Editing Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor (section)

===Birth and youth===
Otto II was born in 955, the third son of King [[Otto the Great]] of Germany and his second wife, [[Adelaide of Italy]]. By 957, Otto II's older brothers, Henry (born 952) and Bruno (born 953), had died, as well as [[Liudolf, Duke of Swabia|Liudolf]], Otto I's son from his first wife, [[Eadgyth]]. With his older brothers dead, the two-year-old Otto became Otto I's [[heir apparent]]. Otto I entrusted his illegitimate son, [[William (Archbishop of Mainz)|Archbishop William of Mainz]], with Otto II's literary and cultural education. [[Odo I, Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark|Odo]], margrave of the [[Saxon Eastern March|Eastern March]], taught the young Otto the art of war and the kingdom's legal customs.

Needing to put his affairs in order prior to his descent into [[Italy]], Otto I summoned a [[Imperial Diet (Holy Roman Empire)|Diet]] at Worms and had Otto II elected, at the age of six, co-regent in May 961. Otto II was later crowned by his uncle [[Bruno the Great]], [[archbishop of Cologne]], at [[Aachen Cathedral]], probably on [[Pentecost]] (26 May).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Van Houts|first=Elisabeth|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W7AyCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA84|title=Anglo-Norman Studies|publisher=[[Boydell & Brewer]]|year=2014|volume=XXXVII|page=84|isbn=978-1783270248 |author-link=Elisabeth van Houts}}</ref> While Otto I had secured the succession of the throne, he had violated the kingdom's [[common law|unwritten law]] that succession rights could only be granted to a child who has reached the [[age of majority]]. He was likely motivated by the high risk associated with his expedition into Italy to claim the imperial title from the pope. Otto I crossed the Alps into Italy, while Otto II remained in Germany, and the two archbishops, Bruno and William, were appointed as his [[regents]]. After three-and-a-half years in Italy, Otto I returned to Germany early in 965 as [[Holy Roman emperor]]. In order to give the hope of dynastic continuity after his death, Otto I again confirmed Otto II as his heir on 2 February 965, the third anniversary of Otto I's coronation as emperor.