Holy Roman Empire · 1075-1122

Pope against emperor: the road to Canossa

In January 1077 the king of Germany waits for three days in the snow outside a castle in Italy, begging the pope for forgiveness. Students unpack the struggle over who had the right to choose bishops, and why it shook medieval Europe.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
50 minutes
Ages
13–16
On the map
3 steps, AD 1077 to AD 1122
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

In January 1077 the king of Germany waits for three days in the snow outside a castle in Italy, begging the pope for forgiveness. Students unpack the struggle over who had the right to choose bishops, and why it shook medieval Europe.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain what "investiture" means and why both pope and emperor wanted control of it.
  • Describe the events at Canossa in 1077 and assess who really won there.
  • Explain the compromise of the Concordat of Worms in 1122.
2

Explore the map

15 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 1077

Empire and papacy

Open the map in 1077. Find the Holy Roman Empire and the Papal States. How much of Italy belongs to the empire?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1077

Over the Alps in winter

Zoom in on the Alps between the German lands and northern Italy. In the winter of 1076-1077 Henry crossed them with his wife and small son. Why was that such a desperate journey?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1122

Worms on the Rhine

Find Worms on the Rhine, where the compromise of 1122 was agreed. Then find Rome. Why might it help to settle the quarrel in the emperor's lands, with the pope's envoys present?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

15 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Bishops in the empire ruled land and led soldiers as well as churches. Why did the emperor want to choose them?
  2. Gregory VII wanted the Church to be free from control by kings. Why would that matter to him?
  3. When Gregory excommunicated Henry, many German princes turned against their king. Why was excommunication such a strong weapon?
  4. At Canossa Henry was humbled, yet the pope had to forgive him. Who really won that day?
  5. In 1872 the German chancellor Bismarck said, "We will not go to Canossa." What do you think he meant?
4

Game round

10 min

Play Rule History as Charlemagne, who was crowned by a pope but also gave orders to bishops. Afterwards, compare: could Charlemagne have been humbled like Henry IV at Canossa? What had changed between 800 and 1077?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.