The Dukes of Swabia were the rulers of the Duchy of Swabia during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...

was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to rule Swabia was the

Hohenstaufen The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynas ...

family, who held it, with a brief interruption, from 1079 until 1268. For much of this period, the Hohenstaufen were also Holy Roman Emperors. With the death of

Conradin Conrad III (25 March 1252 – 29 October 1268), called ''the Younger'' or ''the Boy'', but usually known by the diminutive Conradin (german: link=no, Konradin, it, Corradino), was the last direct heir of the House of Hohenstaufen. He was Duke ...

, the last Hohenstaufen duke, the duchy itself disintegrated, although King Rudolf I attempted to revive it for his Habsburg family in the late-13th century.

Dukes of Swabia (909–1268)

Early dukes

* Burchard I Hunfriding (d. 911), mentioned as ''marchio'' (margrave) in 903 and ''dux'' (duke) in 909 * Erchanger Ahalolfing, dominant count in Alemannia after the execution of Burchard I, declared duke in 915, exiled September 916, executed January 917. * Burchard II (917–926, Hunfriding), recognized Henry the Fowler as king of Germany in 919 and was recognized by Henry as Duke of Swabia in return. * Hermann I (926–949, Conradine) * Liudolf (950–954, Ottonian) * Burchard III (954–973, Hunfriding) *

Otto I Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the oldest son of He ...

(973–982, Ottonian)

Conradines

* Conrad I (982–997) * Hermann II (997–1003) * Hermann III (1003–12)

House of Babenberg

* Ernest I (1012–15) * Ernest II (1015–30) * Hermann IV (1030–38)

Miscellaneous houses

Henry I Henry I may refer to: 876–1366 * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry I the Long, Margrave of the N ...

(1038–45,

Salian The Salian dynasty or Salic dynasty (german: Salier) was a dynasty in the High Middle Ages. The dynasty provided four kings of Germany (1024–1125), all of whom went on to be crowned Holy Roman emperors (1027–1125). After the death of the la ...

), King of the Romans from 1039 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1046 *

Otto II Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (''der Rote''), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy ...

(1045–48, Ezzonen) * Otto III (1048–57, Schweinfurt) * Rudolf I (1057–79, Rheinfelden) * Berthold I (1079–90, Rheinfelden) * Berthold II (1092–98, Zähringen)

House of Hohenstaufen, 1079–1268

, Frederick I
1079–1105
, , , , 1050
son of

Frederick of Büren Frederick of Büren ( 1053) was a count in northern Swabia and an ancestor of the imperial Staufer dynasty., nn. 8 & 9. The name Frederick of Büren is known only from the ''Tabula Consanguinitatis'', a Staufer genealogy drawn up by the monk Wib ...

and Hildegard of Egisheim-Dagsburg, , Agnes of Germany
1089
11 children
, , 21 July 1105
aged 54 or 55 , - , Frederick II the One-Eyed
1105–1147
, , Frederick II of Swabia

, , 1090
son of Frederick I and Agnes of Germany , , Judith of Bavaria
1121
2 children

Agnes of Saarbrücken Agnes of Waiblingen (1072/73 – 24 September 1143), also known as Agnes of Germany, Agnes of Poitou and Agnes of Saarbrücken, was a member of the Salian imperial family. Through her first marriage, she was Duchess of Swabia; through her secon ...

c.1132
2 children
, , 6 April 1147
aged 56 or 57 , - , Frederick III Barbarossa
1147–1152
, ,

, , 1122
son of Frederick II and Judith of Bavaria , ,

Adelheid of Vohburg Adelaide of Vohburg (german: Adela or ''Adelheid''; – 25 May after 1187) was Duchess of Swabia from 1147 and German queen from 1152 until 1153, as the first wife of the Hohenstaufen king Frederick Barbarossa, the later Holy Roman Emperor. Li ...

2 March 1147
Eger
no children
Beatrice of Burgundy
9 June 1156
Würzburg
12 children
, , 10 June 1190
aged 67 or 68 , - , Frederick IV
1152–1167
, , Frederick IV of Swabia

, , 1145
son of Conrad III of Germany and

Gertrude von Sulzbach Gertrude of Sulzbach (german: Gertrud; – 14 April 1146) was German queen from 1138 until her death as the second wife of the House of Hohenstaufen, Hohenstaufen king Conrad III of Germany, Conrad III. Life She was the daughter of the Duchy of ...

, ,

Gertrude of Bavaria Gertrude of Bavaria (Danish and ; 1152/55–1197) was Duchess of Swabia as the spouse of Duke Frederick IV, and Queen of Denmark as the spouse of King Canute VI. Gertrude was born to Henry the Lion of Bavaria and Saxony and Clementia of Zähri ...

1166
no children
, , 19 August 1167

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

aged 21 or 22 , - , Frederick V
1167–1170
, , , , 16 July 1164

Pavia Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the ...

son of Frederick III and Beatrice of Burgundy , ,
unmarried
, , 28 November 1170
aged 6 , - , Frederick VI
1170–1191
, , FridrichSwabia

, , February 1167

Modigliana Modigliana ( rgn, Mudgiâna) is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Forlì-Cesena in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southwest of Forlì. From 1850 until 1986 Modigliana Cathedral w ...

son of Frederick III and Beatrice of Burgundy , ,
unmarried
, , 20 January 1191
Acre
aged 24 , - ,

Conrad II Conrad II ( – 4 June 1039), also known as and , was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 until his death in 1039. The first of a succession of four Salian emperors, who reigned for one century until 1125, Conrad ruled the kingdoms ...

1191–1196
, , Vad-0321 052 Konrad von Schwaben

, , February or March 1173
son of Frederick III and Beatrice of Burgundy , ,
unmarried
, , 15 August 1196
Durlach
aged 23 , - , Philip
1196–1208
, , Vad-0321 040 Philipp von Schwaben

, , August 1177
son of Frederick III and Beatrice of Burgundy , , Irene Angelina
25 May 1197
4 children
, , 21 June 1208

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castl ...

aged 30 , - , align="center" colspan="7", ''Vacancy: 1208-1212'' , - , Frederick VII
1212–1216
, , , , 26 December 1194
Jesi
son of

and Constance of Sicily, , Constance of Aragon
15 August 1209
1 child

Yolande of Jerusalem
9 November 1225
2 children

Isabella of England Isabella of England (1214 – 1 December 1241) was an English princess of the House of Plantagenet. She became Holy Roman Empress, Queen of Sicily, Italy and Germany from 1235 until her death as the third wife of Emperor Frederick II. Life ...

15 July 1235
4 children, , 13 December 1250
Torremaggiore
aged 55 , - , Henry II
1216–1235
, , , , 1211

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

son of Frederick I and Constance of Aragon , , Margaret
29 November 1225
2 children, , 12 February 1242
Martirano
aged 30 , - ,

Conrad III Conrad III (german: Konrad; it, Corrado; 1093 or 1094 – 15 February 1152) of the Hohenstaufen dynasty was from 1116 to 1120 Duke of Franconia, from 1127 to 1135 anti-king of his predecessor Lothair III and from 1138 until his death in 1152 ...

1235–1254 , , , , 25 April 1228
Andria
son of Frederick I and Yolande of Jerusalem , , Elisabeth of Bavaria
1 September 1246
1 child, , 21 May 1254

Lavello Lavello ( Potentino: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the region of Basilicata of southern Italy; it is located in the middle Ofanto valley. History The area of Lavello was settled in prehistoric times, as attested by f ...

aged 26 , - , Conrad IV the Younger
1254–1268, , , , 25 March 1252
Wolfstein
son of Conrad I and Elisabeth of Bavaria , , never married, , 29 October 1268

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adm ...

aged 16
(executed) , -

House of Habsburg (1283–1309)

* Rudolf (1283–90) * John (1290–1309)

Family tree

Successor states

In the 13th century, the Duchy of Swabia disintegrated into numerous smaller states. Some of the more important immediate successor states were: During the following century, several of these states were acquired by the County of Württemberg or the Duchy of Austria, as marked above. In 1803

Bavarian Swabia Swabia (german: Schwaben, ) is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany. Governance The county of Swabia is located in southwest Bavaria. It was annexed by Bavaria in 1803, is part of the historic region of Swabia and was f ...

was annexed by Bavaria and shortly afterwards became part of the

Kingdom of Bavaria The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German ...

References

{{reflist History of Swabia