Otto was only a few years old in 983 when he became King of Germany upon his father's death, so his mother was named regent (after a conflict with Henry the Quarrelsome). Because Otto's father was also Holy Roman Emperor and his mother, Theophanu, was Holy Roman Empress, she became regent until her death in 991.
The regency period was relatively peaceful. Theopahnu had been heavily involved in administration alongside her husband, so she was ready to manage things for her son. One of her acts was to negotiate a treaty with the King of Sweden, Eric the Victorious. She set up diplomatic relations with Vladimir I of Kyiv, and with the Duke of Poland Mieszko I.
Because the Byzantine culture included a close working relationship between emperor and patriarch, she cultivated a relationship with the pope. She brought other parts of Byzantine culture: not only physical style in jewelry, furniture, and clothing, but also eating habits and legal procedures.
There were military actions under her regency. In 987 she went with the army to assist the Prince-Bishop Notker of Liège (he was a Benedictine monk who had been chaplain to Theophanu's father-in-law, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I and received a countship) against Odo I, Count of Blois.
Theophanu developed an illness in 988 that lingered until her death in 991. Her sarcophagus (seen here), is in the Church of St. Pantaleon in Cologne. The contemporary chronicler Thietmar of Cologne wrote of her:
Though she was of the weak sex she possessed moderation, trustworthiness, and good manners. In this way she protected with male vigilance the royal power for her son, friendly with all those who were honest, but with terrifying superiority against rebels.
Otto was still a child, and so the regency passed to the other family member who was also a Holy Roman Empress, his paternal grandmother, Adelaide of Italy. She would see him through adulthood, as we will see next time.
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