See also: Barberousse

Frederic Ier de Hohenstaufen (1122 June -10 1190), known as Frederic Barberousse , was Germanic Roman Emperor, king of Germany (Rex Romanorum), king d' Italie, duke of Souabe and duke of Alsace and Count Palatine of Burgundy.

Translation

Frederic Ier, known as Barberousse (born towards 1122 with Waiblingen or Weingarten close to Ravensbourg, dead the June 10th 1190), is a prince of the dynasty of the Hohenstaufen, duke of Souabe of 1147 to 1152 under the name of Frederic III. He was elected king of the Romans ( rex romanorum ) in 1147 and was crowned in 1155 Empereur of the Germanic Roman Holy roman Empire. He gained his nickname in Italy because of its dazzling beard russet-red.

Birth

The birthplace of the prince is still dubious. According to the only contemporary source , the Welfe Judith of Bavaria gave rise to his/her “first child” in a castle close to Altdorf, today Weingarten. As it was current at that time for the mother to give rise to her child in his country of origin, it is probable that Frederic was born on the grounds from his mother. However it is not sure that Frederic is indeed this first child, because infant mortality was at the time very high.

Biography

Duke of Souabe

Frederic, wire of Hohenstaufen Frederic II the One-eyed one, duke of Souabe, and Judith, girl of Henri the Black of Bavaria, goes down from the two concurrent lines dominating the Holy roman Empire of this time. Died of his father in 1147, it succeeded to him like duke of Souabe under the name of Frederic III. It seems to have continued the efforts of his father to increase the influence of the house Hohenstaufen, while his/her uncle, Conrad III, king d' Allemagne, got busy to reinforce the royal capacity. Frederic adopted, seems it, a neutral position at the time of the legal contentions between Conrad and Welfes, and even prevented a procedure of Conrad against Welfes.

Youths

Circumstances of its election to imperial dignity

After the sudden death of Conrad III on February 15th, 1152 with Bamberg, the duke of Souabe Frederic was elected with the dignity of King of the Romans as of on March 4th, 1152 with Francfort-sur-le-Main and was crowned on March 9th, 1152 by the Archevêque of Cologne Arnold II von Wied in the palatine Chapelle of Aachen.
Ce unfolding unusually fast is explained, because Conrad III had already planned of them the stages before its voyage of crowning in Rome. This had been initially envisaged from the point of view of the election and the crowning of his/her own son, whereas it was current to regulate the dynastic problems before leaving for a long voyage, which always involved risks. According to the tradition and the written testimony of Othon de Freising, Conrad then decided in the interest of the empire to pass in addition to the dynastic rules of succession and to support the election of its nephew in the place of his son (fore-mentioned also Frederic). It would have allegedly fears that an episode of Régence does not make it possible to obtain to the peace wished in the context of the conflict with Henri the Lion (his/her son had at the time only 6 years). The historical research could not clear up this point, the testimony of Othon de Freising on the circumstances of the election being posterior five years to the event, whereas Frederic already was established and encensé. It is more probable than the duke of Souabe knew to establish, by his extremely skilful diplomacy, a balance of the interests between the partially rival factions which preserved in a satisfactory way the row and the reputation of each prince, and thus obtained their support at the time of the élection.
Chronicles report several meetings between Frederic and the large ones of the empire during the vacancy of the Throne. Impétrant probably promised during these talks various loads and territories with the princes and led its interlocutors to support his candidature. This concerned in particular the partisans of its cousin Henri the Lion, which was probably an additional competitor. Their common uncle Welf VI received inter alia after the accession with the throne of Frederic suzerainty on several fields as well as territories in Italy (goods of the Comtesse Mathilde, the duchy of Spolète, the margraviat of Tuscany, islands of Sardinia and Corsica). A relative Welf, the count Conrad II of Dachau received the title of duke of Méranie. The brother-in-law of Henri the Lion, Bertold IV of Zähringen, received the title of vice-chancellor of Burgundy (an imperial load) and authority on cities of the Swiss Jura. Barberousse gave him the insurance in addition to consolidate it in its rights by a military forwarding, if itself provided thousand riders. After this insulation which ended definitively only in 1156, his/her Henri cousin the Lion received for price of his vote of support the duchy of Bavaria which he coveted and which was taken again in Babenberg by at the time of the Diet of Goslar in 1154.
(§ not translated)
The duke Vladislav de Bohème was appointed king de Bohème by anticipation of future services rendus.
It is necessary to add that the princes voters had to see as a Frederic a candidate in relationship with the two enemy clans, Hohenstaufen and Welf, most capable to reconcile them: he was maternal side in relationship with Welf because his/her Judith mother was girl of the duke of Bavaria Henri the Black and sister of Welf VI; it was also Hohenstaufen by his father, cousin of Conrad III and nephew of Henri Jasomirgott and the bishop Otto von Freising. This is why Otto has it describes it as the “angular stone”.
The program of Barberousse is revealed in the advertisement of the election to the pope Eugene III by Wibald, abbot of Stavelot-Malmedy: the re-establishment of the privileges of the Church and the suzerainty of the empire are the essential principle ( honor imperii und sacrum imperium ). It is not however about nothing again: certain passages of the advertisement were already with few things near in the writings of Conrad III and the papal summation of January 1152.

First steps in the imperial policy

Frederic devoted himself initially to the pacification of the empire and drained competition for the imperial crown. He held a first Diet in Dortmund after Easter 1152, where were present the archbishop of Cologne Arnold II, the duke of Saxony Henri the Lion, the duke Welf IV and Albrecht the Bear. The king presented himself there for the first time like the suzerain of the saxonne part of the empire. A new Diet was called in June of the same year during the round of empire in Mersebourg. The conflict between the archbishop of Bremen, Hartwich, and Henri the Lion was discussed there, which turned around the right to base one évêché on the coast of the Baltic. It is only at the time of the Diet of Goslar into 1154 that was granted to Henri the right to base évêchés on its territory. In Mersebourg, Frederic intervened in the quarrel of succession of the Danish crown to the profit of Sven III and against Knut, which was related to Welf. The most crucial problem of the imperial policy, the conflict between Henri the Lion and Henri Jasomirgott for the duchy of Bavaria was mentioned but was not solved yet. The expansion of Welfes in Germany of North was thus circumscribed. The round of empire stopped after Mersebourg in Ratisbon. Frederic there accepted the homage of the Bavarian nobility and called with a forwarding against Hungary. The princes however disputed the chances of success and made obstruction of them. The king wanted through this forwarding to probably divert Babenberg of their combat against Welfes in Bavaria.

Preparation of crowning

At the time of the Diet of Würzburg, in October 1152, Barberoussa the date of its voyage fixed at Rome with the autumn 1154. The reasons often advanced to explain the choice of a however late date touch with the wish of Barberousse to regulate the argument between Babenberg and Welfes for the title of duke of Bavaria. Once the known date, of the negotiations between Barberousse and the Roman curia started in order to determine the conditions of crowning. The treaty of Constancy, called according to the place where it was initialed in March 1153 by Frederic, was the result of these discussions. Barberousse promises there to subject the common risen Roman, to restore the city with the papal authority and not to sign any peace with the Romans and the Norman ones without the agreement of the Pope, to restore and reinforce the spiritual power of the Pope on the Roman Church like thwarting any Byzantine inclination in Italy. In counterpart, the Pope promises there to crown Frederic and to support it in the exercise of the imperial capacity, to excommunicate the elements subversive of Reich and to join expulsion Byzantines out of Italy. Frederic obtained moreover, within the framework of the negotiations, that the Pope dislocate the archbishops of Mainz, Minden, Hildesheim and Eichstätt, too close to Welfes, and replaces them by personalities which are favorable for him.

In spite of the conditions of the treaty of Constancy, Barberousse started again in September 1153 the negotiations for an alliance with Constantinople, which languished since the death of Conrad III. The king proposed to marry a Byzantine princess. Anselm von Havelberg is sent on May 9th, 1154 to Constantinople to conclude a possible alliance. It prematurely returned however semi-1155, leaving the relationships to the Byzantine empire still dubious whereas Barberousse got under way for Rome.

In June 1154, Frederic Ier calls the Diet with Goslar. Henri the Lion obtained during the meeting the right to invest bishops in his territories on the Baltic. Barberousse also decided in its favor about the duchy of Bavaria, without to put a term at the conflict.

First voyage to Rome

The army was put moving for Rome in October 1154. The situation had been degraded meanwhile in Italy of the South, as Roger II had just died. His/her son Guillaune I was not recognized by the pope Hadrian IV but however undertook negotiations with the curia. Hadrian once again feared a Byzantine invasion of Italy and recalled with insistence on Frederic the terms of the treaty of Constancy. Moreover, Hadrian found himself in a conflict acute with the Roman Senate. Frederic and Hadrian met first once at Sutri, where the Germanic king refused to yield with the protocol of tender, i.e. to carry out the horse of the pope by the support. This incident seems however to be arranged rather quickly. On their common road towards Rome, the king and the pope met a delegation of the Senate, which claimed the recognition of the new charter of the city as well as the payment of 5000 pounds gold and supported that in the future the emperor could receive his crown of the town of Rome. These claims were rejected by the king. On these entrefaites, Rome closed its doors with the king and the pope (the Vatican being held apart from the profane city). Barberousse was crowned emperor on June 18th, 1155 by Hadrian IV in the Saint-Pierre basilica of Rome. The Roman population was raised just after crowning to capture the pope. The imperial and papal troops fought late in the night against the Romans. After the calm one was restored, Barberousse did not seek to subdue the rebellion, in spite of the treaty of Constancy, nor to restore the capacity of the pope on the city.

A forwarding against the Norman ones in Sicily was also abandoned. However the envoys of Constantinople, that Barberousse had received shortly after crowning with Ancône to negotiate the projects of marriage and alliance, had made a requirement of it. The princes refused like the emperor to take part in forwarding. The talks also ended up falling into the dead end, according to any probability, because the Byzantine emperor taken contact with the insurrectionists in the Pouilles and gave up the discussions with Frederic I.

Following this rupture of the treaty of Constancy, the rupture was consumed between papacy and the empire, which gave place to the following contentions. Without counting that the conditions were degraded in Italy from the point of view of Frederic. The rebellion in Pouilles became extensive, with the assistance of the Byzantines. The Norman ones faced Constantinople successfully and took again Brindisi just to him after the Byzantines had re-occupied it. Taking into consideration these development, the Hadrian pope concludes the Traité from Bénévent with the Norman ones in 1156. The Norman ones, at the time of the following years, proved reliable like temporal armed wing of the pope, especially in his conflict with the Roman city, which called into question the role of the Germanic emperor. The treaty of Bénévent constituted of this fact a big step in the process of separation between papacy and the empire.

Marriages and first reforms of the Empire

After slicehaving initially sliced in Goslar in favor of Henri the Lion for the attribution of the duchy of Bavaria, Frederic started to negotiate in September 1155 with Henri Jasomirgott on the compensation to be allotted to him for this loss. Not having been able to get along with him, Barberousse authorized the princes of Bavaria to lend to oath of fidelity to Henri the Lion in October in Ratisbon. The duchy however officially left the hands of Babenberg only on September 8th, 1156. As Henri Jasomirgott did not want to give up his stronghold, a compromise would have been found at Pentecost 1156, which will be retranscribed in September in the Privilegium washout : Babenberg receive Austria, old the margraviat being high with the row of duchy while Henri the Lion receives the remainder of Bavaria. This agreement constitutes the foundations of Austria like independent territory.

At the day of March 2nd, 1157, Frederic married Adèle de Vohbourg, the girl of the margrave Diepold III of Cham-Vohbourg and heiress of the country of Eger. This marriage without child was cancelled in March 1153 with Constance, which did not prevent Frederic from giving the country of Eger to his/her cousin Frederic de Rothenbourg. The emperor married in second wedding on June 17th, 1156 with Jouhé, close to Pares, Beatrice of Burgundy (1145 - 1184), still minor, girl of the count Rainald III and heiress since this year of the Franche-Comté. This marriage brought back the same year to him the title of count de Bourgogne and an easier passage of the Alps by the west, but without really increasing allowed him its influence in the area. Their crowning as king and queen of Burgundy was respectively held on July 30th, 1178 in Arles for him and in August 1178 in Vienna for it.

For this period, Barberousse radically changed the imperial organization. Thus was perennialized the fodrum , tax imperial which had to discharge the Italian nobility systematically. This allowed, with the financing of the Italian cities, to strengthen the imperial treasure. The army was also reformed. Beside the old nobility, which lent oath of support for the combat, mercenaries were recruited more and more. Barberousse reinforced its territorial influence, primarily thanks to the extension of the imperial field in Thuringe and with the foundation of the towns of Pegau and Chemnitz.

The Italian policy of Frederic

The conflict with Papacy intensifies

The first forwarding in Italy (1154/55) did not aim only to gird the imperial crown but also continued the intention, like five following forwardings, to ensure an imperial domination without division on the grounds of empire, in particular on the cities lombardes. The objective is summarized by the expression of the legists, honor imperii , which means, in a simplified way, the capacity suzerain of the emperor. The concept of sacrum imperium (holy empire) was developed as a corollary by the imperial chancellery. Before a forwarding, Frederic was to gather his allies as a preliminary. This is why it attempted to improve its relations with Babenberg (with which it had taken again Bavaria) by trying, without success, to restore their relative by alliance, Vladislav II, on the throne of Bohemian at the summer 1157. It raised then the duke Vladislav with the dignity of King de Bohème. Barberousse also made sure of the benevolence of the archbishop of Bremen while intervening in its favor against the archbishop's palace of Lund, which was supported by the pope and in competition with Bremen for the primacy on the Church of north, then while abstaining from acting for the release of the Eskil archbishop after his capture at the time of a return Rome through Burgundy. In same time, it tried to play a part in the conflict of succession in Denmark.

Barberousse convened a Diet in Besancon for October 1157, initially to underline its will to extend its domination to Burgundy. Two papal legates required there the release of Eskil, always held by partisans of the emperor. An incidental passage of the letter of the pope Adrien IV, who described the territory of the empire like a beneficium , created the scandal. That could be translated by benefit or by stronghold and Rainald de Dassel, the chancellor of empire since 1156 and one of the closest right-hand men to Frederic, translated it by stronghold, which did not raise, to tell the truth, no remark on behalf of the legates. One excavated the luggage of the legates and one found many privileges préremplis for submission to the German episcopate, whose emission by the pope despized authority of the emperor on the Church. These two provocations were used in Frederic to launch a propaganda campaign denouncing its attacks, which enabled him to gain the support of most of the German episcopate. The influence of the pope was thus reduced, which benefitted the emperor as with the bishops with research from a greater autonomy compared to Rome. A declaration of the pope Adrien IV in June 1158, which he had not meant stronghold, but benefit ( Beneficium: not feudum, sed bonum factum ), did not change anything with the expansion hostile climate in its connection. A contact with Heinri the Lion could not prevent the second forwarding in Italy more.

The second voyage in Italy

The army of Frederic attacked Milan in September 1158. He convened a diet in November in Roncaglia to regulate the administration of Italy. The emperor made work out by a composite commission of scholars of the University of Bologna (which was famous for its lawyers) the laws of Roncaglia .
These laws were inspired mainly by the Roman law and devoted the rule of the imperial law on the juice commune. The cities had consequently to make accredit their councils near the emperor, which caused later on the indignation of many cities. This Diet is the starting point of a reorganization of the Italian policy by Barberousse. At the time of the Diet and winter pause which followed ran up against full whip the designs of the State of the emperor and the pope; after Frederic extended his administrative reforms to the Italian territories asserted by the pope, in particular the territories of the Mathilde countess and different évêchés, and started negotiations with the town of Rome, a papal delegation was sent to the court in spring 1159 to require the withdrawal of the new rules. Barberousse refused with the reason which the bishops did not profess their magistère on their own territory but that their residence on the contrary was located out of grounds of the empire, on which him, the emperor, had full and whole sovereignty. Same time, the pope entered under discussion with Milan which prepared derechef a campaign against the emperor. Barberousse received, simultaneously with papal legation, a Roman delegation.

The schism

Frederic sent to Adrien the Count Palatine Othon de Wittelsbach. Adrien IV died however on September 1st, 1159 before the count cannot come actively into contact. The conclave of the cardinals was divided, so that Roland Bandinelli, under the name of Alexandre III, for the Italian party and Victor IV for the imperial party asserted the nomination. Alexandre was supported by the majority of the cardinals while Victor was preferred by the Roman people. Frederic called a council in 1160 in Pavia to solve the question of the election. This initiative reflects the design frederician of the imperial function, which wishes to be partly attached to the function as practiced in the late Antiquité and especially to the tradition of the frank emperors. According to this one, the emperor is the baillif of the Church and is brought to slice the dubious pontifical elections. However, the right for the emperor to convene a council was discussed right now at the time. Concomitantly, Alexandre sent a mail in everyone Christian to make known his claim of pontificate. The council meets in February 1160 in the cathedral of Pavia. The partisans of Alexandre were not admitted there, also Victor it was confirmed in accordance with waitings. As a whole, the decision was not respected in Occident because of the low number of participants. The clergies Italian and French, in particular, but also part of the German clergy, did not recognize the authority of the council and thus that of Victor.

The schism had consequences apart from the empire, especially in England and Germany. Frederic had already invited Henri II and Louis VII in 1159, in optics to impose Victor. This attempt failed and the two kings recognized officially Alexandre. While waiting, military confrontations continued in Italy. After Milan had capitulated once again destroyed in March 1162 and summer, Frederic appeared at the top of his military power in Italy. In these favorable circumstances, it considered a campaign in Sicily, to benefit there from a rising of the nobility. The preparations in June however were stopped, after the Norman king had overcome the nobility and that the engagements between Pisa and Genoa had monopolized the fleet necessary. Frederic then developed his diplomatic efforts in direction of France. He aimed at a treaty of friendship and beyond recognition of Victor by France, where had flees Alexandre. One agreed on a meeting in August 1162 between the emperor, the king and the two popes with the bridge of Saint-Jean-with-Losne on the Saone. If a pope were not to present himself, the author would be recognized like only official authority. Alexandre refused to go there and Louis VII proposed a time. Frederic convened a council instead of the meeting, and Louis regarded himself as released of his promise. At the time of the council, Frederic and his partners could not impose Victor IV, which constitutes one of the greatest political defeats of the Barberousse emperor.

The schism appeared solved first of all with dead of Victor, in April 1164. Rainald de Dassel however made elect pope the cardinal Wido de Crémone two days later, without referring about it to the emperor, under the name of Pascal III with Lucques. This step caused a massive opposition, especially in Italy of north, which caused the foundation of Alliance of Vérone but also in Germany. Very many clerks and German bishops, in particular in Burgundy, recognized Alexandre III. Laic lords also turned to the party of Alexandre. Most important of them was Rudolf de Zähringen, which had concluded an alliance with Louis VII in 1162. Rudolf decided because of the fact that his/her brother Berthold IV had lost many rights in Burgundy and that one had refused to him the nomination with the archbishop's palace of Mainz. Frederic I reacts to this increasing critical situation by redoubled diplomatic efforts. The heart of the project was a new crusade for the release of Jerusalem, jointly with the French and English kings. It was to make it possible to reduce the gap between the Christian kingdoms and in parallel to slacken the relation with Alexandre. Rainald de Daissel went to Easter 1165 to the English court, in Rouen, and negotiated the marriage of two girls of Heinri II with a son of Barberousse and Henri the Lion. The negotiation continued in an unexpected way when Rainald gained British Isles and there convainquit Henri II to abjure Alexandre and to recognize Pascal III. The reasons of this swing are to be sought in the quarrel between Henri and Thomas Becket. Rainald went as of its return of England for the oath-taking of Wurzbourg, of the name of the city where the assembly was held of empire: Frederic and of many princes and bishops, but not all swore never not to recognize Alexandre III or his successors like pope. The ceremony was held with for background the hope of joint action with England against the Pope. During the assembly, Barberousse dislocated her functions the archbishop of Mainz, Conrad de Wittelsbach. It tried later on to develop its influence in the area of Salzburg, where Alexandre found support.

Parallel to the political conflict, Barberousse tried to equip the German part of the empire with an additional theological dimension. The bones of the three Magi were transported to Aachen. In Christmas 1165, Charlemagne is sanctified in Aachen, in order to thus obtain a greater legitimacy for the empire by the holiness of its founder, the more so as Charlemagne played a great part in the design of Frederic of the imperial role. Alluvium this act had only few repercussions apart from the empire.

The oath of Wurzbourg had only limited effects. Henri II did not decide actively against Alexandre, without counting that it had a need pressing for his support after the assassination of Thomas Becket (in which it had a share of responsibility at least) because this last collected the support of the majority of the English episcopate.

In May 1166 died Guillaume Ier of Sicily. The conflicts of succession which followed limited the capacity of action of Norman and Alexandre III could not count any more on their assistance. Frederic benefitted from this situation and launched his fourth Italian countryside, for which it engaged most of the German princes at the time of the Diet of Ulm (March 1156), after having regulated the quarrel of Tubingen. Rainald de Dassel and the Christian archbishop of Mainz directed an army in the west of the Italian peninsula, close to Rome, and vaincurent the Italian quota with the battle of Tusculum while Barberousse besieged Ancône, ended up removing it then pushed until Pouilles. He went then towards Rome, which was taken in July 1167. Pascal crowned the empress with Saint-Pierre and Alexandre III flees in Bénévent, disguised as a pilgrim. It is in these circumstances that a violent epidemic (probably the malaria) was spread in the camp, to which succumbed some important personalities like the duke Frederic de Souabe (Rothenbourg), wire of king Conrad, Welf VII, wire of the duke Welf VI as well as the Rainald archbishop of Cologne and many noble. Frederic who been able only to bring back to Germany the remainders of forwarding. Die norditalienischen Städte nutzten die Niederlage of Kaisers aus. Schon 1167 hatten sy sich zum papsttreuen Lombardenbund zusammengeschlossen, DER nun massiv von Byzanz und den Normannen bezuschusst wurde.

In Germany, the disaster of 1167 have for consequences that Barberousse recovered very many territories of the princes died during the epidemic, in particular strongholds of the ducal house welfe into High-Souabe after Henri the Lion had failed to pay the sums promised with his uncle Welf. It constituted thus a territorial Hohenstaufen and royal belt between Bavaria welfe and the Zähringer territories around Freibourg. Barberousse since 1156 had already increased its influence in the mosello-Rhenish area and the adjacent parts of Hesse, through the handing-over of the Rhenish palatinat, including the frankness on many heritages saliens, with his/her half-brother Conrad, the setting with the variation of the archbishop's palaces of Trier and Mainz like the skilful activation of the royal territories in the area. It had also created a ground of empire in Wetterau around Gelnhausen and Friedberg. Another projection of the imperial policy was the forced extension of the gold freedom to évêché of Würzburg in 1168, which made it possible to equip it with ducal dignity, without to transform the territory into duchy. The bishop of Würzburg at one time obtained his title of the Duc of Franconie.

Reconciliation with the Pope and the cities

In this situation, Frederic accentuated the negotiations with Alexandre III. A anti-pope, Calixte III, despite everything were again elected after the death of Pascal III with the autumn 1168. Barberousse prepared in same time with the reconciliation with Alexandre: at Pentecost 1169, it made élir his son Henri junior like successor with the imperial throne. This last was to probably admit Alexandre, while Frederic maintained his refusal of principle, in order to allow a reunification at the time of the succession. Frederic in addition tried to imply the courses English Frenchwoman and like intermediaries between him and the pope.

Barberousse did not pursue however exclusively this policy of relaxation, but on the contrary engaged even further in confrontation. He addressed a resounding reproach in March 1172 to the league lombarde and to the partisans of Alexandre, by showing them to want to transmit the Roman empire to Constantinople. That was necessary for him to launch the fifth Italian countryside which was directed not against Rome, but against the Italian cities of north. The head office of Alexandria failed. Peace negotiations were held in 1175 in Montebello, which were concluded by a peace treaty between the emperor and the league lombarde. The cities were subjected officially, but the decisions interesting them will be made from now on by a Joint Committee of conciliation. The agreement was only of short duration, because Barberousse required the destruction of Alexandria and the cities claimed the participation of the pope in the discussions.

Frederic requested from the autumn 1175 fresh troops coming from Germany. Henri the Lion, in particular, the most important prince and suzerain of close Bavaria, refused to send them. He had in Chiavenna posed as condition with this sending that Goslar is reserved for him, with his abundant money mines. With the battle of Legnano, on May 29th, 1176, the emperor had finally the lower part. He had to conclude peace with the cities and to recognize their autonomy de facto .

After a mediation of the cistercians, Barberousse sent to the autumn a 1176 delegation with Alexandre III who was to negotiate in Anagni an exceptional peace. The pope did not want however to make any agreement without all the parts in conflict, which would have joins together not only the Italian league lombarde but also the other cities, Sicily and Constantinople. The Curia gave up its requirement however rather quickly to include the Byzantine Empire, after Manuel Ier had undergoes a defeat into 1176 vis-a-vis the Moslems and proved too weak to be used the interests as Alexandre. Towards the end of the negotiations the delicate problem of the mutual recognition was tackled, i.e. the abandonment of the oath of Würzburg and the excommunication of Barberousse. The emperor promised the withdrawal of the territories asserted by the pope and the restitution of the goods of the Mathilde princess. Alexandre III promised to preserve their validity at the ordinations conferred by the schismatic bishops.

These conclusions related to neither the cities however nor Sicily. The negotiations continued with them in Chioggia. During those, Barberousse succeeds in obtaining from the pope whom it gives up some of the territorial complaints which had been accepted in Anagni. The emperor thus obtained to preserve a right of exploitation of the territory of the Mathilde queen during 15 years and the question of knowing if a territory in particular concerned the Papal States were returned on a case-by-case basis to an arbitration court for payment. In counterpart, Frederic promised a double armistice, with the league lombarde for 6 years and Guillaume II of Sicily for 15 years. The emperor and the pope met personally in Venice in 1177 to conclude the agreement.

The impact of this treaty as regards international law is discussed by the historians. On a side, the emperor had to re-examine largely with the fall his initial claims, which would have resulted in a widening of its competences without precedent since the time of Henri III. Dissociation between the parts Italian and German of the Empire were accentuated. The question of the preeminence of the pope or the emperor remained unsolved, although the pope left reinforced the discussions and the weakened emperor. And especially, the imperial claim on Rome was de facto abandoned.

On another side, it appeared clearly that the pope was interested by an agreement with the emperor, which weakened the position of its allies lombards in the peace talks to be followed. After the expiry of the armistice of Venice, Barberousse and the league lombarde peace concluded from Constancy in 1183. The emperor had certainly to accept many claims of the cities, but firmly connected them to the maintenance of the league lombarde in the structure of the empire. It became a kind of federation of interest, legitimated by the emperor, between cities of Italy of north. It succeeds in commuting the exercise of the regality to regular financial contributions of the cities, which marks certainly a retreat of the imperial rights in-on this side level of the time salienne but however made it possible to profit from their richness and to establish a domination higher than that Conrad III held. The lombardes cities obtained the right to élir their consuls, who were however to be approved by the emperor every five years. Tuscany started to affirm itself in the years which followed the peace treaties like the new power to Italy. The empire then started to consolidate its position in central Italy to compensate for the losses undergone in Lombardy.

The lawsuit against Henri the Lion

In the last years of Frederic, the relations between him and his/her cousin welf Heinri the Lion did not cease degrading themselves. The most important stage of this degradation was reached when Henri refused in Chiavenna to send troops for the cinquème Italian forwarding. Moreover, Henri concludes in 1175 or 1176 with Welf VI a contract from succession, which was to guarantee to Henri the possession Italian territories of his/her uncle. Barberousse bought in 1178 in Welf VI its territories in the north of the Alps and a part like stronghold returned immediately from there to him. In January 1179, the emperor showed Henri the Lion with the Diet of Worms of various abuses. Henri launched a counter-attack immediately, showing the archbishop of Cologne, combined of Barberousse, to have ransacked the area of Hameln. The legal quarrel thus proceeded formally between Henri the Lion and the archbishop. There was no effective debate, since the Lion did not go to any meeting of the court.

After a first sentence in June 1179, the assembly of the princes at this meeting in Würzburg in January 1180 pronounced the banishment of empire of Henri. Its imperial strongholds were confiscated to him. Its territory was divided into two: the septentrional part was given in April 1180 to some extent to the archbishop of Cologne Philipp von Heinsberg (duchy of Westfalie) and to some extent with the ascanien Bernhard von Anhalt (Saxony). At the south, Barberousse placed at the head of the duchy of Bavaria the palatine account Otto von Wittelsbach.

Henri the Lion opposed the judgment the weapons with the hand, which results in raising the imperial army against him. He rather quickly had to subject himself to the emperor, in November 1181, after the nobility saxonne, these allies Slavic as Danish disunited themselves and than the town of Lübeck had opened its doors with the emperor. He was rejugé at the end of 1181 with the Diet of Erfurt, where the princes, obviously, forced the emperor with a judgment relatively more moderated, limiting the banishment to three years.

After its seizure on Westfalie, Philipp von Heinsberg became later the most powerful prince of the northern half of Germany, which posed problem with Barberousse. The archbishop was probably the organizer of the lawsuit against Henri the Lion. Since 1165, Barberousse had tried to limit the capacity of Philipp. The support brought to various princes for the south of the Netherlands, in the area of the Meuse-Moselle and at the towns of Aix it Vault and Duisbourg could not however really slow down the addition of power of Philipp. This emphasizes the weaknesses structural of the German policy of Barberousse: many princes, and not only the king, benefitted from the fall of Henri the Lion.

In 1184, Barberousse concludes an alliance with Philipp I from Flandres against the king of France Philipp II, to which also the king of England Henri II united. The son of Barberousse, Henri VI, was to conduct a campaign against France which was however cancelled, as Baudouin V of Hainaut refused the passage of the troops on his territory. Barberousse fears the conflict with Baudoin, because it needed this one like counterweight with Philipp von Heinsberg. In response, the archbishop of Cologne, supported by the pope Urbain III, entered in direct opposition with Barberousse by disputing the imperial succession which it organized. The emperor named derechef his son regent in Italy, in order to concentrate on Germany. In November 1186 with Gelnhausen, the major part of the German episcopate gave its support for the emperor, which represented a defeat for the archbishop and the pope. Philipp von Heinsberg still ruined in 1187 an alliance of the emperor with the king of France against the English king, then had to subject in March 1187 to the Diet of Mainz.

Crusade and dead

Government program and personal ideas

Descent

The posterity of Barberousse

Historical research

Caption

Beautiful Letters

Literature

Sources

Secondary texts

Chronology

  • 1122 : he is the son of the duke of Souabe and of Alsace Frederic de Hohenstaufen and of Judith of Bavaria, girl of the duke Henri IX of Bavaria says Henri the Black, of the rival dynasty of the Welfs).
  • 1147 : he marries Adélaïde de Vohbourg (girl of the Margrave Diepold III of Vohbourg).
  • 1152 the March 4th: he is elected German emperor by the prince-voters and succeeds his uncle the German emperor Conrad III of Hohenstaufen.
  • 1153 : he divorces Adelaide de Vohbourg.
  • 1154 : He carries out a forwarding of conquest in Italy during which he is crowned emperor of the Saint Germanic empire Roman the June 18th 1155 with Pavia by the pope Adrien IV with which he enters in conflict of being able. He takes the control of the common Roman supported by Adrien IV and Arnaud de Brescia (which he makes supplicier) which is opposed to its conquest Italy and aspires to an ancient republican capacity.
  • 1156 : he marries the countess Béatrice Ire of Burgundy from which he has five children:
  • 1158: in summer, he undertakes a forwarding of more important conquest in Italy. He takes Milan, after one month of seat, on which he imposes severe conditions of defeat. In November, it joins together with Roncaglia an assembly of lawyers and representatives of the Italian cities in order to impose to them its capacity by regality . The north and the center of the peninsula had indeed émancipés of the imperial supervision since the reign of the preceding Germanic emperor Conrad III of Hohenstaufen.
  • 1160 : it is excommunicated by the pope Alexandre III.
  • 1162 : Frederic Barberousse turns over in Italy to subdue the insurrection against his domination supported by the pope Alexandre III which it makes flee in France. He again takes Milan which he makes destroy with the assistance of allied close cities. Allied cities of Milan (Brescia, Pleasure…) see themselves imposing severe conditions of domination what does not defuse the opponents who organize in leagues supported by Alexandre III since the France.
  • 1164 : the Ligue of Vérone then in of 1167 the Ligue lombarde destroy the German imperial policy in Italy.
  • 1166 and 1167: Frederic Barberousse turns over in Italy and takes Rome after having taken Ancône where the Byzantine Empire had reestablished. He is made recouronner emperor by the Antipape Pascal III. Its army is decimated by a epidemic. Alexandre III takes refuge in the cities of the north of Italy where it organizes the revolt with the Ligue lombarde.
  • 1174 : it returns with an army much less strong, and after the failure of the negotiations of Montebello in 1175, it is severely demolishes with the Bataille of Legnano by the Ligue lombarde and, more serious still, it must yield to the requirements of the pope Alexandre III and signs the Paix of Constancy, which it mets in equality with the pope.
  • 1177 : he recognizes the pope Alexandre III by the treated of Venice and puts an end to the papal Schisme.
  • 1178 : the March 12th, Alexandre III returns finally to Rome after 16 years of conflict.
  • 1178 : the July 30th, it is made crown king d' Arles in the cathedral Saint-Trophime by the archbishop of Arles.
  • 1181 : Bogusław I {{er}} of Poméranie recognizes the suzerainty of the emperor Frederic Barberousse.
  • 1184: Charlemagne held several assemblies with Mainz, which became a tradition followed during several centuries, and culminated in 1184, under the reign of the emperor Frederic Barberousse.
  • 1189 : the May 11th, it is old of more than 65 years, and leaves Ratisbon in Germany for the Third crusade where it is joined in July 1190 by the kings Philippe II of France and Richard Ier of England.
  • 1190 : the June 10th it drowns accidentally at the 68 years age on the road of crusade of Jerusalem while crossing the river Saleph in Asia Mineure (current Turkey).
  • His/her son Henri VI of the Holy roman Empire succeeded to him as king of the Romans and emperor of Germany.

Anecdotes

  • It built many fortresses on its souabes fields and Alsatian. In 1150, it makes build a strong castle in what was going to become the town of Kaysersberg. In 1153, at the time of its visit in Mulhouse, it grants to the city its first franknesses.
  • Frederic is the subject of a Légende of deadened Héros, which says that he did not die, but deadened with its knight S in a cellar in the mountains of Kyffhäuser in Thuringe, in Germany, and that when the corbel X cease flying around the mountain, he will awake and restore the Germany in his old size. In agreement with the history its russet-red beard pushed through the table near which he sat. Its eyes are with half closed in its sleep, but, from time to time, it raises the hand and sends a boy to see whether the corbels ceased flying.
  • the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 accepted the code name of Opération Barbarossa. Actually, the medieval emperor had never put the feet in Russia.

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