Otto I the Great

Reign: 962 – 973
Life: 912–973

He was known as Otto the Great. Otto inherited the Duchy of Saxony and the kingship of the Germans upon his father's death in 936. He continued his father's work of unifying all German tribes into a single kingdom and greatly expanded the king's powers at the expense of the aristocracy. Through strategic marriages and personal appointments, Otto installed members of his family in the kingdom's most important duchies. After putting down a brief civil war among the rebellious duchies, Otto defeated the Magyars at the Battle of Lechfeld in 955, thus ending the Hungarian invasions of Western Europe. The victory against the pagan Magyars earned Otto a reputation as a savior of Christendom and secured his hold over the kingdom.

During Otto I the Great's reign, Edgar, King of England ruled England, Emperor Taizu of Song ruled China, and Eric the Victorious ruled Sweden.

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Otto the Great by Matthias Becher

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Otto the Great

Matthias Becher

A concise, authoritative life of the Saxon king who revived the imperial title in the West.

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