Frederick II strengthens the power of the bishops through an alliance with the “princes of the Church”
From the 12th century, the rulers of the individual German duchies and ecclesiastical patrimonies began to exert a claim over what had previously been crown rights: they minted coins, levied duties, built castles and towns or exercised jurisdiction. The Hohenstaufen Frederick II, who had been born and raised in Italy, was both the Roman–German King and King of Sicily from 1212. After spending several years in Germany to establish his rule, Frederick returned south to tend to his territories in Italy.
Needing to maintain his position during his absence, he sought to secure the election of his nine-year-old son Henry as (co-)king and thus his deputy in Germany. As this required the assent of the German bishops, he offered them concessions at a meeting in Frankfurt am Main on 26 April 1220. An “alliance with the princes of the Church” would involve the official transfer of the royal rights already lost in practice, and acceptance of the principle that royal and imperial courts would be bound by ecclesiastical judgements. For example, any individual suffering excommunication would automatically be outlawed. In 1232, newly crowned as Emperor, Frederick also confirmed the rights of secular German princes to exercise crown rights. This strengthened the German territorial rulers at the expense of the royal or imperial central power and eventually resulted in the formation of independent states. The federalism characteristic of modern Germany today has its roots in this deal between Frederick II and his bishops.
About the Deutschlandmuseum
An immersive and innovative experience museum about 2000 years of German history
The whole year at a glance
