German Landfrieden
The claiming of responsibility for the stable and peaceful condition of
the commonwealth had become the basis of the political rhetoric of
emperors. They affirmed not only the stabilitasor bonus statusof the
empire and the Church but also the states of particular churches, civic
communities, and privileged individuals in their due place within the
commonwealth, and the word ‘state’ thus acquired a variety of applica-
tions. On his return from Crusade the emperor thanked Eugenius for
protecting the peace and tranquillity of the realm which the Supreme
Majesty had granted him, adding that he also was ordained by God to
be a protector of the Roman Church; consequently he was sending
magnates to consult with the pope about ‘the state of our holy mother
the church of Rome and of other churches, as well as the restoration of
the dignity of the whole Roman empire’. He was concerned for the
ordering of ‘the state and interests’ (de statu et utilitatibus) of both
church and laity, ‘so that... the Roman empire with god’s help be
reformed to the strength of its ancient dignity’.^66 The accession of
Frederick I of Hohenstaufen in 1152 brought an immediate intensifi-
cation of imperial claims. Frederick demanded a pope who would
‘reform the state of god’s churches in a bond of peace, and treat the
empire and the empire’s vassals honourably’. In 1159 two rival popes
were elected, Alexander III, a bureaucrat supported by the majority of
cardinals, who were alarmed by Frederick’s vigorous enforcement of
imperial rights in Italy, and Victor IV, from a noble family traditionally
loyal to the emperor. In order that ‘the state of the city, which is the
head of our empire, should be undisturbed’, Frederick called the princes
and prelates of the kingdoms of the west to a council at Pavia, where
Victor was duly confirmed in office. When Victor died in 1164, he was
replaced by Paschal III as imperial antipope, and Frederick held another
council at Würzburg to ‘establish [stabilire] and confirm the lord pope
Paschal and his honour’ and thereby ‘strengthen the state of holy
church’.^67
Conrad took churches under his special protection, asking prayers
‘for the quiet and peaceful state of our realm and of ourselves also’, and
announced that he was sending his protonotary to Italy to reform the
88 The Spread of the Organized Peace
(^66) Conradi III [etc.] Diplomata, 303. 12 , 306. 32 , 317, 333, 386, 395. 8 , 407. 26 (tam de
statu sacrosancte matris nostre Romane ecclesie et aliarum ecclesiarum, quam de tocius
Romani imperii reformanda dignitate).
(^67) Friderici I Diplomata, 1158–1167, 24, 78, 90, 92, 97–8, 103, 134, 154, 217, 218, 396,
398, 491; C. Morris, The Papal Monarchy: The Western Church from 1050 to 1250(Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1989), 187–200.