Conrad of Hohenstaufen
Encyclopedia
Conrad of Hohenstaufen was the first hereditary Count Palatine of the Rhine.
His parents were Frederick II of Swabia (1090–1147), Duke of Swabia
, and his second wife Agnes of Saarbrücken. Young Conrad, the only half-brother of Frederick Barbarossa, received the family's possessions around Franconia and Rhineland, particularly those of his mother's ancestry.
In 1156 on the occasion of the Reichstag
at Worms
, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa
conferred upon his half-brother the dignity of Pfalzgraf (Count Palatine, of the Rhine), as well as the Vogtei
of Schönau Abbey
and of the chapter
of Worms Cathedral, besides the Staufen family estates in the regions of Speyer
and Worms. From about 1160 Conrad was married to Irmingard of Henneberg
(d. 1197) as his second wife, daughter of Count Bertold I of Henneberg
, Burggraf of Würzburg
. This brought him the possession of the Vogtei of Lorsch Abbey
. His endeavours to extend his area of influence brought him into conflict with the Bishops of Trier
and Cologne
.
Conrad and both his wives were buried in Schönau Abbey near Heidelberg
. His two sons did not survive to continue the family. His inheritance passed to his daughter Agnes and her husband Henry V, of the House of Brunswick
. (Their heiress would, in turn, pass the inheritance to the Wittelsbach
dynasty who thereby became the well-known lords of the Palatinate and Electors Palatine.)
, who probably died in 1159 or 1160 and was buried in Schönau Abbey. By her he had a son, Gottfried of Staufen (died probably in 1187 or 1188).
He married secondly Irmingard of Henneberg, by whom he had three children:
His parents were Frederick II of Swabia (1090–1147), Duke 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...
, and his second wife Agnes of Saarbrücken. Young Conrad, the only half-brother of Frederick Barbarossa, received the family's possessions around Franconia and Rhineland, particularly those of his mother's ancestry.
In 1156 on the occasion of the Reichstag
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
at Worms
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa
Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
conferred upon his half-brother the dignity of Pfalzgraf (Count Palatine, of the Rhine), as well as the Vogtei
Vogtei
Vogtei could be:* The residenz or domain of a Vogt* Vogtei , a municipal association in the Unstrut-Hainich district of Thuringia, Germany....
of Schönau Abbey
Schönau Abbey
Schönau Abbey in Schönau in the Odenwald, in the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis in Baden-Württemberg, was a Cistercian monastery founded in 1142 from Eberbach Abbey...
and of the chapter
Chapter (religion)
Chapter designates certain corporate ecclesiastical bodies in the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Nordic Lutheran churches....
of Worms Cathedral, besides the Staufen family estates in the regions of Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
and Worms. From about 1160 Conrad was married to Irmingard of Henneberg
Henneberg
Henneberg may refer to:*the House of Henneberg, German nobility*County of Henneberg, a mediæval state in the Holy Roman Empire*Henneberg, Thuringia, a municipality in Thuringia, Germany*Mary Jane Henneberg, b. 1973, TV reporter...
(d. 1197) as his second wife, daughter of Count Bertold I of Henneberg
Henneberg
Henneberg may refer to:*the House of Henneberg, German nobility*County of Henneberg, a mediæval state in the Holy Roman Empire*Henneberg, Thuringia, a municipality in Thuringia, Germany*Mary Jane Henneberg, b. 1973, TV reporter...
, Burggraf of Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. This brought him the possession of the Vogtei of Lorsch Abbey
Lorsch Abbey
The Abbey of Lorsch is a former Imperial Abbey in Lorsch, Germany, about 10 km east of Worms, one of the most renowned monasteries of the Carolingian Empire. Even in its ruined state, its remains are among the most important pre-Romanesque–Carolingian style buildings in Germany...
. His endeavours to extend his area of influence brought him into conflict with the Bishops of Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
.
Conrad and both his wives were buried in Schönau Abbey near Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. His two sons did not survive to continue the family. His inheritance passed to his daughter Agnes and her husband Henry V, of the House of Brunswick
Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine
Henry was count palatine of the Rhine from 6 August 1195 to 1213.Henry was the eldest son of Duke Henry the Lion, from his marriage to Matilda, eldest daughter of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He grew up in England and became count palatine of the Rhine through his 1193...
. (Their heiress would, in turn, pass the inheritance to the Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
dynasty who thereby became the well-known lords of the Palatinate and Electors Palatine.)
Children
Conrad married firstly a daughter, whose name is not known, of Count Gottfried I of SponheimSponheim
Sponheim is a municipality in the district of Bad Kreuznach in Rhineland-Palatinate, in western Germany.-History:Sponheim was the capital of the County of Sponheim. There was a Benedictine abbey here which was founded in 1101 by Stephan II, Count of Sponheim not far from the countly residence at...
, who probably died in 1159 or 1160 and was buried in Schönau Abbey. By her he had a son, Gottfried of Staufen (died probably in 1187 or 1188).
He married secondly Irmingard of Henneberg, by whom he had three children:
- Friedrich (died 3 September before 1189)
- Konrad (died probably in 1186), buried in Schönau Abbey
- Agnes (died 9 May 1204), buried in St. Marien in StadeStadeStade is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany and part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region . It is the seat of the district named after it...
; married late 1193 at Burg Stahleck Henry V, Duke of BrunswickHenry V, Count Palatine of the RhineHenry was count palatine of the Rhine from 6 August 1195 to 1213.Henry was the eldest son of Duke Henry the Lion, from his marriage to Matilda, eldest daughter of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He grew up in England and became count palatine of the Rhine through his 1193...
(died 28 April 1227), Count Palatine of the Rhine from 1195 to 1212.