On Tuesday morning, 15/12/2020, a doctoral thesis was discussed in the Department of History, College of Arts, University of Basrah, entitled "The Relations between the Papal and the Holy Roman Empire during the Hohenstaufen Dynasty 1138-1254 AD".

The thesis presented by the student Maitham Salman Ali included four chapters. The first chapter dealt with Papal-German relations before the Hohenstaufen family came to power. The second chapter referred to the Holy Roman Empire under the rule of the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. The third chapter dealt with the papal and the Holy Roman Empire (1190-1229 AD). The fourth chapter involved the Papal - Empire relations 1229-1254 AD ( The dimensions of the challenge and the nature of the response)

The thesis aimed to address an important stage in the history of the Middle Ages. It shed the light on the relations between the papal and the Holy Roman Empire, especially in the era of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. Simply Because that family played a major role in the political changes that Western Europe took place.