Salian dynasty
| Salians Salier Reges salici | |
|---|---|
The crypt of Speyer Cathedral, the Salian emperors' burial place | |
| Parent family | Widonids (?) |
| Country | Holy Roman Empire Germany Italy Burgundy Carinthia Bavaria Swabia |
| Place of origin | Franconia |
| Founded | Early 10th century |
| Founder | Count Werner |
| Final ruler | Emperor Henry V |
| Members | Pope Gregory V Emperor Conrad II Emperor Henry III Emperor Henry IV |
| Connected families | Ottonian Hohenstaufen Babenberg |
| Distinctions | Investiture Controversy |
| Traditions | Roman Catholicism |
| Dissolution | 1125 |
The Salian dynasty or Salic dynasty (German: Salier) was a European royal dynasty in the High Middle Ages. The dynasty provided four kings of Germany (1024–1125), all of whom went on to be crowned Holy Roman emperors (1027–1125).
After the death of the last Ottonian emperor in 1024, the Kingdom of Germany and later the entire Holy Roman Empire passed to Conrad II, a Salian. He was followed by three more Salian rulers: Henry III, Henry IV, and Henry V. They established their monarchy as a major European power.
The Salian dynasty developed a permanent administrative system based on a class of public officials answerable to the crown. As well, traditional rules of succession, according to strict male primogeniture, initially found in a Frankish (and Carolingian) law code named Salic law, were both used by the dynasty and helped give it its name.