Otho or Otto OF Fkeising(en), a noted German monastic who attained to high ecclesiastical offices, and was one of the crusaders, was a nobleman by descent. The date of his birth is not exactly known ; it is sup- posed to be Dec. 5, 1109; some, however, put it in 1108. He was the third son of duke Leopold of Austria, and of Agnes, daughter of emperor Henry IV. In 1130 (or 1126) he joined the Cistercians, studied in Paris under Abelard, and became an adherent of Gilbert. In 1131 he was made abbot of Morimund, in Champagne, and bishop of Frcising(en) in 1136. He did much towards raising the bishopric, which was at the time in a very bad condition, and was looked upon as its second founder. He had also great influence in the general affairs of the country. In 1147 he took part in the crusade with his half-brother, emperor Conrad III ; was afterwards chosen by his nephew, emperor Frederick I, to negotiate be- tween him and Henry Jasomirgott, duke of Bavaria; went as far as the Alps with the emperor in his second journey to IJome in 1158, then finally settled at Mori- mund, where he died, Sept. 22, 1158. He was much esteemed for his knowledge and his piety. Otho wrote, De duabus cicitatibus, or Be mittatione rerum (a history extending from the creation down to his own times) : — De gestis Friderici imperatoris (dictated to his secre- tary, canon Kadewick of Freising, who afterwards add- ed two sections to it). Both works were first publishe'J
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by Cuspinian, under the title Ottonis Episcopi Fre}'- sin"'eiisis Ri-nnn ab uriijine mundi ad ipsius usque tem- pora (Strasb. 1515), and afterwards in Urstisius, Ger- mania hist, illustr. (Frankf. 1685 and 1G70, foL); in Tissicr, B'lbl. patr. Cisterc. (Par. 1GG9), and Kadewick's continuation in Muratori, Scrlptores rerum Ital. The history of Frederick I is found in Schiller, Allg. Samni- luwi-historischer Memoiren. The first four books of this Chronicle are a mere compilation from Orosius, Eusobius, Isidore of Seville, and other previous writers; but the last three books contain much original informa- tion, especially concerning the affairs of Germany in the 10th, nth, and 12th centuries. Otho is an im- partial and trustworthy historian, and judicious for the times in wliich he lived. His Chronicle was continued down to the year 1210 by another Otho, Appendix Ot- tonis a S. Blazio a fine lihri septimi Ottonis usque ad annum Salutis 1210. Another work of Otho of Frey- singen is a treatise concerning the end of the world, according to the book of Revelations, which is general- ly appended to his Chronicle. See Huber, 0. von Frei- singen (Munich, 1847) ; Wiedemann, 0. von Fi-eising, sein Lehen u, Wirhen (Passau, 1849) ; Lang, Psycholo- gvscher Charalier Otto's von Freising (Augsb. 1853) ; Zeitsch: f. Gvsch. Wissenschnft, vol. ii (1844); Lit. Central Blatt (185G). — Pierer, Universal-Lexikon, xii, 521 ; Ilerzog, Real-EncyUop). x, 738. (.J. H. W.)
Otho I (or the Great) of Germany, next to Char- lemagne the greatest European prince of the Middle Ages, noted alike in secular and ecclesiastical history — in the former for his valuable service to German unity and influence, and in the latter for the support he gave to the papacy, and for the independence which he main- tained towards the popes — was the son of the emperor Henry I, and was born in 912. He was carefully trained for successorship to the throne, and enjoyed the esteem of his associates and of the people. On the death of his father in A.D. 93G he was crowned king of the Germans. He immediately engaged in a series of eventful and generally triumphant wars, in the course of which he reduced the power of the dukes, and conquered and converted the heathen Danes, Wends, Bohemians, and Hungarians. He also interfered in the French dissen- sions, and thus acquired influence among that people, while at home he strengthened his individual power by gathering around him the leaders of the nation, and es- pecially the best of the clergy. When his throne had been secured beyond venture, he turned his attention to Italy for the purpose of making his power felt over the entire domain of Charlemagne. Otho appeared first as the champion of Adelaide, the young widow of king Lothaire, who had been imprisoned and otherwise ill-used by Berengar, the poisoner of Lothaire, and the usurper of the Italian crown. Otho liberated Ade- laide, whom he married at Pavia in the year 951, and forgave Berengar, and allowed him to retain the sovereignty of Italy, but as his vassal. Otho then re- turned to Germany. After some years, fresh com- plaints from pope John XII (q. v.) of the tyranny of Berengar, who was then waging war against the papal throne, induced Otho to recross the Alps, and to go to the rescue of the pope in his extreme hour of need. Otho defeated Berengar and his son and colleague Adal- bert. He was thereupon himself acknowledged by a diet held at Milan as king of Italy, and crowned by the archbishop with the iron crown of the Longobards in the church of St. Ambrose at the close of 9G1. In the following year Otho repaired to Kome, where pope John XII crowned him emperor of the West, as being the successor of Charlemagne, Feb. 2, 9G2. " Never did a more important event in liistory take place, making less impression on those who witnessed it, and being less commemorated by subsequent historians, tlian the coronation of Otho I at Kome in the year 962. By the coronation of Charles 102 years earlier, the first founda- tions had been laid for the empire; by the coronation of Otho that empire itself was founded afresh, and from