Henry's son, Otto (936-73), inherited a stabilized kingdom. Otto was crowned in Aachen, the former residence of Emperor Charles the Great (768-814). Later he marched to Italy for the first time to help his future wife to subdue the northern provinces. He was crowned emperor and protector of the Roman church, by the pope, during his second expedition in 962. Probably during his third campaign (966-72) he collected dozens of marble columns at Ravenna which he used in building a new, early Christian style Episcopal church in Magdeburg, on the banks of the Elbe river to the east of Werla. Besides theses spoils, a roman fountain-basin was transported over the Alps to Werla where it was discovered some 900 years later. Werla should considered as an example of the Ottonian Renaissance, which introduced elements of luxury:

• All buildings stood alone, isolated from the walls,
• There was a huge great hall,
• The church stood in the center of the most important buildings.
• Domestic buildings were at the southern border,
• Antique spoils from Italy were incorporated.

New, stronger fortifications were necessary because Europe continued to be ravaged by heretics from every side. Besides the enormous dimensions there were two very interesting innovations. First, the imperial apartment could be heated and the suite had a private chapel attached. Thus the emperor was able to enjoy privacy away from his retinue. Furthermore, the fortification required a strong and well-trained garrison. From this we learn how important the fighting class became to the monarchy in the future.