Description

Frederick was an imposing presence with his red hair and beard, which earned him the appellation “Barbarossa”, as well as his reputation as a great warrior king.He spent his thirty-eight years on the throne uniting the German states and enhancing the power of the Holy Roman Empire.
His efforts to create a major secular power brought him into conflict with the papacy in Rome, resulting in war for many years.
Barbarossa died in 1190, drowning while crossing a river on his way to Jerusalem with a German contingent during the Third Crusade.