The Artios Home Companion Series
Unit 21: Germany, the Popes, and the Rise of Spain
Teacher Overview
WHILE GERMANY continued to struggle against the power of the Pope, the country of Spain
began to gain power and recognition under the rule of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.
K e y Pe o pl e ,
Places, and
E v e nt s
Louis IV
Gold Bull of Charles IV
Charles I
King Ferdinand
Queen Isabella
Spanish Inquisition
The golden seal that earned the “Golden Bull” its name
Around the middle of the 14th
century, the Black Death ravaged
Germany and Europe (from the
Dance of Death, by Michael
Wolgemut)
R e a d i n g a n d A s s i g nm e nt s
Based on your student’s age and ability, the reading in this unit may be read aloud to the student
and journaling and notebook pages may be completed orally. Likewise, other assignments can
be done with an appropriate combination of independent and guided study.
In this unit, students will:
 Complete two lessons in which they will learn about struggles with the Pope and the
rise of Spain.
 Visit www.ArtiosHCS.com for additional resources.
Medieval to Renaissance: Elementary
Unit 21: Germany, the Popes, and the Rise of Spain
Page 203
L e a di ng I de a s
God orders all things for the ultimate good of His people.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those
who are called according to his purpose.
— Romans 8:28
The diligence to “keeping faith” is a revelation of an individual’s character.
Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make
for peace.
— Zechariah 8:16
Believers are called to set a good example for others.
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in
conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
— I Timothy 4:12
Tomb of Holy Roman Emperor Ludwig (Louis) IV the Bavarian, Frauenkirche, Munich
Medieval to Renaissance: Elementary
Unit 21: Germany, the Popes, and the Rise of Spain
Page 204
Lesson One
History Overview and Assignments
Germany: Continued Struggles With the Pope
WHILE Germany’s struggles with the Pope continued, the country also suffered from the Black
Death, as well as from poor leadership from Emperor Charles IV. “Germany,” said a later
emperor, “never suffered from a more pestilent plague than the reign of Charles IV.”
R e a d i n g a n d A s s i g nm e nt s
 Read the article: Germany: Continued
Struggles With the Pope.
 After reading the article, summarize the
story you read by either:
▪ Retelling it out loud to your teacher
or parent.
OR
▪ Completing an appropriate
notebook page.
Either way, be sure to include the
answers to the discussion questions
and an overview of key people, places,
dates, and events in your summary.
 Be sure to visit
www.ArtiosHCS.com for additional
resources.
K e y Pe o pl e , P l ac e s , a n d
E v e nt s
Louis IV
Gold Bull of Charles IV
Charles IV
D i s c us s i o n Que s t i o ns
1. How did Charles IV come to the throne?
2. What type of rule did Charles IV have,
and how did it affect Germany?
Statue of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, an iron
statue by Arnost Händel from Dresden,
a monument placed near Charles Bridge, Prague in 1848
to commemorate the 500th anniversary of establishing
the University of Prague by Charles IV
3. What document was written during the
rule of Charles IV?
4. Why was this document important?
Medieval to Renaissance: Elementary
Unit 21: Germany, the Popes, and the Rise of Spain
Page 205
Adapted for Elementary School from the book:
The Story of Europe
by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
Germany: Continued Struggles With the Pope
When Emperor Frederick II died, it was
the end of the great Medieval German
Empire. Conrad IV became emperor after
him, but then foreign princes ruled for
nearly two decades. Then nobles ruled. This
went on for more than a century and a half.
There were ten emperors during that
time but they did not rule well, and the
empire began to lose territory. It lost Italy,
then the northern cities became free, while
the Church in Rome kept the middle and
Charles of Anjou won the south. Pope Urban
IV asked Charles to fight the Emperor, who
was the last of the German-Norman kings.
Charles had him killed.
Then Poland became free. It had its own
king, and it did not stay loyal to Germany.
Other parts of Germany became free, too.
Soon Germany was left by itself, but even it
was not united. It had hundreds of
independent states.
The German state rulers fought with
each other for power, but they had little
power and money, so none of them gained
supremacy over the others.
Electors chose who would be emperor.
At first the Electors were all nobles. In time,
some were archbishops. Later three princes
were added. Eventually here were nine
Electors.
Electors became very powerful. They
made the Emperor do anything they wished.
If he did not agree, they fought him. They
could choose another emperor. The Church
liked a weak emperor too, so the Pope
became allies with the Electors.
Coats of arms representing the seven original Electors
with the figure of Germania
The Emperor and the Eight Electors, copper engraving by
Abraham Aubry
Medieval to Renaissance: Elementary
Unit 21: Germany, the Popes, and the Rise of Spain
Page 206
Louis IV
In 1313 the Electors could not agree, and
they chose two emperors. Pope John
supported one named Frederick “the Fair”
(or “the Handsome”) and told the other,
Louis IV, (“Louis the Bavarian”), to give up
the crown in three months. If he didn’t, he
would be excommunicated.
Louis was angry. He said only the
German people should choose their king.
The two emperors wanted to decide by
fighting. After many years of civil war, Louis
and Frederick agreed to share the throne.
Louis marched to Rome, threw Pope
John out, and put another pope he chose on
the throne. At first the Roman people were
happy with this. But soon their mood
changed, and both the new pope and Louis
had to run away for their lives.
Then Frederick died, and Louis tried to
make peace with Pope John. He was tired of
war and said he would be re-crowned by the
rightful pope. He would perform any
penance the Pope wanted.
But a man named Benedict was now
pope. He asked too much, saying Louis
should give up the imperial title, and that
the Church would decide whether he should
be emperor. This made the Emperor and the
Electors very angry. They made a law that
said the Emperor was chosen only by them,
and that the choice did not involve the Pope.
The empire separated government from the
Church.
Charles IV
These disputes went on for many years.
Finally Louis died, and there was no
emperor. It was offered to Edward III of
England. He refused. It was offered to
different German princes. Finally, Charles
of Bohemia, the man the Pope wanted, was
also chosen by the Electors.
Charles IV kneeling before Madonna, a fragment of a
votive picture of Archbishop John Ocko of Vlasim
While Charles IV was emperor,
Germany suffered from the Black Death.
The rest of Europe did too, and almost half
of the people died. Jews were blamed for the
plague, and they were mistreated. But they
had not caused it.
Charles IV did not take care of Germany.
Later, another emperor would say,
“Germany never suffered as much as it did
with Charles IV as emperor.” He worked
only to build up his kingdom in Bohemia.
He did write a great paper, though. It
was called the Golden Bull of Charles IV
because of the color of its seal. It was nearly
as important for Germany as the Magna
Carta was for England. It formed the laws of
Germany for more than four hundred years.
By this document Charles put an end to
fights over the election of an emperor. It
Medieval to Renaissance: Elementary
Unit 21: Germany, the Popes, and the Rise of Spain
Page 207
gave the Electors even more power than
they had before. They could rule their own
lands. They could make their own money
and make people pay taxes and fight wars as
they wanted. Nobody could go to the
Emperor for help against them in a court
anymore, and even a small crime against an
Elector was seen as treason. They became
higher and more important than all the
princes, and together they soon had more
power than the Emperor himself.
The Holy Roman Empire, 1512
(CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=871084)
Medieval to Renaissance: Elementary
Unit 21: Germany, the Popes, and the Rise of Spain
Page 208
Lesson Two
History Overview and Assignments
The Rise of Spain
ONCE SPAIN finally drove out the Arab Moors after eight hundred years of fighting, King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella wanted all of Spain to be united. They believed they could unify
the country through a national religion. To achieve that unity, they launched an investigation
to root out enemies of the Christian faith. This investigation was called the Spanish
Inquisition, and it became one of the bloodiest times in Spain’s history.
Reading and
A s s i g n m e nt s
Wedding portrait of King Ferdinand II of Aragón and Queen Isabella
of Castile, artist unknown
D i s c us s i o n Que s t i o ns
1. What were the roadblocks Spain faced in
becoming a unified nation?
2. What did Ferdinand and Isabella believe would
unite all the people of Spain?
3. What institution was established to accomplish
that goal?
 Read the article: The Moors
Driven Out of Spain.
 After reading the article,
summarize the story you
read by either:
▪ Retelling it out loud to
your teacher or parent.
OR
▪ Completing an
appropriate notebook
page.
Either way, be sure to
include the answers to the
discussion questions and an
overview of key people,
places, dates, and events in
your summary.
 Be sure to visit
www.ArtiosHCS.com for
additional resources.
K e y Pe o pl e , P l ac e s ,
a nd E v e n t s
King Ferdinand
Queen Isabella
Spanish Inquisition
Medieval to Renaissance: Elementary
Unit 21: Germany, the Popes, and the Rise of Spain
Page 209
Adapted for Elementary School from the book:
The Story of Europe
by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall
The Moors Driven Out of Spain
Driving Out the Moors
Arab Muslims called Moors had invaded
Spain in the 8th century, and they took over
almost all of it. The Moors did not force the
people to become Muslim like other Arabs
did, though. They mainly wanted the
Christians’ gold. The Moors let Christians
remain Christian if they paid a tax. Nearly
all the nobles paid this. Many of the
common people became Muslim too,
especially the slaves, for if a slave became
Muslim, he was freed.
Although the Moors took over most of
Spain, a small group in the northeast
mountains held out against the Arabs.
Mountains have always been a shelter for
people in hiding, and the Moors could not
pry them out. As time passed, they grew
strong and drove the Moors southward.
Then the Spanish formed small
kingdoms like Navarre, Leon, Aragon, and
Castile. Castile got its name from the castles
that were built for protection.
The kingdoms were small and not
united. In time members of the royal
families married each other, and soon some
of the kingdoms joined together. The
kingdom of Aragon was formed in the
twelfth century. Eight little states joined to
form the kingdom of Leon and Castile in the
thirteenth century.
Portugal became a kingdom when
Alfonso I was king in the twelfth century. It
was much smaller than it is now. Alfonso
and others who came after fought against
the Moors. Alfonso III won the south part of
Portugal in 1250.
Small Spanish states joined into
kingdoms. They began to beat the Moors
and win back their land. They did this very
quickly. By 1265 the Moors only had
Granada in the south. It was not a free
kingdom, though. The King of Castile ruled
over the King of Granada.
Castilian ambassadors in Spain attempting to convince
a Moorish king to join their alliance
The kings of Aragon and the kings of
Castile ruled together. They did that for over
two hundred years, but there was no real
unity. The two kings sometimes fought each
other. Their kingdoms were only small
states. People did not speak the same
language, and they had different ways of
doing things. It was hard to make them into
one country.
The Spanish Inquisition
Isabella of Castile married Ferdinand II
of Aragon in 1469. The two crowns joined
(and they later became famous for financing
the voyages of Christopher Columbus), but
Medieval to Renaissance: Elementary
Unit 21: Germany, the Popes, and the Rise of Spain
Page 210
this was not enough. Ferdinand and Isabella
wanted all Spain to be united. They decided
Spain should have one religion.
government would step in and use torture.
That was considered acceptable at that time.
Fines and prison, trips to holy places, or
wearing shameful or humble clothing were
penances given to people who had done
wrong, but a lot of people were burned to
death with terrible torture.
Inquisition Torture Chamber, by Bernard Picard
Queen Isabel I of Castile, by Luis de Madrazo
Queen Isabella established a court of
justice called the Inquisition for the Catholic
Church. It was formed to seek out heretics
(people who did not believe what the
Church proclaimed) and remove them. It
grew. People did not think it was cruel. It
used methods that were considered proper
at that time. This court was used to judge
those who were thought to have done harm
to the Church or its members. There had to
be strong proof against them, but the court
was not perfect and made mistakes. People
were questioned and could argue their
innocence or confess what they had done.
Sometimes the court was sure the
person had done wrong and tried to get the
person to confess. In those cases,
The Spanish rulers were excited about
their faith. They became so excited that they
wanted nothing more than for their whole
country to be Christian. They told the Jews
they could become Christian, and if they did
not want to do that, they had to leave Spain.
The Muslims who were still in the country
had to do the same. Most of the Jews and
Muslims decided to leave. In a way this was
a loss to Spain, because many were smart
and were hard workers. They controlled lots
of the trade and making of products. This
made things hard for a while.
Queen Isabella was a great and wise
ruler. But much later, people would think
she did wrong. She was a ruler of the
fifteenth century, and all of Europe was
strong in support of Christianity.
Persecution of heretics was seen as a
glorious work for Christ. So for the glory of
God, Isabella did what she had been taught
was right for a good ruler and a good
Christian.
Medieval to Renaissance: Elementary
Unit 21: Germany, the Popes, and the Rise of Spain
Page 211
This persecution lasted hundreds of
years. The “question by torture” was still in
use early in the eighteenth century.
Spain as a Part of Europe
Spain had been at war for nearly eight
hundred years. It had not done much with
Europe and was not touched by things that
had happened in Europe. It had not noticed
the great changes among other states. It did
not have a feudal system and was never a
part of the Crusades because it had been
busy fighting the Moors within its own
country. So it had not been influenced by
the changes in religion that had taken place
in other countries.
But Spain finally became important in
Europe during the time of Ferdinand and
Isabella. The royal family joined with other
countries of Europe through marriage. King
Ferdinand sent representatives to live at the
courts of other states. This helped build
friendships with other countries and built
trade. Arguments that used to lead to war
were resolved by talking. This was a step
toward international understanding and
decrease of wars.
The Surrender of Granada in 1492, by Francisco Pradilla Ortiz - Muhammad XII before Ferdinand and Isabella
Medieval to Renaissance: Elementary
Unit 21: Germany, the Popes, and the Rise of Spain
Page 212