Konrad III. — A King of the Church?

You always wanted to know who King Konrad III. was? Here you find out in a few minutes!

All illustrations are by me.

Konrad III. was born in 1093 in Bamberg, son of the Duke of Swabia Friedrich I. and Agnes, daughter of King Heinrich IV. Because of his mother’s ancestry to the Salier-family, during his life time Konrad understood himself as a Salier, not a Staufer. Although, a few centuries later, he was called to be the first Staufer. #identitycrisis

After his pilgrimage to the holy land, Konrad was elected rival claimant to the throne in 1127 by the German lords against king and emperor Lothar III. As he wasn’t successful, he had to submit himself to Lothar eight years later. During his reign, Lothar had chosen his son-in-law, Heinrich the Proud, to become his successor. However, after Lothar’s death, the German Lords chose Konrad to become the next king. #staufisch-welfischer contrast

Eight years later, Konrad III. committed himself to join the second crusade, which failed pitifully. Researchers have different opinions: Did Konrad have a choice to join or not, as honor, fame, and glory gained during a (successful) crusade were essential to a king — in addition, Ludwig VII. from France had already joined and Konrad couldn’t stand behind — or was the failure caused by Konrad’s military ignorance? #fightingforstatus

Konrad III. claimed that the hunger caused the failed crusade, not the enemies:

“It was not the pagans who defeated us, but hunger, against which there are no weapons.”

On February 15, 1152 Konrad III. died of Malaria, of which he suffered from since the crusade in Bamberg. His last will, to be buried next to his father in monastery Lorch, wasn’t fulfilled. The clergyman from Bamberg buried the king next to the emperor Heinrich II. The profiteer of the fast burial was waiting already: Friedrich Barbarossa. #dismissed

A simplified overview on the different kingdoms in the Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation.

Sources:

Bedürftig, Friedemann: Die Staufer, Ein Lexikon. Darmstadt: Primus Verlag 2006. Dendorfer, Jürgen (Hg.): Grafen, Herzöge, Könige. Der Aufstieg der frühen Staufer und das Reich (1079– 1152), Jan Thorbecke Ostfildern 2005.

Engels, O.: Art. „Konrad III.“, Lex. Ma V, Sp. 1–2, 1339.

Rueß, Karl-Heinz (Red.): Konrad III. (1138–1152) Herrscher und Reich. Bechtel Druck: Göppingen 2011.

Rueß, Karl-Heinz (Red.): Stauferzeit — Zeit der Kreuzzüge. Bechtel Druck: Göppingen 2011. Ziegler, Wolfram: König Konrad III. (1138–1152) Hof, Urkunden und Politik. Wien: Böhlau Verlag 2008.