Conrad III of Germany

Conrad III of Germany
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Name	Conrad III
Title	King of Germany
Reign	1138–1152
Coronation	13 March 1138, Aachen
Predecessor	Lothair III
Successor	Frederick I Barbarossa
House	Hohenstaufen
Father	Frederick I, Duke of Swabia
Mother	Agnes of Germany
Birth date	1093
Death date	15 February 1152 (aged 58–59)
Burial place	Bamberg Cathedral

Conrad III of Germany was the first King of Germany from the Hohenstaufen dynasty, reigning from 1138 until his death in 1152. His election, following the death of Lothair III, initiated a prolonged period of civil war against the rival House of Welf, a conflict known as the Guelphs and Ghibellines. Although he was elected king, Conrad never received imperial coronation from the Pope and thus ruled as Rex Romanorum. His reign was dominated by internal strife and his leadership of the failed Second Crusade, which ultimately weakened the monarchy's authority.

Early life and family

Born in 1093, Conrad was the second son of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Agnes of Germany, a daughter of Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor. Through his mother, he was a grandson of the Salian emperor, giving him a claim to the throne. After his father's death, his elder brother Frederick II inherited the Duchy of Swabia, while Conrad received the family's Franconian lands. He was appointed Duke of Franconia by his uncle, Emperor Henry V, and played a significant role in the politics of the Holy Roman Empire during the final years of the Salian line. His first marriage was to Gertrude of Comburg, and after her death, he married Gertrude of Sulzbach, forging an alliance with the House of Babenberg.

Reign as King of Germany

Conrad was elected king in March 1138 at Coblenz, with his coronation following in Aachen, supported by the influential Archbishop of Trier. His accession was immediately contested by the Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, Henry the Proud of the House of Welf, leading to open conflict. The Imperial Diet at Bamberg declared Henry's duchies forfeit, awarding Saxony to Albert the Bear and Bavaria to Conrad's half-brother, Leopold IV of Austria. This act ignited the long-running feud between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. Conrad's reign was marked by continuous military campaigns to assert his authority, including the siege of Weinsberg in 1140, but he struggled to achieve lasting peace or consolidate royal power across the empire.

Role in the Second Crusade

In response to the fall of the County of Edessa, Pope Eugene III called for a new crusade in 1145. Persuaded by the eloquent preaching of Bernard of Clairvaux at the Diet of Speyer in 1146, Conrad took the cross, alongside King Louis VII of France. He departed independently in May 1147, leading a large German army through Hungary and the Byzantine Empire. His forces were decisively defeated by the Seljuk Turks at the Battle of Dorylaeum and again during a failed march on Iconium. After a severe illness in Ephesus, Conrad sailed to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, where he participated in the unsuccessful Siege of Damascus with Baldwin III of Jerusalem and Louis VII before returning to Europe in 1149.

Conflict with the Welfs

The central domestic struggle of Conrad's reign was his ongoing conflict with the Welf dynasty. After the death of Henry the Proud, the Welf cause was taken up by his son, Henry the Lion. Conrad's attempts to subdue the rebellious Duchy of Saxony and reclaim the Duchy of Bavaria were largely unsuccessful. A major setback occurred when his key ally, Albert the Bear, was driven out of Saxony. The war drained royal resources and prevented Conrad from exercising effective control over northern Germany. The conflict remained unresolved at his death, leaving a legacy of princely autonomy and a powerful, defiant Welf opposition that would challenge his successors.

Death and succession

Conrad fell seriously ill in early 1152. He died on 15 February 1152 in Bamberg and was buried in the local Bamberg Cathedral. Notably, he bypassed his own young son, the future Frederick IV of Swabia, in the succession. Instead, with the support of the princes, he designated his nephew, Frederick Barbarossa, as his heir. This decision was likely a pragmatic move to ensure a strong adult ruler capable of managing the empire's internal divisions. Barbarossa's election and subsequent reign marked the zenith of Hohenstaufen power.

Legacy and historical assessment

Historians often view Conrad III as a transitional figure whose reign highlighted the weaknesses of the German monarchy in the 12th century. His failure to receive imperial unction or to subdue the House of Welf underscored the growing power of the territorial princes. The disastrous Second Crusade damaged his prestige and the empire's resources. However, his establishment of the Hohenstaufen dynasty on the throne was his most enduring political achievement, setting the stage for the illustrious reign of Frederick Barbarossa. His reign is a key chapter in the narrative of the Guelphs and Ghibellines conflict that shaped medieval German politics.

Category:1093 births Category:1152 deaths Category:Hohenstaufen dynasty Category:German kings Category:People of the Second Crusade