Individual Details
Friedrich II von Hohenstaufen, Duke of Schwaben
(1090 - 4 Apr 1147)
Friedrich was born in 1090, the elder son of Friedrich I, Herzog von Schwaben and Agnes von Franken, the daughter of Emperor Heinrich IV. His younger brother Konrad was chosen in 1138 as German king.
After the death of his father in 1105, Friedrich succeeded him as duke of Swabia. Together with Konrad, Friedrich further extended the lands of the house of Hohenstaufen, continuing the policy of their father. While Konrad mainly acquired lands in the former dukedom of Franken (Franconia), Friedrich concentrated on the Mittelrhein and Alsace where he had numerous castles built.
In 1108 Friedrich took part in the campaign against King Koloman of Hungary. In 1110/1111 he accompanied Emperor Heinrich V to Rome for an audience with Pope Paschal II. As Friedrich had remained loyal to the emperor against the opposition movement in Germany, in 1116 Heinrich declared him and Konrad to be his deputies (imperial administrators) for the duration of his journey to Italy. The brothers used this powerful position to further expand the Hohenstaufen holdings, particularly in the Rheinfranken (middle Rhine) region.
In 1120 Friedrich married Judith of Bavaria, the daughter of Heinrich 'the Black', Herzog von Bayern, and Wulfhild von Sachsen. They had two children, Friedrich and Bertha, both of whom would have progeny.
After the death of Heinrich V, and with him the extinction of the Salian line of emperors, the great princes of the Holy Roman Empire assembled on 24 August 1125 in Mainz for the election of his successor as German king, and Friedrich was one of the candidates. The earlier view that Heinrich had determined before his death that Friedrich should be his successor is now usually rejected. Rather it is now assumed that Friedrich was only nominated to maintain order in the empire until a successor to Heinrich was found. However, Friedrich and his brother Konrad, through their mother Agnes, were the heirs to the Salian territories. The proceedings of the election in Mainz can now no longer be reconstructed with certainty. However it is known that they were tumultuous, and their outcome was that Lothar von Supplinburg, duke of Saxony, was chosen as Lothar III, the new German king. Friedrich accepted this choice at first and honoured Lothar, but he refused to formally pay him homage. Disputes soon arose over the distinction between the king's estate and that of the Salian house. Friedrich and Konrad had inherited the Salian property of Heinrich V and had divided it along the Rhine: holdings on the left bank to Friedrich, on the right bank to Konrad. Nevertheless, the demarcation of the king's estate (Königsgut) which they had to return to Lothar, was in dispute.
Before the court in Regensburg, Lothar called on the Hohenstaufens in November 1125 to separate the Königsgut from the Salian house's estates, and to hand the former over to him. When Friedrich and Konrad did not respond, Lothar in December banned them from the royal grace. In January 1126 several princes decided in Goslar to impose the king's ban against the Hohenstaufens militarily. The king and his allies, to a great extent without fighting, captured Hohenstaufen lands in upper Lorraine, in Alsace and in Rheinfranken; however he did not venture an attack on Swabia, to which the Hohenstaufens had withdrawn. An attack by the Welfs of Bavaria on the Hohenstaufen heartland failed. In 1127 Lothar had to break off the siege of Nuremberg, which was in Hohenstaufen hands. These defeats of Lothar and his allies led to several rulers in lower Lorraine and Franconia withdrawing their support from him. During a battle in the course of these campaigns Friedrich lost an eye, and so he was no longer eligible as a candidate for the kingship, lacking the physical intactness which was a basic condition.
In 1127 his brother Konrad returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and became the driving force on the Hohenstaufen side. In December he had himself proclaimed as king, and took over the leadership from Friedrich. However Friedrich was still active as a military leader and in 1128 he captured Speyer, while Konrad tried to gain influence in Italy, largely unsuccessfully. In 1130 the fortunes of war turned: Lothar reconquered Speyer. Friedrich's wife Judith had died soon after, in late February 1130. In the same year Nuremberg with its environs also fell to Lothar. In 1131 the Hohenstaufens lost the whole of Alsace and were driven back to Swabia and Ostfranken. Lothar decided against further attacks on the Hohenstaufens, and concentrated on the extension of the internal structure of the empire and on policy in relation to Italy.
About 1132 Friedrich married Agnes von Saarbrücken, daughter of Friedrich I, Graf von Saarbrücken, and Gisela de Lorraine, creating a connection with another house in opposition to Lothar. After his return from Italy, Lothar in 1134 resumed the offensive against the Hohenstaufens. Friedrich could not withstand the concurrent attacks of Lothar in the north and Heinrich 'the Black', Herzog von Bayern, in the south. In the spring of 1135 he submitted to Lothar in Bamberg, wearing a penitent's robe; Konrad repeated this gesture in the autumn. In return for a pledge of loyalty and their agreement to support an Italian campaign, the Hohenstaufens were again accepted into the royal grace. Konrad married Gertrud von Komburg, a sister-in-law of Heinrich 'the Black'.
On 4 April 1147 Friedrich died in Alzey. He found his last resting place in the abbey of Walburg in lower Alsace. His son Friedrich succeeded him as duke of Swabia, and in 1152 he ascended to the German throne as King Friedrich I Barbarossa.
Source: Leo van de Pas
After the death of his father in 1105, Friedrich succeeded him as duke of Swabia. Together with Konrad, Friedrich further extended the lands of the house of Hohenstaufen, continuing the policy of their father. While Konrad mainly acquired lands in the former dukedom of Franken (Franconia), Friedrich concentrated on the Mittelrhein and Alsace where he had numerous castles built.
In 1108 Friedrich took part in the campaign against King Koloman of Hungary. In 1110/1111 he accompanied Emperor Heinrich V to Rome for an audience with Pope Paschal II. As Friedrich had remained loyal to the emperor against the opposition movement in Germany, in 1116 Heinrich declared him and Konrad to be his deputies (imperial administrators) for the duration of his journey to Italy. The brothers used this powerful position to further expand the Hohenstaufen holdings, particularly in the Rheinfranken (middle Rhine) region.
In 1120 Friedrich married Judith of Bavaria, the daughter of Heinrich 'the Black', Herzog von Bayern, and Wulfhild von Sachsen. They had two children, Friedrich and Bertha, both of whom would have progeny.
After the death of Heinrich V, and with him the extinction of the Salian line of emperors, the great princes of the Holy Roman Empire assembled on 24 August 1125 in Mainz for the election of his successor as German king, and Friedrich was one of the candidates. The earlier view that Heinrich had determined before his death that Friedrich should be his successor is now usually rejected. Rather it is now assumed that Friedrich was only nominated to maintain order in the empire until a successor to Heinrich was found. However, Friedrich and his brother Konrad, through their mother Agnes, were the heirs to the Salian territories. The proceedings of the election in Mainz can now no longer be reconstructed with certainty. However it is known that they were tumultuous, and their outcome was that Lothar von Supplinburg, duke of Saxony, was chosen as Lothar III, the new German king. Friedrich accepted this choice at first and honoured Lothar, but he refused to formally pay him homage. Disputes soon arose over the distinction between the king's estate and that of the Salian house. Friedrich and Konrad had inherited the Salian property of Heinrich V and had divided it along the Rhine: holdings on the left bank to Friedrich, on the right bank to Konrad. Nevertheless, the demarcation of the king's estate (Königsgut) which they had to return to Lothar, was in dispute.
Before the court in Regensburg, Lothar called on the Hohenstaufens in November 1125 to separate the Königsgut from the Salian house's estates, and to hand the former over to him. When Friedrich and Konrad did not respond, Lothar in December banned them from the royal grace. In January 1126 several princes decided in Goslar to impose the king's ban against the Hohenstaufens militarily. The king and his allies, to a great extent without fighting, captured Hohenstaufen lands in upper Lorraine, in Alsace and in Rheinfranken; however he did not venture an attack on Swabia, to which the Hohenstaufens had withdrawn. An attack by the Welfs of Bavaria on the Hohenstaufen heartland failed. In 1127 Lothar had to break off the siege of Nuremberg, which was in Hohenstaufen hands. These defeats of Lothar and his allies led to several rulers in lower Lorraine and Franconia withdrawing their support from him. During a battle in the course of these campaigns Friedrich lost an eye, and so he was no longer eligible as a candidate for the kingship, lacking the physical intactness which was a basic condition.
In 1127 his brother Konrad returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and became the driving force on the Hohenstaufen side. In December he had himself proclaimed as king, and took over the leadership from Friedrich. However Friedrich was still active as a military leader and in 1128 he captured Speyer, while Konrad tried to gain influence in Italy, largely unsuccessfully. In 1130 the fortunes of war turned: Lothar reconquered Speyer. Friedrich's wife Judith had died soon after, in late February 1130. In the same year Nuremberg with its environs also fell to Lothar. In 1131 the Hohenstaufens lost the whole of Alsace and were driven back to Swabia and Ostfranken. Lothar decided against further attacks on the Hohenstaufens, and concentrated on the extension of the internal structure of the empire and on policy in relation to Italy.
About 1132 Friedrich married Agnes von Saarbrücken, daughter of Friedrich I, Graf von Saarbrücken, and Gisela de Lorraine, creating a connection with another house in opposition to Lothar. After his return from Italy, Lothar in 1134 resumed the offensive against the Hohenstaufens. Friedrich could not withstand the concurrent attacks of Lothar in the north and Heinrich 'the Black', Herzog von Bayern, in the south. In the spring of 1135 he submitted to Lothar in Bamberg, wearing a penitent's robe; Konrad repeated this gesture in the autumn. In return for a pledge of loyalty and their agreement to support an Italian campaign, the Hohenstaufens were again accepted into the royal grace. Konrad married Gertrud von Komburg, a sister-in-law of Heinrich 'the Black'.
On 4 April 1147 Friedrich died in Alzey. He found his last resting place in the abbey of Walburg in lower Alsace. His son Friedrich succeeded him as duke of Swabia, and in 1152 he ascended to the German throne as King Friedrich I Barbarossa.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | 1090 | ||||
| Death | 4 Apr 1147 | Alzey | |||
| Marriage | Judith of Bavaria |
Families
| Spouse | Judith of Bavaria ( - 1130) |
| Child | Friedrich I, "Barbarosa" Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1123 - 1190) |
| Father | Duke Friedrich I von Schwaben, (1050 - 1105) |
| Mother | Agnes von Franken (1072 - 1143) |
| Sibling | Konrad III von Schwaben, King of the Romans Herzog von Franken (1093 - 1152) |