▁elected ▁King ▁of ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁and ▁crown ed ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Emperor ▁Otto ▁IV ▁after ▁years ▁of ▁further ▁conflicts ▁with ▁the ▁H ohen st auf en ▁em per ors . ▁He ▁in cur red ▁the ▁wr ath ▁of ▁Pope ▁In noc ent ▁III ▁and ▁was ▁ex communic ated ▁in ▁ 1 2 1 5 . ▁Otto ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁ab d icate ▁the ▁imperial ▁throne ▁by ▁the ▁H ohen st auf en ▁Frederick ▁II . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁W elf ▁to ▁become ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Emperor . ▁▁▁ ▁Henry ▁the ▁Lion ' s ▁grand son ▁Otto ▁the ▁Child ▁became ▁du ke ▁of ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁Sax ony ▁in ▁ 1 2 3 5 , ▁the ▁new ▁Duch y ▁of ▁Brun sw ick - L ü ne burg , ▁and ▁died ▁there ▁in ▁ 1 2 5 2 . ▁The ▁du chy ▁was ▁divided ▁several ▁times ▁during ▁the ▁High ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁amongst ▁various ▁lines ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁W elf . ▁The ▁sub ordinate ▁states ▁had ▁the ▁legal ▁status ▁of ▁principal ities ▁within ▁the ▁du chy , ▁which ▁remained ▁as ▁an ▁und iv ided ▁imperial ▁f ief . ▁Each ▁state ▁was ▁generally ▁named ▁after ▁the ▁r uler ' s ▁residence , ▁e . g ., ▁the ▁r ul ers ▁of ▁Brun sw ick - W olf en b ütt el ▁originally ▁lived ▁in ▁Wolf en b ütt el . ▁ ▁When ever ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁died ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁male ▁line , ▁the ▁territory ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁another ▁line , ▁as