Conradin

At the age of 2, he lost his father; He was brought up at the court of his uncle, Duke Ludwig II of Bavaria . In Sicily, on behalf of Conradin, his uncle Manfred ruled as regent.

The opposition of Pope Alexander IV prevented the election of Conradin as king of Germany. In 1257, his guardian Ludwig of Bavaria supported Richard Cornwall in the elections, provided that he confirmed for Conradin the right to inherit his father’s lands and the title of Duke of Swabia . In 1262, Konradin officially took over the Swabian duchy.

In 1258, Manfred , by virtue of false rumors about the death of his nephew, proclaimed himself king of Sicily; however, he expressed his readiness to appoint Konradin as his heir. But Pope Clement IV , not recognizing the right of Sicily for the Hohenstaufen family, transferred this kingdom to Charles I of Anjou , who took possession of Sicily after the defeat of Manfred and his death in 1266 . Then the Italian Ghibellines, with the support of the Sicilian nobility hostile to Carl, suggested that Conradin take over his father's lands in Italy.

Accompanied by several large German feudal lords ( Ludwig of Bavaria , Count Rudolph of Habsburg , Count Meinhard II of Tyrol , his childhood friend Friedrich of Baden ) and about 3,000 knights, Conradin crossed the Alps in the autumn of 1267 . Despite the fact that the pope excommunicated him from the church ( November 18, 1267 ), and his uncle and most other German allies left Conradin in Verona , he soon gained numerous adherents in Italy. Some cities of Upper Italy and Karl's former ally, the “Roman Senator” Henry, brother of King Alphonse X of Castile , took his side.

The battle against the French in the Arno Valley was won. Rome in July 1268 greeted him as emperor, and the revolt in Sicily, kindled in his favor, was more and more spread with the support of the Spaniards. But in the decisive battle of Tagliacco northeast of Rome , August 23, 1268 , 3,500–4,000 French knights, thanks to their discipline, defeated the mixed hired army of Conradin (4,500–5,500 men); the latter was able to escape at first, but at the beginning of September was captured and extradited to Karl.

He was tried as a traitor and, together with Frederick of Baden and 11 other supporters, executed in the market square in Naples ( October 29, 1268 ).

From Konradin, two German songs were preserved, which were included in the Manes collection under the name of the songs of the “Young King of Konrad”.

Marriage: since 1266 married to Sofia von Landsberg (c. 1258 - August 14, 1318 ), daughter of Dietrich ( 1242 - February 8, 1285 ), Margrave Landsberg of the Wettin family. I didn’t leave any children.

• Konradin // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.