This is a completely revised and updated edition of a major history of an important period in German and European history, starting with the accession of Henry IV to the German throne in 1056, taking in the reign of the energetic and successful Frederick Barbarossa (1152-90), and culminating with the election of Rudolf Habsburg who reimposed order following the fall of the Hohenstaufens.The German empire stretched from Rome to Pomerania, and from Hainaut to Silesia; its history is of major significance for the politics of Europe, for the expansion of Latin Christendom, and for the fortunes of the Papacy. Every aspect of its internal life is covered: economic growth and population increase, education, trade and industry, the church and religious life. Political development and accompanying social changes are examined and placed in their European context.This book provides a valuable and up-to-date guide to the complex and generally unfamiliar history of medieval Germany.