Holy Roman Empire · 936-1001

Otto the Great and the birth of the Holy Roman Empire

In 955 King Otto defeats the Magyar horsemen near Augsburg, and in 962 the pope crowns him emperor in Rome. Students trace the birth of what was later called the Holy Roman Empire and see how Poland and Hungary joined Latin Christian Europe.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
50 minutes
Ages
12–15
On the map
3 steps, AD 940 to AD 1000
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 955 King Otto defeats the Magyar horsemen near Augsburg, and in 962 the pope crowns him emperor in Rome. Students trace the birth of what was later called the Holy Roman Empire and see how Poland and Hungary joined Latin Christian Europe.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain the importance of the battle on the Lechfeld (955) and the coronation of 962.
  • Locate the Holy Roman Empire, Poland and the land of the Magyars on the map of 1000.
  • Describe how the Magyars changed from raiders into the Christian kingdom of Hungary.
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 940

Europe in the 10th century

Open the map in 940 and turn on Historical Maps. Compare the scanned map of 10th-century Europe with the borders. Where are East Francia and the Magyars?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 955

The Lechfeld

Set the year to 955 and turn on Historical Events (Battles). Find the Battle of Lechfeld near Augsburg. Why would horsemen from the Hungarian plain raid this far west?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1000

New neighbors

Jump to 1000 and find the Holy Roman Empire, Poland and the Magyars. How do these three neighbors fit together on the map?

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. Otto was crowned king at Aachen, in Charlemagne's chapel. Why choose that place?
  2. After 955 the Magyar raids on the west stopped. Why might a single defeat change a whole people's way of life?
  3. Otto gave bishops land and power, partly because they could not pass it on to sons. Why was that clever?
  4. Mieszko of Poland was baptized in 966. What did he gain by joining Latin Christian Europe?
  5. The name "Holy Roman Empire" came into use much later. Why would a German king want to be called "Roman"?
4

Game round

10 min

Play Rule History as Charlemagne, whose empire Otto set out to revive. Afterwards, compare the two: both were crowned in Rome, both fought peoples on their eastern borders. What was different about Otto's empire?

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.