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Frederick Barbarossa

Frederick Barbarossa

By: History of the Germans
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Most other medieval German rulers are all but forgotten, so why has interest in the Hohenstaufen never completely disappeared. They were by no means the most successful emperors, that crown has to go the Ottonians, nor was their reign the most fateful, that award goes to the later Salians. Frederick Barbarossa and his grandson Frederick II have been such fascinating personalities that almost any age could project their own perceptions and expectations onto them, from champion of national unity to modern man before his time. Time to find out what really happened, who they actually were. This podcast is part of the broader History of the Germans podcast that aims to track the history of the German people from the Early Middle Ages to Reunification in 1991. If you enjoy this show, check out any of the other seasons or follow the main show. So far I have the following seasons: The Ottonians (919 AD-1024 AD) Salian Emperors and Investiture Controversy (1024 AD-1125 AD) Fredrick Barbarossa and Early Hohenstaufen (1125-1190) Frederick II Stupor Mundi (1190-1268) Saxony and Eastward Expansion The Hanseatic League The Teutonic Knights The Holy Roman Empire (1250 AD -1356 AD) The Reformation before the Reformation (1356AD -1439 AD) The Empire in the 15th Century The Fall and Rise of the Habsburgs (1439AD -1519 AD)Copyright 2026 History of the Germans Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • Ep. 23 (66) - The Myths of Barbarossa

    Ep. 23 (66) - The Myths of Barbarossa
    Sep 30 2024

    We have just spent 15 episodes talking about the life and times of the actual Frederick Barbarossa. Exciting as his life was, his afterlife is almost as interesting. Don’t panic I will not go on for 15 episodes talking about the perception of the great emperor. Just give me 30 minutes and I promise it is worth it.

    The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.

    As always:

    Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com

    Facebook: @HOTGPod

    Twitter: @germanshistory

    Instagram: history_of_the_germans

    Reddit: u/historyofthegermans

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans

    To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.

    So far I have:

    The Ottonians:

    The Hanseatic League

    The Teutonic Knights

    The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • Ep. 22 (65) - The Third Crusade

    Ep. 22 (65) - The Third Crusade
    Sep 23 2024

    This week, after 15 episodes we will finally leave the emperor Barbarossa behind, though it is almost impossible to ever get away from him. No other medieval ruler is still so present in the national psyche, not as the man he was but as the myth he was turned into. So today we say goodbye to the man and next time we will take a look at the myth..

    The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.

    As always:

    Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com

    Facebook: @HOTGPod

    Twitter: @germanshistory

    Instagram: history_of_the_germans

    Reddit: u/historyofthegermans

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans

    To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.

    So far I have:

    The Ottonians:

    The Hanseatic League

    The Teutonic Knights

    The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • Ep. 21 (64) - The Heirs of Troy - What is an Emperor for?

    Ep. 21 (64) - The Heirs of Troy - What is an Emperor for?
    Sep 16 2024

    his week we will discuss how Barbarossa attempts to rebuild a new ideological underpinning of his role and how that leads to renewed conflict with the popes. But then one of the most devastating events of the Middle Ages solves all his issues and presents him with an opportunity to turn the mythmaking up to 11.

    The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.

    As always:

    Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.com

    Facebook: @HOTGPod

    Twitter: @germanshistory

    Instagram: history_of_the_germans

    Reddit: u/historyofthegermans

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Historyofthegermans

    To make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season.

    So far I have:

    The Ottonians:

    The Hanseatic League

    The Teutonic Knights

    The Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
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