father predecessor successor succession house mother death_date death_place religion birth_date coronation spouse image article_title reign
henry the lion henry vi henry vi henry vi philip of swabia frederick ii frederick ii henry vii frederick ii holy italy king of burgundy roman emperor king of the romans king of house of welf matilda of england 19 may 1218 harzburg roman catholicism 1175 21 aachen october 1209 , rome 12 july 1198 , beatrice of hohenstaufen marie of brabant otto iv 1836.jpg otto iv , holy roman emperor
 1209 1208 -- 1215 -- 1215 1198 -- 1209 1208 -- 1212
otto iv , holy roman emperor

otto iv -lrb- 1175 -- may 19 , 1218 -rrb- was one of two rival kings of germany from 1198 on , sole king from 1208 on , and holy roman emperor from 1209 until he was forced to abdicate in 1215 .
the only german king of the welf dynasty , he incurred the wrath of pope innocent iii and was excommunicated in 1210 .
