| Henry IX | |
|---|---|
| |
| Holy Roman Emperor | |
| Reign | 1493-1498 |
| Coronation | 24 January 1494 in Cologne |
| Predecessor | Henry VIII |
| Successor | Philip II |
| Apostolic President | |
| Reign | 1522-1549 |
| Coronation | 19 December 1522 |
| Predecessor | Thin White Duke |
| Successor | Louis I |
| Count of Weimar | |
| Reign | 1490-1549 |
| Coronation | 9 June 1490 in Weimar |
| Predecessor | Thin White Duke |
| Successor | Ruprecht |
| Born | 9 August 1472 Erfurt, Thuringia, Kingdom of Germany |
| Died | 1 May 1549 Weimar, Rätian Union Kingdom of Germany |
| Issue | William (1492) |
| House | House of Jenagotha |
| Father | Thin White Duke |
| Mother | Agnes of Saalfield |
| Religion |
Jungism (1507-) |
Henry IX (9 August 1472 – 1 May 1549) was Holy Roman Emperor from his election in 1493 until his abdication in 1498. He was also the first Apostolic President of the Rätian Union from 1522 to his death in 1549, and was Count of Weimar from 1490. A member of the Thuringian ruling House of Jenagotha, Henry was the grandson of the Thin White Duke, Duke of Thuringia, through his first son William of Talstein who predeceased them both.
Although initially a minor player in his family's intrigue, following the death of Henry VIII, Holy Roman Emperor, Henry rose to prominence. As Henry VIII's sons and other children and descendants declined to stand, in accordance with Henry VIII's will, Henry von Jenagotha was elected unanimously, as Henry IX, Holy Roman Emperor. This was partly because his grandfather, the Thin White Duke, who was unpopular among the Prince-Electors, opposed him and instead supported Edmund Alwin of Saxony. Henry's stark contrast to his grandfather's personality, and his opposition to the growing Adamite movement in central Germany, made him a promising emperor. In the first few years of his reign, the Archbishopric of Mainz attempted to invade Thuringia, and the Frankfurt Dictatorship rose and fell during the brief Henrician Civil War, in the aftermath of his election. Henry managed to cement his rule after succeeding to vanquish the Frankfurt Dictatorship, but several years later grew ill, and decided to abdicate unexpectedly in 1498. He was the first in a succession of Emperors following Henry VIII who reigned only briefly. He was next succeeded as Emperor by Philip II of the Palatinate.
Following his abdication, Henry remained an active ruler, and during the Protestant Reformation followed his grandfather in converting to Jungism. With the Thin White Duke's death, Henry was one of hundreds of Thuringian claimants, but rose to the top as the most likely heir, along with Hugh the Heir, with Hugh ultimately succeeding to the position of Duke, while Henry took the position of president with the support of prominent Thuringian politicians such as Benedikt Nietzche. Henry would rule during the creation of the Rätian Union in 1534, in which he served as one of its chief magistrates. He distanced himself from Hugh the Heir, who led Thuringia through numerous wars, including against Bohemia and Jaromir, Holy Roman Emperor. Henry ultimately outlived his rival, and oversaw the creation of Jungist republics in Franconia that his kinsman had envisioned. Henry died in 1549 at the age of 77 and was succeeded by his son Louis I as president, while Weimar passed to his son Ruprecht, who is considered the start of the Jenagotha-Weimar branch of the dynasty.
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