House of Hohenstaufen - Origins As Dukes of Swabia

Origins As Dukes of Swabia

In 1079, the Salian king Henry IV of Germany appointed Count Frederick I at Hohenstaufen Castle as Duke of Swabia. At the same time, Frederick was engaged to the king's approximately seven-year old daughter, Agnes. Nothing is known about Frederick's life before this event, but he proved to be Imperial ally throughout Henry's struggles against other Swabian lords, namely Rudolf of Rheinfelden, Frederick's predecessor, and the Zähringen and Welf lords. Frederick's brother Otto was elevated to the Strasbourg bishopric in 1082.

Upon Frederick's death, he was succeeded by his son, Duke Frederick II, in 1105. Frederick II remained a close ally of the Salians, he and his younger brother Conrad were named the king's representatives in Germany when the king was in Italy. Around 1120, Frederick II married Judith of Bavaria from the rival House of Welf.

Coat of arms of the Hohenstaufen emperors
Details
Adopted 1196
Escutcheon The Imperial Eagle of the Holy Roman Empire
Other elements An inescutcheon of three léopards
Earlier versions A single black lion on a gold background (Or, a lion sable) used until 1196

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