duchy of Saxony, which his mother and grandmother
administered for him until 1146. In 1147 Henry demanded that the Diet of
Frankfort restore to him the duchy of Bavaria, which had been taken from
his father. When refused, Henry began an unsuccessful war against Holy
Roman Emperor Conrad III. After Conrad's Death, however, Henry's duchy was
restored to him by the imperial successor, Frederick Barbarossa. Henry
subsequently aided Frederick in wars in Poland and Italy between 1157 and
1159.

Possessing both German and Italian territories, Henry was a formidable
figure within the Holy Roman Empire. To curb him, a league of nobles and
prelates was formed in 1166; after two years of war, Henry was triumphant.
In 1168 he took as his second wife Matilda (1156-89), the daughter of
Henry II, king of England. In 1172-73 he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

By refusing to aid Frederick I in an Italian expedition, Henry instigated
a quarrel (1175-76) between himself and the emperor. As a result, he was
placed under the ban of the empire. He was deprived of most of his
possessions in 1180 and twice forced into exile, in 1182 and 1189,
spending most of his time in England. When he returned to Germany shortly
after the second exile, Henry took part in a rebellion of German nobles
against Frederick's successor, Emperor Henry VI. He made peace with the
emperor, however, at Fulda in 1190. Henry was a capable ruler, one of his
greatest accomplishments being the colonization of previously Slavic
territories east of the Elbe River. He died at Brunswick, August 6, 1195.