Monarchy of Baden
State
Grand Ducal coat of arms
Frederick II
Details
Style	His Royal Highness (for Grand Dukes)
First monarch	Berthold I (as Count)
Last monarch	Frederick II (as Grand Duke)
Formation	962
Abolition	22 November 1918
Appointer	Hereditary
Pretender(s)	Bernhard (as Margrave)

Baden was an Imperial Estate of the Holy Roman Empire and later one of the German states along the frontier with France, primarily consisting of territory along the right bank of the Rhine, opposite Alsace and the Palatinate.

History

The territory evolved out of the Breisgau, an early medieval county in the Duchy of Swabia. A continuous sequence of counts is known since 962; the counts belong to the House of Zähringen. In 1061, the counts first acquired the additional title of Margrave of Verona. Even though they lost the March of Verona soon thereafter, they kept the title of margrave. In 1112, the title of Margrave of Baden was first used.

For most of the early modern period, the Margraviate of Baden was divided into two parts, one ruled by the Catholic Margraves of Baden-Baden, and the other by the Protestant Margraves of Baden-Durlach. In 1771, the main Baden-Baden line became extinct, and all of the Baden lands came under the rule of the Baden-Durlach line. The reunited margraviate existed until 1803.

During the Napoleonic era, in the imperial reorganisation of 1803, Baden gained a great deal of additional territory, and its ruler was promoted to become one of the few prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. However, this situation lasted only for three years until the crushing Battle of Austerlitz at the hands of Napoleon's armies, which caused the Holy Roman Empire to be declared dissolved eight months later, in August 1806.

By definition the Electorate of Baden then ceased to exist as such. Just as the former Holy Roman Emperor now assumed the title of Emperor of Austria, so the ruler of Baden assumed that of Grand Duke of Baden. The Grand Duchy of Baden, with increased additional territory, continued in existence approximately within its 1806 borders until the fall of the German monarchies in 1918, when it became the Republic of Baden.

Counts in Breisgau

• Berthold I, before 962–982
• Berthold II, 982–1005/06
• Berthold III, 1005/06–1024
• Berthold IV, 1024–1073
• Herman I of Baden, 1040–1074

The Margraviate of Baden

During the 11th century, the Duchy of Swabia lacked a powerful central authority and was under the control of various comital dynasties, the strongest of them being the House of Hohenstaufen, the House of Welf, the Habsburgs and the House of Zähringen. Emperor Henry III had promised the ducal throne to the Zähringen scion Berthold, however, upon Henry's death in 1056, his widow Agnes of Poitou appointed Rudolf of Rheinfelden as Duke of Swabia. Berthold renounced his rights and was compensated with the Duchy of Carinthia and the March of Verona in Italy. Not able to establish himself, he finally lost both territories, when he was deposed by King Henry IV of Germany during the Investiture Controversy in 1077. Berthold retired to his Swabian home territory, where he died the next year. The Veronese margravial title was nevertheless retained by his eldest son, Herman I.

Herman II, son of Herman I and grandson of Berthold, had concluded an agreement with the rival Hohenstaufen dynasty, and about 1098 was enfeoffed with immediate territory by Emperor Henry IV. He chose to establish his residence in Germany, as he had been born and raised there. His lordship of choice was Baden (present-day Baden-Baden), where his father had gained the right to rule by marrying the heiress, Judit von Backnang-Sulichgau, Countess of Eberstein-Calw. In Baden, Herman II had Hohenbaden Castle built. Construction began about 1100, and when it was completed in 1112, he marked the occasion by adopting the title of Margrave of Baden.

House of Zähringen

Partitions of Baden under Zähringen rule

Table of monarchs

(Note: Between 1190 and 1515 there were three main numberings of monarchs in Baden: the Baden numbering, valid for all divisions of Baden with exception of Hachberg; the Hachberg numbering, valid in the namesake territory; and the Hachberg-Sausenberg, division of the previous, which also adopted an independent numbering for its monarchs. With the reunion of Baden in 1503, Baden original numbering ended up prevailing over the others.)

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Monarch		Born	Reign	Ruling part	Consort	Death	Notes
Herman II		c.1060 Son of Herman I and Judith of Backnang-Sulichgau	1074 – 7 October 1130	Margraviate of Baden	Judith of Hohenberg c.1105 two children	7 October 1130 aged 69-70	He was the first to use the title of "Margrave of Baden" (in 1112). Also Margrave of Verona.
Herman III the Great		c.1105 Son of Herman II and Judith of Hohenberg	7 October 1130 – 16 January 1160	Margraviate of Baden	Bertha of Lorraine 1134 two children Maria of Bohemia After 1141 no children	16 January 1160 aged 54-55	In 1151, the margraviate of Verona was taken from Ottokar III of Styria and conferred on Herman III. Took part in the Second Crusade.
Herman IV		c.1135 Son of Herman III and Bertha of Lorraine	16 January 1160 – 13 September 1190	Margraviate of Baden	Bertha of Tübingen 1162 seven children	13 September 1190	Took part in various battles at the side of the German Emperor, and also joined on the Third Crusade.
Regency of Bertha of Tübingen (1190-1194)							Children of Herman IV, divided the inheritance.
Herman V		c.1180 First son of Herman IV and Bertha of Tübingen	13 September 1190 – 16 January 1243	Margraviate of Baden	Irmengard of the Palatinate 1217 four children	16 January 1243 aged 62-63
Henry I		c.1180 Second son of Herman IV and Bertha of Tübingen	13 September 1190 – 2 July 1231	Margraviate of Hachberg	Agnes of Urach c.1220? three children	2 July 1231 aged 50-51
Regency of Agnes of Urach (1231-c.1234?)							Abdicated in 1289, and joined the Teutonic Knights.
Henry II		c.1220? Son of Henry I and Agnes of Urach	2 July 1231 – 1289	Margraviate of Hachberg	Anna of Üsingen-Ketzingen c.1240? eight children	1297 or 1298 aged 77-78?
Herman VI		c.1226 First son of Herman V and Irmengard of the Palatinate	16 January 1243 – 4 October 1250	Margraviate of Baden	Gertrude of Austria 1248 two children	4 October 1250 aged 23-24	Fought in the Austrian War of Succession in 1246, claiming the title "Duke of Austria" from 1248.
Regency of Rudolph of Baden (1250-1267)							Frederick accompanied King Conradin in his battles and was beheaded with him in 1268.
Frederick I		1249 Alland Son of Herman VI and Gertrude of Austria	4 October 1250 – 29 October 1268	Margraviate of Baden	Unmarried	29 October 1268 Naples aged 18-19
Rudolph I		c.1230 Second son of Herman V and Irmengard of the Palatinate	29 October 1268 – 19 November 1288	Margraviate of Baden	Kunigunde of Eberstein (1230 – 12 April 1284/1290) 20 May 1257 eight children	19 November 1288 aged 57-58	Held regency for his nephew Frederick, and then ended up succeding him, after his childless death.
Herman VII the Rouser		c.1266 First son of Rudolph I and Kunigunde of Eberstein	19 November 1288 – 12 July 1291	Margraviate of Eberstein	Agnes of Truhendingen Before 6 October 1278 four children	12 July 1291 aged 24-25	Children of Rudolph III, ruled jointly. From 1290 the brothers shared land with the sons of Herman VII.
Rudolph II the Elder		c.1266 Second son of Rudolph I and Kunigunde of Eberstein	19 November 1288 – 14 February 1295	Margraviate of Baden (at Baden proper)	Adelaide of Ochsenstein 2 May 1285 three children	14 February 1295 aged 28-29
Rudolph III the Younger		c.1266 Third son of Rudolph I and Kunigunde of Eberstein	19 November 1288 – 2 February 1332		Jutta of Strassberg 1306 no children	2 February 1332 aged 65-66
Hesso		c.1268 Fourth son of Rudolph I and Kunigunde of Eberstein	19 November 1288 – 13 February 1297		Clara of Klingen Before 1291 one child? Irmengard of Württemberg Before 1295 no children Adelaide of Rieneck Before 1299 one child	13 February 1297 aged 28-29
Rudolph I		c.1250? First son of Henry II and Anna of Üsingen-Ketzingen	1289–1313	Margraviate of Sausenberg	Agnes of Rötteln 1298 or 1299 three children	1313 aged 69-70?	Children of Henry II, split their inheritance.
Henry III		c.1260? Second son of Henry II and Anna of Üsingen-Ketzingen	1289–1330	Margraviate of Hochberg	Agnes of Hohenberg c.1305 three children	1330 aged 69-70?
Frederick II		c.1275 First son of Herman VII and Agnes of Truhendingen	12 July 1291 – 22 June 1333	Margraviate of Eberstein	Agnes of Weinsberg before 16 October 1312 one child Margaret of Vaihingen Before 1333 four children	22 June 1333 aged 57-58	Children of Herman VII, divided the inheritance. After Herman VIII's childless death, another brother, Rudolph (who was already co-ruling with him), took over Pforzheim.
Herman VIII		c.1275 Second son of Herman VII and Agnes of Truhendingen	12 July 1291 – 1300	Margraviate of Pforzheim	Unmarried	1300 aged 24-25
Rudolph Hesso		c.1290 Son of Hesso and Adelaide of Rieneck	2 February 1332 – 17 August 1335 (co-ruling since 13 February 1297)	Margraviate of Baden	Joanna of Burgundy Before 1335 two children	17 August 1335 aged 44-45	With no male heirs, Baden-Baden was inherited after his death by his cousin, Rudolf IV, Margrave of Baden-Pforzheim.
Rudolph IV		c.1275 Third son of Herman VII and Agnes of Truhendingen	1300 – 17 August 1335 (co-ruling since 12 July 1291)	Margraviate of Pforzheim	Liutgard of Bolanden (d.1325) 28 February 1318 no children Maria of Oettingen (d.10 June 1369) 18 February 1326 two children	25 June 1348 aged c.72-73?	Ruled Pforzheim with his brother Herman VIII until 1300, when he became sole ruler. Rudolph inherited Baden in 1335, after the death of his cousin Rudolph Hesso. Secured this inheritance by marrying the eldest of Rudolph Hesso's daughters to his own son.
			17 August 1335 – 25 June 1348	Margraviate of Baden
Regency of Agnes of Rötteln (1313-1315)
Henry		1300 First son of Rudolph I and Agnes of Rötteln	1313–1318	Margraviate of Sausenberg	Unmarried	1318 aged 17-18
Henry IV		c.1305 Son of Henry III and Agnes of Hohenberg	1318–1369	Margraviate of Hachberg	Anna of Usenberg Before 1369 four children	1369
Rudolph II		1301 Second son of Rudolph I and Agnes of Rötteln	1318–1352	Margraviate of Sausenberg	Catherine of Thierstein c.1343 two children	1352 aged 50-51	Brothers of Henry, inherited Sausenberg jointly.
Otto		1302 Third son of Rudolph I and Agnes of Rötteln	1318–1384		Catherine of Grandson no children Elisabeth of Strasbourg Before 1352 no children	1384 aged 81-82
Herman IX		c.1315 Son of Frederick II and Agnes of Weinsber	22 June 1333 – 13 April 1353	Margraviate of Eberstein	Matilda of Vaihingen c.3 June 1341 one child	13 April 1353 aged 37-38	Had a son, who predeceased him. At his death Eberstein returned to Baden.
Eberstein annexed to Baden
Frederick III the Peaceful		1327 First son of Rudolph IV and Maria of Oettingen	25 June 1348 – 2 September 1353	Margraviate of Baden	Margaret of Baden (d.1 September 1367) 1345 two children	2 September 1353 aged 25-26	Sons of Rudolph V, divided their inheritance. Frederick married his cousin Margaret, daughter of Rudolph Hesso. After Rudolph V's death without children, Pforzheim returned again to Baden-Baden, to the hands of his nephew Rudolph VI.
Rudolph V the Rouser		1328? Second son of Rudolph IV and Maria of Oettingen	25 June 1348 – 28 August 1361	Margraviate of Pforzheim	Adelaide of Belfort 26 August 1347 no children	28 August 1361 aged 33-34?
Pforzheim annexed to Baden
Regency of Margaret of Baden (1353-1359)							Inherited Pforzheim from his uncle, Rudolph V, in 1361, reuniting it with Baden. Under his rule, the Margraves of Baden were recognized for the first time as princeps regni(Reichsfürst).
Rudolph VI the Tall		c.1345 Son of Frederick III and Margaret of Baden	2 September 1353 – 21 March 1372	Margraviate of Baden	Matilda of Sponheim 1356 three children	21 March 1372 aged 26-27
Otto I		c.1330? First son of Henry IV and Anna of Usenberg	1369 – 9 July 1386	Margraviate of Hachberg	Unmarried	9 July 1386 Sempach aged 55-56?	Died at the Battle of Sempach, against the Swiss.
Regency of Matilda of Sponheim (1372-1378)							Children of Rudolph VI, divided the inheritance, which was reunited after Rudolph VII's childless death. In 1415 Bernard annexed the lands of Hachberg.
Bernard I		1364 First son of Rudolph VI and Matilda of Sponheim	21 March 1372 – 5 April 1431	Margraviate of Baden (at Durlach and Pforzheim)	Margaret of Hohenberg 1 September 1384 (annulled 1391) no children Anna of Oettingen 27 March 1398 ten children	5 April 1431 Baden aged 66-67
Rudolph VII		c.1365 Second son of Rudolph VI and Matilda of Sponheim	21 March 1372 – 1391	Margraviate of Baden (at Ettlingen, Rastatt and Baden)	Unmarried	1391 aged 25-26
Regencies of Otto, Margrave of Sausenberg (1352-1358) and Waleran II, Count of Thierstein (1358-1364)
Rudolph III		1343 Son of Rudolph II and Catherine of Thierstein	1384 – 8 February 1428 (co-ruling since 1352)	Margraviate of Sausenberg	Adelaide of Lichtenberg 1373 no children Anna of Freiburg 1387 thirteen children	8 February 1428 aged 84-85
John		c.1330? Second son of Henry IV and Anna of Usenberg	9 July 1386 – 1409	Margraviate of Hachberg	Unmarried	1409 aged c.78-79?	Brothers of Otto I, ruled jointly.
Hesso		c.1330? Third son of Henry IV and Anna of Usenberg	9 July 1386 – 1410		Anna of Geroldseck c.1350? three children Margaret of Tübingen 1381 one child	1410 aged c.79-80?
Otto II		c.1350? Son of Hesso and Anna of Geroldseck	1410–1415	Margraviate of Hachberg	Unmarried	1418 aged c.77-78?	In 1415, possibly in debt, sold Hachberg to his cousin Bernard I of Baden-Baden.
Hachberg annexed to Baden
William		11 July 1406 Son of Rudolph III and Anne of Freiburg-Neuchâtel	8 February 1428 – 21 June 1441	Margraviate of Sausenberg	Elisabeth, Countess of Montfort-Bregenz 1425 (annulled 1436) three children	15 August 1482 Môtiers aged 76	Abdicated in 1441 for his sons.
James I		15 March 1407 Hachberg Son of Bernard I and Anna of Oettingen	5 April 1431 – 13 October 1453	13 October 1453 Mühlburg aged 47	Margraviate of Baden	Catherine of Lorraine 25 July 1422 seven children
Regency of John, Count of Freiburg and Neuchâtel (1441-1444)							Sons of Wiliam I, ruled jointly. In 1458, Rudolph inherited the Swiss county of Neuchâtel.
Rudolph IV		1426/27 Rötteln First son of William and Elisabeth, Countess of Montfort-Bregenz	21 June 1441 – 12 April 1487	12 April 1487 Rötteln aged 59-61	Margraviate of Sausenberg	Margaret of Vienne c.1450 two children
Hugo		c.1430 Rötteln Second son of William and Elisabeth, Countess of Montfort-Bregenz	21 June 1441 – 1444	1444		Unmarried
Charles I the Warrior		1427 Pforzheim First son of James I and Catherine of Lorraine	13 October 1453 – 24 February 1475	Margraviate of Baden	Catherine of Austria 1 July 1447 six children	24 February 1475 Pforzheim aged 47-48	Children of James, ruled jointly. Bernard spent most of his income assisting the poor and those in need.
Bernard II		1428 Baden Second son of James I and Catherine of Lorraine	13 October 1453 – 15 July 1458		Unmarried	15 July 1458 Moncalieri aged 29-30
Christopher I		13 November 1453 Baden First son of Charles I and Catherine of Austria	24 February 1475 – 1515	Margraviate of Baden	Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen 30 January 1469 fifteen children	19 April 1527 Baden aged 73	Children of Charles, divided the inheritance. In 1503 Christopher annexed Sausenberg. From 1488, Christopher ruled an unified Baden, but abdicated for his sons, who divided Baden again.
Albert		1456 Hachberg Second son of Charles I and Catherine of Austria	24 February 1475 – 1488	Margraviate of Baden (at Hachberg)	Unmarried	1488 Damme aged 31-32
Philip		1454 Neuchâtel Son of Rudolph IV and Margaret of Vienne	12 April 1487 – 9 September 1503	Margraviate of Sausenberg	Maria of Savoy October 1478 one child	9 September 1503 Montpellier aged 48-49	Also count of Neuchâtel. Didn't have male heirs and Baden-Hachberg Sausenberg was incorporated in Baden-Baden. However, his possessions in Neuchâtel passed to his daughter Joanna.
Sausenberg annexed to Baden
Joanna		1485 Neuchâtel Daughter of Philip and Maria of Savoy	9 September 1503 – 23 September 1543	Margraviate of Sausenberg (at Neuchâtel only)	Louis I d'Orléans, duke of Longueville 1504 four children	23 September 1543 Époisses aged 57-58	Inherited her father's county of Neuchâtel.
Neuchâtel inherited by the House of Orléans
Bernard III		7 October 1474 Baden First son of Christopher I and Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen	1515 – 19 June 1536	Margraviate of Baden	Franziska of Luxembourg-Ligny 1535 two children	29 June 1536 Baden aged 61	Children of Christopher, divided their inheritance. After Bernard's death his lands were divided again between his sons, then still minors. Philip had no sons, and his part reverted to Baden. Ernest abdicated for his son.
Philip I		6 November 1479 Baden Second son of Christopher I and Ottilie of Katzenelnbogen	1515 – 17 September 1533