Conrad III

Conrad III (1093-1152), king of Germany (1138-1152), founder of the Hohenstaufen dynasty of Holy Roman emperors, a younger son of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia, who was Count of Hohenstaufen. Conrad's uncle, Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, appointed him Duke of Franconia in 1115 and a regent of Germany in 1116. Upon Henry's death in 1125 Conrad joined his brother Frederick II, Duke of Swabia, in unsuccessfully disputing the imperial election of Lothair II, Duke of Saxony, who was also elected king of Germany. Conrad was elected king (or so-called antiking) of Germany in 1127. A war between the rivals ensued. Conrad went to Milan, where he was crowned king of Italy in 1128. The pope crowned Lothair as Holy Roman emperor in 1133 and two years later Conrad acknowledged Lothair as emperor. After Lothair's death in 1137 Conrad was again elected king of the Germans. Although the pope no longer rejected him, events in the empire prevented Conrad from receiving a formal coronation as Holy Roman emperor.

Conrad's chief enemy was Lothair's son-in-law, Henry the Proud, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, who refused to submit to Conrad's authority. The centuries-long war between the Welf family, to which Henry belonged, and the Hohenstaufens, also known as the Waiblingen, originated during Conrad's reign. Conrad's struggle with the Welfs and his other unsuccessful efforts to consolidate the empire were interrupted by the calling of the Second Crusade (1147-1149), in which he took a leading part. He was succeeded by his nephew, Duke Frederick of Swabia, who became emperor as Frederick I (Frederick Barbarossa).