Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor

Born 28 October 1016, eldest son of Conrad II and Gisela of Swabia, Henry climbed through titles his father handed him: Duke of Bavaria at ten, co-ruler at twelve, Swabia and Burgundy at twenty-two. When Conrad died in 1039, the transition was smooth - rare for the Salians. Henry ruled on a doctrine of virtus et probitas, courage and honesty, pushing the sacred authority of the kingship higher than it had ever been. He tightened control over the duchies, enforcing royal disposition rights, and spent years breaking resistance in Lorraine before prevailing. By 1052 southern Germany was pushing back, another front of defiance. He died 5 October 1056, thirty-nine years old, and historians mark his final years as the crack in the Salian foundation.