Louis IV of Bavaria
Louis IV of Bavaria was one of the most controversial Holy Roman Emperors, whose long reign was dominated by a bitter conflict with the papacy that reshaped the relationship between imperial and ecclesiastical authority. Elected in 1314 in a disputed election, Louis defeated Frederick the Fair of Austria at the Battle of Muhldorf in 1322. However, his difficulties with Pope John XXII, who refused to recognize his election and excommunicated him, proved far more enduring. The conflict with the papacy drove Louis into an alliance with some of the most important political and philosophical thinkers of the age, including William of Ockham and Marsilius of Padua. Louis had himself crowned emperor by the people of Rome in 1328 - a deliberate snub to the papacy. The German princes promulgated the Declaration of Rhense in 1338, asserting that a king elected by the princes required no papal confirmation. Louis died suddenly of a stroke in 1347 while bear hunting.
- Lived: 1282 CE – 1347 CE
- Nationality: german
- Roles: emperor, head_of_state, military_leader
