Berthold II was an ancestor of the House of Baden, in addition to being Duke of Carinthia and Margrave of Verona

March of Verona

The March of Verona and Aquileia was a vast march in northeastern Italy during the Middle Ages, centered on the cities of Verona and Aquileia. Except for Venice, it included the territories of the modern-day regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia as well as Istria and Trentino up to the Adige...

.

On his mother's side of the family, Berthold probably descended from the Staufen

Hohenstaufen

The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...

, who were counts of Ortenau

Ortenau

The Ortenau is a historical territory in Baden-Württemberg, located on the right bank of the River Rhine. It covers approximately the same area as the Ortenaukreis, a present-day district....

, Thurgau

Thurgau

Thurgau is a northeast canton of Switzerland. The population, , is . In 2007, there were a total of 47,390 who were resident foreigners. The capital is Frauenfeld.-History:...

, Breisgau

Breisgau

Breisgau is the name of an area in southwest Germany, placed between the river Rhine and the foothills of the Black Forest around Freiburg im Breisgau in the state of Baden-Württemberg. The district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, which partly consists of the Breisgau, is named after that area...

, and Baar.

Henry III

Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...

 promised his party-follower Berthold the Duchy of Swabia

Swabia

Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...

. However, Henry's widow Agnes of Poitou gave the Duchy in fief to Rudolf of Rheinfelden in 1057. Berthold received, as compensation for the abandonment of his claim to the Duchy, the titles to Carinthia and Verona, whereby the Zähringen

Zähringen

Zähringen is the name of an old German family that founded a large number of cities in what are today Switzerland and Baden-Württemberg. While the junior line that first assumed the title Duke of Zähringen, a cadet branch of the House of Baden, became extinct in 1218, the senior line persists and...

 ascended to the status of a mediatized house. In Carinthia and Verona, though, Berthold was never really accepted as ruler.

Through his enmity with Henry IV

Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...

, and his favor with Friedrich I, Duke of Swabia

Frederick I, Duke of Swabia

Frederick I von Staufen was Duke of Swabia from 1079 to his death. He was the first ruler of Swabia from the House of Hohenstaufen, and was the builder of dynasty's ancestral Hohenstaufen Castle near Göppingen.-Parents:...

, Berthold's claims were in danger. In the end, the Zähringen were able to maintain their position.

Berthold's sons were:

• Hermann I, founder of the Margravate of Baden
• Berchtold, Duke of Zähringen
  Zähringen
  Zähringen is the name of an old German family that founded a large number of cities in what are today Switzerland and Baden-Württemberg. While the junior line that first assumed the title Duke of Zähringen, a cadet branch of the House of Baden, became extinct in 1218, the senior line persists and...
  
  
• Gebhard III, Bishop of Constance

Berthold was succeeded by Hermann I in 1073.