Editing Anno II (section)

==Life==
He was born to the ''[[edelfrei]]'' Steusslingen family at Altsteußlingen (near [[Ehingen]]) in [[Duchy of Swabia|Swabia]], and was educated in [[Bamberg Cathedral|Bamberg]],<ref name=campbell>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01541b.htm Campbell, Thomas. "St. Anno." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 30 Dec. 2012]</ref> where he subsequently became head of the [[cathedral school]]. In 1046 he became [[chaplain]] to the [[Salian dynasty|Salian]] emperor [[Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry III]], and accompanied him on his campaigns against King [[Andrew I of Hungary]] in 1051 and 1052. The emperor appointed him [[Provost (religion)|provost]] at the newly erected [[Goslar Cathedral|Cathedral of Goslar]] in 1054 and Archbishop of Cologne two years later.<ref>[http://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-anno/ Monks of Ramsgate. “Anno”. ''Book of Saints'', 1921. CatholicSaints.Info. 20 July 2012]{{PD-notice}}</ref> Due to his dominant position at the imperial court, Anno was able to influence other appointments. Anno's nephew, [[Burchard II (bishop of Halberstadt)|Burchard]], was made Bishop of Halberstadt in 1059, and in 1063, his brother, [[Werner of Magdeburg|Werner]], became [[Archbishopric of Magdeburg|Archbishop of Magdeburg]].<ref name=Oediger/>

According to contemporary sources, Anno led an ascetic life and was open to [[Gregorian Reform|reform]]. Nevertheless, he was a fearsome adversary to anyone perceived as a threat to the interests of his [[Electorate of Cologne|archdiocese]].<ref>[https://www.academia.edu/1516835/Body_snatching_and_episcopal_power_Archbishop_Anno_II_of_Cologne_1056_1075_burials_in_St_Marys_ad_gradus_and_the_minority_of_King_Henry_IV Rotondo-McCord, Jonathan. "Body snatching and Episcopal Power", ''Journal of Medieval History'' Vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 296-312. 1996]</ref> His plans to seize the prosperous monastery in [[Malmedy]], challenging the authority of the [[Principality of Stavelot-Malmedy|Imperial abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy]], caused much controversy and ultimately failed. On the other hand, he founded the [[Order of Saint Benedict|Benedictine]] abbey of [[Michaelsberg Abbey, Siegburg|Michaelsberg]], modelled on the Italian [[Abbey of Fruttuaria]], which soon evolved to a centre of the [[Cluniac Reforms]] in [[Kingdom of Germany|Germany]].

After the death of Emperor Henry III in 1056, the archbishop took a prominent part in the government of the empire during the minority of the six-year-old heir to the throne, Henry IV. He was the leader of the party which in April 1062 seized the person of Henry in the [[Coup of Kaiserswerth]], and deprived his mother, Empress [[Agnes of Poitou|Agnes]], of power.<ref name=dom>[https://koelner-dom.de/index.php?id=18884&L=1 "Archbishop Anno II", Cologne Cathedral] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402141604/https://koelner-dom.de/index.php?id=18884&L=1 |date=2 April 2015 }}</ref> Agnes, initially with the support of [[Pope Victor II]], had stirred up several German princes against her rule by assigning extended [[fief]]s to presumed supporters and by appointing her confidant Bishop [[Henry II of Augsburg]] regent. After he also had secured the [[Imperial regalia]] for himself, Anno for a short time was able to exercise the chief authority in the Empire, but he was soon obliged to share this with his fellow conspirators, Archbishop [[Adalbert, Archbishop of Bremen|Adalbert of Bremen]] and Archbishop [[Siegfried I, Archbishop of Mainz|Siegfried of Mainz]], retaining for himself the supervision of Henry's education and the title of ''magister''.

[[File:Anno II..JPG|thumb|Archbishop Anno instates Erpho, first abbot of Michaelsberg Abbey, 12th century manuscript]]

The office of [[archchancellor]] of the Imperial [[Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)|Kingdom of Italy]] was at this period regarded as an appanage of the Archbishopric of Cologne, and this was probably the reason why Anno had a considerable share in settling a papal dispute brewing since 1061: relying on an assessment by his nephew Bishop Burchard of Halberstadt, he declared [[Pope Alexander II|Alexander II]] to be the rightful pope at a synod held at [[Mantua]] in May 1064, and took other steps to secure his recognition against Empress Agnes' candidate [[Antipope Honorius II]].<ref name=campbell/> Returning to Germany, however, he found the chief power in the hands of Archbishop Adalbert of Bremen, and as he was disliked by the young emperor, Anno gradually lost ground at the imperial court though he regained some of his former influence when Adalbert fell from power in 1066. In the same year he was able to secure the succession of his nephew, [[Conrad of Pfullingen]], as [[Archbishop of Trier]]. By 1072 he had become imperial administrator and thus the second most powerful man,<ref name=dom/> acting as an arbitrator in the rising [[Saxon revolt of 1073–1075|Saxon Rebellion]].

In the course of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the City of [[Cologne]] attained great prosperity. Local crafts flourished; the spinners, weavers, and dyers, the woollen-drapers, goldsmiths, sword-cutlers, and armour-makers of Cologne were especially celebrated. No city north of the Alps was so rich in great churches, sanctuaries, relics, and religious communities. It was known as the "German Rome,". With the growth of the municipal prosperity, the pride of the citizens and their desire for independence also increased, and caused them to feel more dissatisfied with the sovereignty of the archbishop. This resulted in bitter feuds between the bishops and the city, which lasted for two centuries with varying fortunes. The first uprising occurred under Anno II, at Easter of the year 1074. The citizens rose against the archbishop, but were defeated within three days, and severely punished.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04116a.htm Lins, Joseph. "Cologne." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 4. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1908. 6 Dec. 2014]</ref> It was reported he had allied himself with [[William the Conqueror]], [[King of England]], against the emperor. Having cleared himself of this charge, Anno took no further part in public business and died in [[Siegburg Abbey]] on 4 December 1075,<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/210/12/043.html Butler, Alban. ''Lives of the Saints'', Vol. XII, James Duffy, Dublin, 1866]</ref> where he was buried.