Duke of Swabia

Last updated January 22, 2025

The Dukes of Swabia were the rulers of the Duchy of Swabia during the Middle Ages. Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to rule Swabia was the Hohenstaufen family, who held it, with a brief interruption, from 1079 until 1268. For much of that period, the Hohenstaufen were also Holy Roman Emperors. With the death of Conradin, the last Duke of Hohenstaufen, the duchy itself disintegrated although King Rudolf I attempted to revive it for his Habsburg family in the late 13th century.

Dukes of Swabia (909–1268)

Early dukes

Burchard I Hunfriding (d. 911), mentioned as marchio (margrave) in 903 and dux (duke) in 909
Erchanger Ahalolfing, dominant count in Alemannia after the execution of Burchard I, declared duke in 915, exiled September 916, executed January 917.
Burchard II (917–926, Hunfriding), recognized Henry the Fowler as king of Germany in 919 and was recognized by Henry as Duke of Swabia in return.
Hermann I (926–949, Conradine)
Liudolf (950–954, Ottonian)
Burchard III (954–973, Hunfriding)
Otto I (973–982, Ottonian)

Conradines

Conrad I (982–997)
Hermann II (997–1003)
Hermann III (1003–12)

House of Babenberg

Ernest I (1012–15)
Ernest II (1015–30)
Hermann IV (1030–38)

Miscellaneous houses

Henry I (1038–45, Salian), King of the Romans from 1039 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1046
Otto II (1045–48, Ezzonen)
Otto III (1048–57, Schweinfurt)
Rudolf I (1057–79, Rheinfelden)
Berthold I (1079–90, Rheinfelden)
Berthold II (1092–98, Zähringen)

House of Hohenstaufen, 1079–1268

Name	Birth	Marriage(s)	Death
Frederick I 1079–1105	1050 son of Frederick of Büren and Hildegard of Egisheim-Dagsburg	Agnes of Germany 1089 11 children	21 July 1105 aged 54 or 55
Frederick II the One-Eyed 1105–1147	1090 son of Frederick I and Agnes of Germany	Judith of Bavaria 1121 2 children Agnes of Saarbrücken c.1132 2 children	6 April 1147 aged 56 or 57
Frederick III Barbarossa 1147–1152	1122 son of Frederick II and Judith of Bavaria	Adelheid of Vohburg 2 March 1147 Eger no children Beatrice of Burgundy 9 June 1156 Würzburg 12 children	10 June 1190 aged 67 or 68
Frederick IV 1152–1167	1145 son of Conrad III of Germany and Gertrude von Sulzbach	Gertrude of Bavaria 1166 no children	19 August 1167 Rome aged 21 or 22
Frederick V 1167–1170	16 July 1164 Pavia son of Frederick III and Beatrice of Burgundy	unmarried	28 November 1170 aged 6
Frederick VI 1170–1191	February 1167 Modigliana son of Frederick III and Beatrice of Burgundy	unmarried	20 January 1191 Acre aged 24
Conrad II 1191–1196	February or March 1173 son of Frederick III and Beatrice of Burgundy	unmarried	15 August 1196 Durlach aged 23
Philip 1196–1208	August 1177 son of Frederick III and Beatrice of Burgundy	Irene Angelina 25 May 1197 4 children	21 June 1208 Bamberg aged 30
Vacancy: 1208-1212
Frederick VII 1212–1216	26 December 1194 Jesi son of Henry I and Constance of Sicily	Constance of Aragon 15 August 1209 1 child Isabella II of Jerusalem 9 November 1225 2 children Isabella of England 15 July 1235 4 children	13 December 1250 Torremaggiore aged 55
Henry II 1216–1235	1211 Sicily son of Frederick I and Constance of Aragon	Margaret 29 November 1225 2 children	12 February 1242 Martirano aged 30
Conrad III 1235–1254	25 April 1228 Andria son of Frederick I and Isabella II of Jerusalem	Elisabeth of Bavaria 1 September 1246 1 child	21 May 1254 Lavello aged 26
Conrad IV the Younger 1254–1268	25 March 1252 Wolfstein son of Conrad I and Elisabeth of Bavaria	never married	29 October 1268 Naples aged 16 (executed)

House of Habsburg (1283–1309)

Rudolf (1283–90)
John (1290–1309)

Family tree

Successor states

In the 13th century, the Duchy of Swabia disintegrated into numerous smaller states. Some of the more important immediate successor states were:

Bishopric of Augsburg
Bishopric of Chur
Bishopric of Constance
Bishopric of Strasbourg
Duchy of Teck (to Württemberg)
Margraviate of Burgau (to Austria)
Margraviate of Hochberg
Landgraviate of Klettgau
Landgraviate of Lower Alsace
Landgraviate of Sundgau (to Austria)
Landgraviate of Thurgau (to Austria)
County Palatine of Tübingen (to Württemberg)
Abbacy of Disentis
Abbacy of Murbach
Abbacy of St. Blaise
Abbacy of St. Gall

During the following century, several of these states were acquired by the County of Württemberg or the Duchy of Austria, as marked above. In 1803 Bavarian Swabia was annexed by Bavaria and shortly afterwards became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria.

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References

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