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Birth:          ABT 1035 of Chateau de Salm, Luxembourg
Death:          28 Sep 1088 Cochem, Rhineland

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_of_Salm
Herman(n) of Salm (c.?1035 – 28 September 1088), also known as Herman(n) of 
Luxembourg, the progenitor of the House of Salm, was Count of Salm and elected 
German anti-king from 1081 until his death.
Life[edit]

Hermann was a son of Count Giselbert of Luxembourg (1007–1059). His elder brother 
Conrad inherited the County of Luxemburg and became a faithful supporter of the 
Salian king Henry IV of Germany in the Investiture Controversy and the civil war of the 
Great Saxon Revolt.

Investiture Controversy[edit]

The major issue between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV was the appointment of 
bishops. It was a custom that if a bishop was to die, the emperor would appoint a new 
bishop based on his ecclesiastical qualifications. Henry, on the other hand, was 
appointing bishops for political reasons which made Gregory furious and thus 
prohibited the appointments of investiture by any lay person, including the emperor.[1]
[2]

From the 10th century, the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire were elected Kings of the 
Romans, who expected to be crowned by the Pope as Holy Roman Emperor.[3] 
However, because Henry believed the papacy should submit to the crown, Pope 
Gregory had him excommunicated and declared that he was unworthy of being 
Emperor.[1] Because of this, the church broke off from Henry and supported the 
election of German anti-kings.

Election[edit]

Upon Henry's humiliating Walk to Canossa, several princes met at Forchheim and had 
the Swabian duke Rudolf of Rheinfelden elected anti-king in 1077. Henry's and 
Rudolf's forces met in the 1080 Battle on the Elster, whereby Rudolf died from the 
wounds he received.

While Henry turned to Italy in order to enforce his coronation in Rome, the Saxon and 
Swabian nobles led by the deposed Bavarian Duke Welf I elected Hermann as the 
second anti-king opposed to the Salian monarch in Ochsenfurt, Franconia on 6 August 
1081. He immediately entered into an armed conflict with the loyal Hohenstaufen duke 
Frederick of Swabia and retired to the Saxon lands, where Archbishop Siegfried of 
Mainz crowned him king in Goslar on 26 December.

Military campaigning[edit]

Unfortunately for Pope Gregory, Hermann was nowhere near as strong a leader as 
Rudolph and this caused Henry’s power to grow.[4] Henry was crowned Emperor by 
Antipope Clement III in 1084, leaving Hermann in a very awkward position. He gained 
broad support by the Saxon nobility, however, his plan to gather an army on the banks 
of the Danube and march across the Alps into Italy was dashed by the death of his 
main retainer, Count Otto of Nordheim. When Emperor Henry IV came into Saxony with 
a large army in 1085, Hermann fled to Denmark.

Little is known of what happened to Hermann after this other than he served as an 
anti-king under Gregory’s rule. During the revolt of Margrave Egbert II of Meissen, 
Hermann was able to return to Germany. Once again in alliance with Duke Welf I, he 
defeated the emperor at the 1086 Battle of Bleichfeld on the River Main, taking 
Würzburg. Soon after his victory, however, he had to witness Egbert's reconciliation 
with Emperor Henry and the killing of his ally Bishop Burchard II of Halberstadt. Tired 
of being a pawn in the hands of the grandees, he retired to his familial estates. King 
Conrad III began his rule after Hermann’s death.[5] He died near the Imperial castle of 
Cochem later that year of 1088 in an skirmish with his relative Count palatine Henry of 
Laach, ending the Great Saxon Revolt.

His wife, Countess Sophia of Formbach, left him a son, Otto, who succeeded him in 
Salm.

According to a legend perpetuated by the Brothers Grimm, Hermann was mocked as 
"King Garlic" by his opponents. First celebrated by local Kalands Brethren, an annual 
"Garlic Wednesday" is held after Pentecost in the region around Halle up to today.

Parents
DE LUXEMBOURG Giselbert (ABT 1007 - 14 Aug 1059)
----- ----- ()

Siblings
____ Hermann I (ABT 1035 - 28 Sep 1088)
____ Conrad (Konrad) I (ABT 1040 - 8 Aug 1086)

Marriage To ____ Sofie (ABT 1046 - )
    m.  

Notes


Children by ____ Sofie ABT 1046 - 
OF LUXEMBURG Otto I (ABT 1080 - 1150)

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