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Frederick IV (1145–1167) was
Frederick IV (1145–1167) was duke of Swabia
The Dukes of Swabia were the rulers of the Duchy of Swabia during the Middle Ages. Swabia was one of the five stem duchy, stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most no ...
, succeeding his cousin Frederick Barbarossa in 1152.
He was the son of King Conrad III of Germany and his second wife Gertrude von Sulzbach and thus the direct heir of the crown, had there been true heredity. However, on his death bed, Conrad III allegedly advised the only two persons present, his nephew Frederick Barbarossa and the bishop of Bamberg, to nominate Frederick Barbarossa; and handed the Imperial insignia to him.
Barbarossa wasted no time in getting the Bavarian clerics to endorse him, and had the archbishop of Cologne convene a hurried election. There the electors of the Empire (minus their "''primus inter pares''", Archbishop Henry of Mainz, an ally of the pope) elected Frederick Barbarossa to be king, instead of his six-year-old cousin Frederick. The younger man became duke of Swabia instead.
Frederick participated in Barbarossa's campaigns in Italy, becoming one of the many casualties of the Imperial army. He succumbed to disease after occupying Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
in 1167. Barbarossa then gave Swabia to his own three-year-old son, Frederick V.
Marriage
Frederick IV married Gertrude of Bavaria. She was a daughter of Henry the Lion and his first wife Clementia of Zähringen. They had no known children. Gertrude survived him and married Canute VI of Denmark. She died childless.See also
* Dukes of Swabia family treeReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frederick 4, Duke Of Swabia 1145 births 1167 deaths Dukes of Swabia Hohenstaufen family Medieval child monarchs 12th-century German nobility Sons of kings