The Ottonians - Die Ottonen

This is part 2 of our rundown of the economic and social situation in Germany around the year 1000. The third and highest social strata were the "Oratores", those who pray, the priests, monks and bishops. We look at how a village priest is educated, why monasteries became so rich (spoiler, it is not about piety alone, money is key) and the role of bishops in the Imperial Church System that made the German emperors the most powerful rulers in Western Europe in the 10th and 11th century. How does an emperor rule in the absence of bureaucracy, how much tax matters and why there is no tax in Germany but there is tax in England, why the Normans were more successful in their theocratic leadership approach and how you become emperor....again lots to get through but fun.

The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.

As always:

Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com

Facebook: @HOTGPod 

Twitter: @germanshistory

Instagram: history_of_the_germans

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To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.

So far I have:

The Ottonians:

The Hanseatic League

The Teutonic Knights

The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356



What is The Ottonians - Die Ottonen?

The 10th century medieval dynasty that started with Henry the Fowler, king of East Francia and rose to the imperial throe with Otto the Great left an indelible mark on Europe in general and Germany in particular.
This show follows their history in 22 episodes from humble beginnings to great victories and even sainthood,
This podcast is part of the broader History of the Germans podcast that aims to track the history of the German people from the Early Middle Ages to Reunification in 1991. If you enjoy this show, check out any of the other seasons or follow the main show.
So far I have the following seasons:
The Ottonians (919 AD-1024 AD)
Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy (1024 AD-1125 AD)
Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen (1125-1190)
Frederick II Stupor Mundi (1190-1268)
Saxony and Eastward Expansion
The Hanseatic League
The Teutonic Knights
The Holy Roman Empire (1250 AD -1356 AD)
The Reformation before the Reformation (1356AD -1439 AD)
The Empire in the 15th Century
The Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs (1439AD -1519 AD)