Topic: The Renewed Empire of the Ottons

Target group

5th‑grade students of elementary school

Core curriculum

5th‑grade students of elementary school.

III. Medieval Europe. Pupil:

2 ) places new countries in Europe in time and space.

General aim of education

Students will learn how the imperial crown was obtained by Ottons and gain knowledge about attempts to rebuild the empire.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• to describe who Otto I was and what were his achievements;

• to indicate when did the Holy Roman Empire come into being;

• to describe the idea pursued by Otto III;

• to explain why the plans of Otto III are called the first sketch of a united Europe

Methods/techniques

• activating

  • discussion.

• expository

  • talk.

• exposing

  • film.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Before classes

1. The teacher asks students to remember how the East Frankish state came into being.

Introduction

1. The teacher presents to students the subject, the purpose of the lesson and the criteria for success.

2. The teacher asks students how did 'non‑Frankish' Henry the Fowler take on the German throne? Students should know from the previous lesson the decision of Conrad I to appoint a representative of the Saxon dynasty as the successor.

Realization

1. The teacher recalls the groundbreaking nature of Conrad I's decisions and its effects. Then he explains to the students how Henry managed to bring relative peace in the state and strengthen his position and authority.

2. The teacher presents the students Otto the Great and his merits. Then he explains the meaning of his imperial coronation in Rome by Pope John XII and the rise of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Students read a fragment of Thietmar's chronicle and perform Exercise 1. They compare two seals from the Otton I era (Exercise 2), and then discuss the answers with the teacher.

3. By introducing students to the history of the Ottonian dynasty, the teacher briefly presents the figure of Otto II and Otto III. He emphasizes Otto II's relationship with the Byzantine princess Teofano. Then he asks the students, starting the discussion, what this marriage could be used for?.

4. Then he asks the students, starting „brainstorming”, on what basis could the idea of „common Europe” proclaimed by Otto III be based? The teacher complements students' proposals with the concepts and plans of Otto III on the construction of a universal, united Christian Europe. Students perform Exercise 3 by matching the descriptions to the appropriate places in the interactive illustration.

5. Then the teacher asks students to split into small groups (or work in pairs) and think about how to implement the Otto III concept. Did his vision have a chance of success? In what way - being in the place of the emperor - they would (what would they do) realize the vision of rebuilding the power of the Empire of Charlemagne? Students present and compare their ideas, and the teacher writes them on the board and then discusses them.

6. The teacher provides the feedback to the students during solving exercises and executing tasks.

Summary

1. The teacher explains to students the relations between the imperial and papal authorities during the Ottonian rule and their source. Then the students perform Exercise 4 - they read a fragment of Arnulf's chronicle from Milan and answer the question..

2. In conclusion, the teacher asks the students, starting the discussion on how the imperial rulers rebuilt the imperial power and what consequences could it have in the future?.

3. The teacher assesses the students' work during the lesson, taking into account their input and commitment. For this purpose, he may prepare an evaluation questionnaire for self‑assessment and evaluation of the teacher's and other students work..

Homework

1. The teacher sets homework for students (it is not an obligatory part of the scenario): Consider if there are any common features that combine the concept of building a common Europe in the times of Otto III and today, in the 21st century?.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

The Renewed Empire of the Ottons

The main goal of Henry I was to reinforce his own power and limit the role of the dukes in the state. In order to achieve his goal, he sought to set the inheritance of power in order. Parting ways with the principle stating that the country would be divided among all of his male descendants, he selected his eldest son, Otto, as his successor. As a result, the subsequent rulers reigned over an indivisible territory of their predecessors, now able to focus on strengthening the international standing of the German state.

Otto I, called “the Great” by his successors, continued his father’s policies. Basing his authority on family ties and the Church, he created a strong state. With time, his authority as the ruler permitted him to mediate in disputes and defend the Christian values, especially after his victory over the pagan, nomadic tribes of Hungarians at Lechfeld in 955. His greatest success, however, was the acquisition of the Emperor’s crown (962), conferred upon him by Pope John XII, as a token of gratitude for having helped him defeat the magnates that revolted against him. From that moment, the German monarchy became the protector of the Church and Christendom, and the German kings would receive the title of Emperor upon entering Rome, bearing the title of Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation.

Otto I was succeeded by his son, Otto II. After taking over after his father, he unsuccessfully tried to regain southern Italy from the hands of the Saracens (Arabs). Owing to his marriage with the Byzantine princess Theophanu, he tightened the ties to the Byzantine Emperor, and, above all, confirmed his title of Emperor. In order to secure the throne in case he died, during his lifetime he crowned his son, Otto III, as German King. It was an exceptionally fortunate decision to make, as one year after that event Otto II died, leaving the Imperial authority in the hands of Empress Adelaide and Princess Theophanu, respectively the grandmother and the mother of his still‑underage son. Despite the support of his allies, the young King was barely acknowledged in Germany; the Duke of Bavaria, Henry II the Wrangler, attempted to take the crown for himself. After having come of age and being crowned Emperor, Otto III embarked on a grand quest: to build a universal, Christianity‑based Empire. As an earthly emissary of God, the Emperor could appoint Christian rulers himself; thus, for example, he named Bolesław I the Brave a “friend and ally of the Roman people” and gave his permission for Stephen I to become the first King of Hungary. In exchange, he expected their support and collaboration building a united Europe, which would constitute a political unity and be represented by four equal kingdoms: Germany, Gaul, Italy, and that of the Western Slavs. Unfortunately, the premature and heirless death of the Emperor foiled the universal Empire project. The new monarch – Henry of Bavaria – who came into power after a brief struggle, had no intention to continue the policy of his predecessor.