Frederick Barbarossa
By: Danny Hendricks
Period 2
General Facts
• Nationality: German
• Nickname: Barbarossa or RedBeard
• Lived: 1122-1190
• King of Germany from 11521190
• Holy Roman Emperor from
1155-1190
• Date of Death: June 10, 1190
at the age of 68
Early Life
• He was born to parents Frederick,
Duke of Swabia, and Judith,
daughter of the Duke of Bavaria, in
1121.
• In 1147, he became Duke of Swabia
following his father’s death.
• Frederick set out with his uncle,
Conrad III (King of Germany/Holy
Roman Emperor), on the Second
Crusade to the Holy Lands in 1147.
• He married Adelaide, the daughter
of the Margrave of Vohburg, in 1149.
Personality
• Frederick was a great orator whose
speeches were clear and clever.
• He was a charismatic leader who had
both a majestic appearance as well as
a kind personality.
• At times, he was very passionate, but
could control his anger in times when
it could jeopardize a negotiation.
• He was well like by the German
people and was unanimously
accepted as king after being
nominated by Conrad III.
Peace in the Empire
• He was crowned as German King
on March 9, 1152 in Aachen,
Germany.
• As king, he sought to establish
peace within his realm.
• Frederick demanded respect from
existing princes and united the
interests of their realms with those
of the empire.
• In March 1153, he signed the
Treaty of Constance with Pope
Eugene III, which would crown
Frederick as emperor and give him
supremacy over the pope in return
for help against the pope's
enemies.
Expedition into Rome
• In 1155, Frederick marched to Rome and allied
with Pope Adrian IV against rebellion in the city.
• The revolutionaries were led by Arnold of
Bresecia.
• On June 18, 1155, Frederick delivered Arnold
into the hands of Pope Adrian and the rebel
leader was hung on the charges of treason
and rebellion.
• Frederick was then crowned emperor as
per the terms of the Treaty of Constance.
Lombardy Conflict
• Frederick sought to control Lombardy,
the northern cities of Italy.
• In 1158, he invaded Lombardy, and
besieged and sought to starve the
chief city of Milan.
• The city surrendered and many of
its buildings and fortifications were
destroyed.
• The northern Italian towns formed the Lombardy League to defend
themselves against another attack by Frederick.
• The Lombard League defeated the Germans at the Battle of
Legnano in 1176 and led to the signing of the Treaty of Venice in
1177.
The Third Crusade
• Jerusalem was captured in 1187 by
the Muslims under the lead of
Saladin.
• Frederick responded to the call of
Pope Gregory VIII for another
crusade.
• Frederick raised an army of one
hundred fifty thousand men and led
them toward Palestine.
• He defeated Muslim forces near
Konya in Asia Minor on May 17,
1190.
Barbarossa’s Death
• On June 10, 1190, Frederick
and his men came to a river on
the plains of Seleucea in Asia
Minor.
• He tried to swim across the
very swift Calycadmus River,
despite the protests of his
men.
• The current was too fast and
his heavy armor weighed him
down and he drowned in the
river.
Legend of Barbarossa
• People in the German empire mourned Frederick’s for many
years.
• Some refused to accept his death, believing that he was asleep in
a cave in the mountains of Germany, surrounded by his knights.
• He was said to be sitting in his
state chair, with his crown, and a
white beard reaching all the way
down to the floor.
• The legend said, “When the
ravens cease to fly around the
mountain, Barbarossa shall awake
and restore Germany to its ancient
greatness.”
Pictures
Resources
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Alchin, Linda. "Frederick Barbarossa." Middle Ages. N.p., 20 Sept. 2012.
Web. 27 Jan. 2013. <http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/frederickbarbarossa.htm>.
"Biography of Frederick Barbarossa." EDigg.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan.
2013. <http://biography.edigg.com/Frederick_Barbarossa.shtml>.
Carlson, Cody. “Statue of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor.” Photo.
Deseret News. 8 Jun. 2012. 27 Jan 2013.
<http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865557161/This-week-in-history-Thedeath-of-Barbarossa.html?pg=all>.
Cline, Austin. “Frederick Barbarossa.” Drawing. About.com. 22 Nov. 2006.
27 Jan. 2013 <http://atheism.about.com/b/2006/11/22/this-date-in-historyholy-roman-emperor-frederick.htm>.
“Crown of the Holy Roman Emperor.” Photo. European Royal History. 31
Jul. 2012. 27 Jan. 2013
<http://europeanroyalhistory.wordpress.com/tag/frederick-barbarossa/>.
“Frederick Barbarossa.” Drawing. Abovetopsecret.com. 3 Jan. 2013. 27
Jan. 2013 <http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread914336/pg1>.
“Frederick Barbarossa.” Drawing. Claymorslinger.com. N.d. 27 Jan. 2013
<http://www.claymoreslinger.com/Medieval_Hairstyle.asp>.
Resources
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“Frederick Barbarossa.” Drawing. Heritage History. N.d. 27 Jan. 2013
<http://www.heritagehistory.com/www/heritage.php?R_menu=OFF&Dir=pseudochar&Person=ba
rbarossa&FileName=barbarossa>.
“Frederick Barbarossa.” Drawing. Monarchus. 24 Jan. 2011. 27 Jan. 2013
<http://monarchus.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/frederick-i-barbarossa-of-theholy-roman-empire/>.
“Frederick Barbarossa Awakening From His Long Slumber Under the
Kyffhauser Mountain.” Photo. Occidental Observer. 9 Apr. 2011. 27 Jan.
2013 <http://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/2011/04/the-southern-pointpart-2-agrarians-and-cavaliers/>.
“Frederick Barbarossa Entering Milan After Its Subjugation.” Drawing. Look
and Learn. N.d. 27 Jan. 2013 <http://www.lookandlearn.com/historyimages/M070860-01/Frederick-Barbarossa-entering-Milan-after-itsSubjugation?img=2&search=subjugation&bool=phrase>.
"Frederick I of Germany." One Evil. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2013.
<http://one-evil.org/content/people_12c_frederick_i.html>.
Kampers, Franz. "Frederick I (Barbarossa)." The Catholic
Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 27 Jan.
2013 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06252b.htm>.
Resources
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“Lego Frederick Barbarossa.” Photo. Eurobricks.com. 12 Nov. 2012. 27 Jan.
2013 <http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=48476>.
Ripperton, Lisa. "Frederick Barbarossa and Milan." The Baldwin Project.
N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2013.
<http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=morris>.
Ripperton, Lisa. “Frederick Barbarossa on Horseback.” Drawing. The
Baldwin Project. N.d. 27 Jan. 2013
<http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=lansing&book=patriots&st
ory=barbarossa>.
Scarpelli, Tancredi. “Frederick Barbarossa is Wounded at the Battle of
Legnano, 1176.” Drawing. Look and Learn. N.d. 27 Jan. 2013
<http://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/M005285/FrederickBarbarossa-is-wounded-at-the-battle-of-Legnano1176?img=0&search=1176&bool=phrase>.
"The Third Crusade: Death of Frederick Barbarossa, 1190." Internet History
Sourcebooks Project. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2013.
Thompson, Ben. “Frederick Barbarossa.” Drawing. Badassoftheweek.com.
25 Sep. 2010. 27 Jan. 2013
<http://www.badassoftheweek.com/index.cgi?id=554303921539>.