Investiturstreit

Investiturstreit, the conflict between the Pope and the temporal rulers in western Europe concerning the right of appointing bishops and abbots. Until 1075 this right was traditionally exercised by the sovereign, but in that year Pope Gregory VII forbade investiture by laymen. The ensuing struggle for power lasted nearly fifty years in Germany and involved fierce struggles, particularly in the reigns of the emperors Heinrich IV and Heinrich V. The Investiture Contest was ended in 1122 by the Concordat of Worms (see Wormser Konkordat), a compromise by which the real power of appointment was vested in the papacy, while the emperor retained feudal rights over the temporal estates of the spiritual lords.