Frederick Barbarossa

c. 1122 – 10 June 1190

Frederick I, known as Frederick Barbarossa (c. 1122-1190), was King of Germany from 1152 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1155. He spent much of his reign contesting papal authority and the autonomy of the Lombard cities of northern Italy, suffering a decisive defeat at Legnano in 1176. He drowned in the Saleph River in Anatolia while leading the Third Crusade.

Comparing
Compare

Lived at the same time

Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Frederick Barbarossa.

Life events

Born into the Hohenstaufen dynasty
c. 1122

Frederick was born around 1122, the son of Frederick II, Duke of Swabia, and Judith of Bavaria, uniting the rival Hohenstaufen and Welf houses in his ancestry.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Birth ✓
Became Duke of Swabia
1147

On his father's death, Frederick succeeded as Duke of Swabia and shortly afterwards joined the Second Crusade with his uncle King Conrad III.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓
Elected King of Germany at Frankfurt
4 March 1152

Following the death of Conrad III, the German princes elected Frederick king; he was crowned at Aachen days later.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Crowned Holy Roman Emperor in Rome
18 June 1155

Pope Adrian IV crowned Frederick emperor at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome during his first Italian expedition.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Married Beatrice of Burgundy
June 1156

Frederick married Beatrice, heiress of the County of Burgundy, at Wurzburg, adding the Burgundian lands to his domains.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Relationship ✓
Defeated by the Lombard League at the Battle of Legnano
29 May 1176

The forces of the Lombard League decisively defeated Frederick's army at Legnano, forcing him to seek peace with Pope Alexander III.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Other ✓
Concluded the Peace of Constance with the Lombard cities
25 June 1183

The Peace of Constance ended the long conflict with the Lombard League, granting the Italian cities substantial self-government under nominal imperial authority.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Set out on the Third Crusade
May 1189

Frederick departed from Regensburg at the head of a large imperial army to join the Third Crusade against Saladin.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Other ✓
Drowned in the Saleph River in Anatolia
10 June 1190

Frederick drowned while crossing the Saleph (Goksu) River in Cilicia en route to the Holy Land, throwing his crusading army into disarray.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Death ✓