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Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties

1126 CE 1254 CE
D G SC R CC
OTHER  de_empire_2
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  General Description  
The Holy Roman Empire during the Hohenstaufen and Welf dynasties (1126 to 1254) represented a period of both significant internal strife and expansion. Spanning regions that include modern-day Germany, Italy, and parts of Eastern and Central Europe. The period is defined by an ongoing competition between the House of Welf and the Hohenstaufen dynasty. This rivalry, deeply rooted in contesting claims to territories and power, significantly influenced the Empire’s internal dynamics. [1]
This period begins after the death of the last Salian emperor, Henry V, in 1125. He had no heirs, and a period of intra-elite conflict followed, with rival factions supporting the Saxon noble Lothair III and Conrad III, of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. In 1138, Conrad III was elected king, shifting the centre of imperial power to Swabia. Unlike the Ottonian and Salian rulers who preceded them, the Hohenstaufens faced challenges in asserting their control over the Empire’s semi-autonomous territories. The lack of a central capital and unified legal system continued to characterize the Empire, with German kings maintaining their tradition of being crowned as Roman Emperors, a practice that underscored the Empire’s claim to the Roman legacy. The House of Welf, wielding significant influence and territorial control, particularly in Saxony and Bavaria, emerged as formidable contenders to Hohenstaufen authority. [1]
Frederick I Barbarossa, one of the most renowned Hohenstaufen emperors. His reign (1152-1190) was distinguished by efforts to assert imperial authority in Italy, leading to prolonged conflicts with the Lombard League and the Papacy. [2] The period was also notable for the Crusades, with emperors like Frederick I and Frederick II participating in these expeditions, which, while aimed at expanding Christendom, also served to enhance the imperial prestige. Frederick II (1212-1250), in particular, stood out for his cultural patronage and administrative reforms, earning him the title Stupor Mundi ("Wonder of the World"). However, his reign was also marked by continuous conflicts with the Papacy and internal princely factions, underscoring the fractious nature of imperial authority. [3] The struggle for control in Italy, especially over the Kingdom of Sicily, which was under Hohenstaufen rule through marriage alliances, further complicated the Empire’s internal dynamics. These Italian campaigns drained the Empire’s resources and diverted attention from northern territories, leading to increased autonomy for local princes and a gradual weakening of central authority. [4] [5]
The death of Frederick II and the subsequent demise of his heirs led to the Interregnum (1254-1273), a period of significant political fragmentation and decline in imperial power. This era saw the rise of princely states and the increasing irrelevance of the imperial title. [6]

[1]: Odilo Engels, Die Staufer, 9., erg. Aufl., Kohlhammer-Urban-Taschenbücher Geschichte, Politikwissenschaft Bd. 154 (Stuttgart: Kohlhammer, 2010). Zotero link: HINBRJJK

[2]: Knut Görich, Friedrich Barbarossa: Eine Biographie (München: C.H. Beck, 2011). Zotero link: 9TFKFYQP

[3]: “Crusades - Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, Mediterranean | Britannica,” accessed February 4, 2024, https://www.britannica.com/event/Crusades/The-Crusade-of-Frederick-II. Zotero link: VBH9IK4D

[4]: PAOLO GRILLO, LEGNANO 1176;UNA BATTAGLIA PER LA LIBERTA ([S.l.]: EDITORI LATERZA, 2012). Zotero link: 49Y52W3A

[5]: Herbert Grundmann and Friedrich Baethgen, Deutsches Archiv Für Erforschung Des Mittelalters, 24 (Köln ; Graz: Böhlau, 1968) Zotero link: PG54JSAE

[6]: Martin Kaufhold, Deutsches Interregnum Und Europäische Politik: Konfliktlösungen Und Entscheidungsstrukturen 1230-1280, Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Schriften Bd. 49 (Hannover: Hahnsche Buchhandlung, 2000). Zotero link: 3VKQVTUM

General Variables
Identity and Location
Temporal Bounds
Political and Cultural Relations
Language
Religion
Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale
Hierarchical Complexity
Professions
Bureaucracy Characteristics
Law
Specialized Buildings: polity owned
Transport Infrastructure
Special-purpose Sites
Information / Writing System
Information / Kinds of Written Documents
Information / Money
Information / Postal System
Information / Measurement System
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications
Military use of Metals
Projectiles
Handheld weapons
Animals used in warfare
Armor
Naval technology
Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.
Crisis Consequence Cases
Power Transitions
Instability Events
General Variables
Identity and Location Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Utm Zone 32 U 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Original Name German Kingdom - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Capital 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Alternative Name Sacrum Imperium Romanum 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Alternative Name Heiliges Römisches Reich 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Alternative Name German Kingdom 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Temporal Bounds Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Duration [1126 CE ➜ 1254 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Suprapolity Relations 1194 CE 1197 CE
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Suprapolity Relations 1215 CE 1250 CE
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Suprapolity Relations 1198 CE  1309 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity continuity 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Succeeding Entity
1255 CE 1453 CE
Holy Roman Empire - Fragmented Period (de_empire_3)   [None] 
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Preceding Entity
919 CE 1125 CE
Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty (de_empire_1)   [continuity] 
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Degree of Centralization loose 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Language Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
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Religion Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
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Religion Genus Christianity 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Religion Family Catholicism 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Hierarchical Complexity Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Professions Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Bureaucracy Characteristics Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Law Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Buildings: polity owned Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Transport Infrastructure Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Canal 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Information / Writing System Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Information / Kinds of Written Documents Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Information / Money Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Information / Postal System Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Information / Measurement System Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Military use of Metals Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Projectiles Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Handheld weapons Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Animals used in warfare Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Armor Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Naval technology Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain 1126 CE  1254 CE
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Human Sacrifice Holy Roman Empire - Hohenstaufen and Welf Dynasties (de_empire_2)
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Crisis Cases
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Instability Data
Power Transitions
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