Battle of Welfesholz

Battle of Welfesholz
Date 1115 Location Welfesholz, present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany Result Saxon victory
Belligerents
Duchy of Saxony	Holy Roman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Lothair of Supplinburg	Hoyer von Mansfeld (†)

The Battle of Welfesholz was fought on February 11, 1115 between the Imperial army of the Holy Roman Empire and a rebellious Saxon force.

Henry V, uncontested King of the Romans since 1106, had inherited the Investiture Controversy from his father Henry IV. In 1111 he invaded Italy and, after negotiation failed, seized Pope Paschal II to enforce his coronation as Holy Roman Emperor.

Having returned from Rome he was immediately excommunicated by the papal legate in Germany Cuno of Praeneste, which encouraged the Imperial princes in their rising against the emperor, most of all the Saxon Duke Lothair of Supplinburg and Archbishop Adalbert of Mainz, Henry's long-time supporter who after his appointment had deserted him. Though Henry had Adalbert imprisoned at Trifels Castle and Lothair to submit himself, the conflict smouldering since the days of the Great Saxon Revolt broke out again in 1113 over the succession of last count of Weimar-Orlamünde, Ulric II. Henry had made attempts to confiscate the county as a ceased fief but met obstinate resistance by Ulric's heirs from the Saxon House of Ascania. The insurgents gathered under the lead of Count Wiprecht of Groitzsch but at first were repulsed by Henry's troops under his field marshal Hoyer von Mansfeld near Thale.

Meanwhile Duke Lothair, subdued though not deposed, had continued intriguing against Henry, who saw himself confronted with the increasing opposition of the Imperial princes. In October 1114 the conflict again culmulated in violent fights after Archbishop Frederick I of Cologne had attacked the Imperial troops in October 1114 at Andernach. Several nobles like the deposed Duke Henry of Lower Lorraine and the Bishop of Halberstadt joined the insurgents.

According to the chronicles of Pegau Abbey, on February 10, 1115 the forces of the emperor under Hoyer of Mansfeld gathered at Welfesholz (now in Saxony-Anhalt) to await the united Saxon troops led by Duke Lothair. The tackling armies of Lothair were victorious, forcing Henry to take flight and denying his power to rule Saxony. Hoyer von Mansfeld was killed in battle by Wiprecht II, son of seditious Saxon Count Wiprecht of Groitzsch. Contemporaneously with Henry's loss of power Lothair's position was stabled, leading to his election as King of the Romans in 1125.