Conrad IV
Conrad IV,
1228–54, German king (1237–54), king of Sicily and of Jerusalem (1250–54), son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick IIFrederick II,1194–1250, Holy Roman emperor (1220–50) and German king (1212–20), king of Sicily (1197–1250), and king of Jerusalem (1229–50), son of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI and of Constance, heiress of Sicily.
..... Click the link for more information. . He was elected (1237) king of the Romans at his father's instigation after Frederick had deposed Conrad's older brother Henry in Germany. Archbishop Siegfried II of Mainz was regent for Conrad until 1241, when he was replaced by Henry Raspe, count of Thuringia. The struggle for supremacy between Frederick and Pope Innocent IVInnocent IV,
d. 1254, pope (1243–54), a Genoese named Sinibaldo Fieschi, a distinguished jurist who studied and later taught law at the Univ. of Bologna; successor of Celestine IV. He was of a noble family.
..... Click the link for more information. resulted in the election (1246) of Raspe as antiking at the behest of the pope. Germany was plunged into disorder; after Raspe's death (1247) William, count of HollandWilliam, count of Holland,
1227?–1256, German king (1254–56), previously rival king (1247–54) to Conrad IV. William was chosen by Pope Innocent IV to succeed Henry Raspe (d.
..... Click the link for more information. became antiking. When Frederick II died (1250) Conrad carried on the struggle with the pope, who was determined to bring about the downfall of the house of HohenstaufenHohenstaufen
, German princely family, whose name is derived from the castle of Staufen built in 1077 by a Swabian count, Frederick. In 1079, Frederick married Agnes, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV, and was created duke of Swabia.
..... Click the link for more information. and to rule in Italy. In 1251, Conrad went to Italy in order to subdue the pope's supporters. He had some successes, but Innocent IV refused to give up his scheme for papal control in Italy. He offered the crown of Sicily to Richard, earl of CornwallRichard, earl of Cornwall,
1209–72, second son of King John of England and brother of Henry III. In 1227, following an expedition to Gascony and Poitou, Richard forced Henry to grant him the land and wealth he regarded as his right, as well as the title of earl of Cornwall.
..... Click the link for more information. , and to Charles of Anjou (later Charles ICharles I
(Charles of Anjou), 1227–85, king of Naples and Sicily (1266–85), count of Anjou and Provence, youngest brother of King Louis IX of France. He took part in Louis's crusades to Egypt (1248) and Tunisia (1270).
..... Click the link for more information. , king of Naples and Sicily), who both refused, and to King Henry III of England for his second son, Edmund. He accepted. In 1254 Conrad was excommunicated. Just as war was about to erupt he died of fever. It was left for his son, ConradinConradin
, 1252–68, duke of Swabia, titular king of Jerusalem and Sicily, the last legitimate Hohenstaufen, son of Holy Roman Emperor Conrad IV. While Conradin was still a child in Germany, his uncle Manfred made himself (1258) king of Sicily.
..... Click the link for more information. , to witness the final downfall of the house of Hohenstaufen.