LOTHAIR III OF SUPPLINBURG, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Germany. - Elected at Mainz on 30 Aug. 1125, d. in the Tyrol at Breitwang on 4 Dec. 1137. He was of minor nobility, but had risen to power thanks to the protection of Henry V, whom he had helped in the rebellion against his father. The reward had been the Duchy of Saxony and then the Margraviates of Meissen and Lusatia; later, however, he had opposed the Emperor. Upon the latter's death, the archbishop of Mainz, Adalbert, fixed his eyes on him in order to combat the candidacy of Frederick of Swabia, nephew of the deceased emperor. Some apostolic legates attended his election, and L. was regarded as the protégé of the Church. His election caused discontent in various regions of Germany; Frederick of Swabia declared his opposition, and L. proceeded against him harshly, placing him under the ban of the Empire. Frederick then ceded his rights to his brother Conrad, who had himself elected king by his followers and then descended into Italy to have himself recognized as king and crowned at Milan.
The struggle between the two rivals lasted a very long time; only in 1135 did Frederick and Conrad of Swabia resign themselves to recognizing Lothar's superiority. The latter had emerged victorious thanks to the support of Pope Innocent II. In fact, when in 1130, upon the death of Honorius II, the college of cardinals split and there were the two elections of Innocent II and Anacletus II, L., following the example of the kings of France and England, recognized as true pope Innocent II, who enjoyed the influential favour of St. Bernard. At the Conference of Liège (1131) L. and Innocent II came to an agreement: the Pope recognized L. as king and promised to crown him emperor, after he had been brought back to Rome by the royal forces, driving out the antipope. Innocent II refused, however, to abandon the Concordat of Worms, as L. wished.
L. descended into Italy in 1132 and, together with St. Bernard, led the Pope to Rome, where he was crowned emperor at St. John Lateran (4 June 1133), since St. Peter's was occupied by the partisans of Anacletus I. Once again the question of the Concordat of Worms was discussed, but Innocent II and St. Bernard were rigid in defending it. Instead, the question of the Matildine lands was settled: L. was to hold them in fief, and so after him his son-in-law the duke of Bavaria; upon their death they would return to the Holy See.
L. returned to Italy in 1136, following the appeal of Innocent II, who had remained isolated in the face of the bloc formed by Anacletus II and his protector Roger II, king of Sicily. This time it was necessary to avoid Rome altogether: at San Severo L. and Innocent II jointly and in agreement invested Rainulf of Alife with the Duchy of Apulia; then they pushed on as far as Bari, but Roger II withdrew to Sicily, avoiding battle, and L.'s expedition failed. He died on the return journey to Germany.
Bibliography5 works
Francesco Cognasso