HENRY, surnamed THE LION, duke of Saxony, is the most notable German prince of the 12th century. He was the sou of Henry the proud, and was born in 1129. When only ten years of age he lost his father by poison, and for the next seven years his mother, Gertrude, and his grandmother, Riehenza, ruled his paternal dominions, while his uncle, Welf (Guelf), administered the hereditary fiefs of Bavaria. In 1146 Henry himself took the reins of government, and at the diet of Frankfort, in the following year, he demanded of the emperor Conrad the restoration of the whole duchy of Bavaria, which had been wrested from his father. This was refused, and Henry at once, in con cert with his uncle, had recourse to arms; but his efforts were crushed by the energetic measures of Conrad. After the death of this emperor, however, Bavaria was given up to him by his cousin, the emperor Frederick I. His possessions now extended from the North sea and the Baltic to the shores of the Adriatic. Eastphalia and Westphalia, with Engern, and the old duchy of Saxony from the Rhine to the Elbe, acknowledged his authority. The greater part of Bavaria belonged to hint as a hereditary fief, while his Italian vassals in the Guelfic dominions beyond the Alps took the oath of allegianca to him in 1157. In 1166, under the direction of Hartwig, archbishop of Bremen, a league, comprising the bishops of Magdeburg, Halberstadt, and Hildesheim, and the markgrafs of Thuringia and Brandenburg, was formed against him; but the capture of Bremen, and the of Oldenburg by Henry, paralyzed its designs. About this time he separated from his first wife, mid married Matilda, daughter of Henry II. of England, soon after which event he undertook an expedition to Palestine. During his
absence his enemies were not idle, and even the emperor Frederick displayed a decided want of good faith, conduct which Henry, some time after his return, showed he had not forgotten, by quitting the impeiiial army during an Italian campaign, and thereby causing Frederick to lose the battle of Legnano, and forcing him to conclude a disad vantageous treaty. The emperor was indignant, and at the diet of Spires, in 1178, spoke strongly against the duke. The numerous enemies of the latter again combined against him; he was summoned to appear at three different diets, and refusing, was put under the ban of the empire. By 1182 his fortunes were at so low an ebb that he was forced to ask mercy of the emperor at Erfurt; but all that lie could get was permission to retain his hereditary territories of Brunswick and Luneburg, and even this was on the condi tion of his going into exile for three years. Henry, in consequence. betook himself with his family to England, hut returned to Brunswick in 1184, where he lived quietly. On the departure of Frederick for Palestine in 1188, Henry was again necessitated to Nvithdraw to England, but returned in 1189, and after a year's fighting, a peace was con eluded between him and his enemies, by which a portion of his former territories was restored to him. lie died at Brunswick in 1195. Henry was a brave and generous prince, of indefatigable activity, but obstinate and passionate. What raised him above the princes of his time was his efforts to advance the commerce, industry, and comfort of his people, and to foster 'literature and science. Compare Bfittiger's Heinrich der Lowe Herzog der Sachsen and Baiern (Hauuov. 1819).