Conrad IV of Germany
The last Hohenstaufen heir, a young king who inherited vast, contested crowns but died chasing a doomed imperial dream.
1228–1254 (age 26)·13th century King of Germany, Sicily, and Jerusalem·Birthday: April 25
Biography
Conrad IV's life was a brief, tragic coda to the epic saga of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. Born to the formidable Emperor Frederick II and the Queen of Jerusalem, he was a royal heir from his first breath, inheriting the title of King of Jerusalem as a toddler. His father secured his election as King of Germany, but Conrad's reign was never his own—it was a piece in Frederick's grand, fractious game against the Pope and northern Italian cities. After Frederick's death in 1250, the 22-year-old Conrad was left with a poisoned inheritance: the Kingdom of Sicily under papal interdict and a German throne contested by rival claimants. He marched south to secure Sicily, his most tangible realm, and seemed on the verge of success when malaria struck him down at 26. His death extinguished the direct male Hohenstaufen line and plunged the empire into a two-decade interregnum.
#1 When Conrad Was Born
The biggest hits of 1228
Conrad's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1228Born
1233Started school
1241Became a teenager
1244Could drive
1246Could vote
1249Turned 21
1254Died at 26
Key Achievements
- Became the titular King of Jerusalem at age two following his mother's death in childbirth.
- Was elected King of Germany in 1237, though his rule was contested throughout his life.
- Successfully invaded Italy and captured Naples in his campaign to secure the Kingdom of Sicily.
- Was the last legitimate male heir of the Hohenstaufen dynasty to claim the imperial title.
Did You Know?
He was the only son of Emperor Frederick II born in lawful wedlock to survive infancy.
His death from malaria in a military camp in southern Italy effectively ended the Hohenstaufen line.
His posthumous son, Conradin, was executed at 16, finally extinguishing the dynasty.
He was contemporaneously known as Conrad the Younger to distinguish him from his father.
“My father's crown is a heavy inheritance, and my enemies are many.”
