Berthold II, Duke of Swabia

Berthold II of Zahringen (* 1050, † April 12, 1111 ) was Duke of Swabia.

Berthold initially supported his father Berthold I. Rudolf of Rheinfelden, which is why both Zähringerplatz and Rheinfelden in 1077 were dismissed by the king of their titles and possessions. As Berthold after his father's death in 1078, his successor was, he had to the duchy of Swabia also only a nominal claim. The real power in the Duchy practiced continue to alternate, appointed by the Salierkönigen nobles.

1079 married the daughter of Rudolf Berthold II, Agnes of Rheinfelden. For debates during the investiture controversy came mainly with other regional rulers, Duke Frederick of Swabia, and the Bishops of Basel and Strasbourg. Despite the sometimes polarized relations between king and pope spreading in the southwest of the kingdom, it came in between again to a regional reassurance. So Berthold II entered 1087 as a witness to a land exchange on which the Bishop of Basel was involved.

Tensions came back from 1090th This year Berthold of Rheinfelden died, the son of Rudolph. For his wife of Zaehringen could therefore not only be entitled to its possessions in Burgundy (now western Switzerland about ) sign, but also strengthen his claim to the duchy of Swabia.

Supported by the Guelphs and the Pope, he was elected in 1092 against the Hohenstaufen Frederick Duke of Swabia. To 1098 there were between Berthold II and Friedrich to a compensation, in the course of which he indeed gave up the Duchy, but the advocacy of the important city of Zurich and received further could lead to the title of duke. With this step, the ratio of the Zähringer to Henry IV improved from 1105 Berthold was one of the closest allies of Henry V.

He also started since about 1090 to shift his center of power in the Breisgau, so that the Zähringen territory the influence of the Swabian duke withdrew rapidly. The first of the dynasty Berthold is attested from 1100 as " Duke of Zahringen ".

Berthold II extended his rule by establishing settlements and monasteries in the Black Forest significantly, not least because he had a relatively small territory and at least at the beginning of his reign over no expansion options. He founded in 1093 the Benedictine monastery of St. Peter, which was the new grave lay the Zähringian. The foundations have been mostly to reform monasteries that were set kaiser hostile. In particular, the Black Forest was Berthold's monastic foundations and the displacement of the Counts of Hohenstein castle from the region into a center of power of Zaehringen. 1091 was Berthold additionally build a protective castle for the nearby settlement Freiburg to his castle Zahringen. At the end of his life Berthold II was not only the title of Duke, but also had his territory as far enlarged it to meet this requirement.

Successor Berthold II 1111 was his son Berthold III. , Which in turn was inherited after 11 years of his brother Konrad.