Frederick II (1194-1250), called Stupor Mundi (The Amazement of the World), was one of the most brilliant rulers of the Middle Ages. He was an excellent administrator, an able soldier, and a leading scientist of his time. He understood several languages and encouraged the development of poetry and sculpture. His book on falcons is still consulted by experts.
Frederick was born on Dec. 26, 1194. He belonged to the royal Hohenstaufen family. He was the son of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI and grandson of Frederick I. Frederick II was crowned German king when he was 2 years old, and king of Italy when he was 4. He became Holy Roman emperor in 1215, and made himself king of Jerusalem in 1229. Frederick governed his Sicilian kingdom well. He established the University of Naples in 1224 and made the University of Salerno the best school of medicine in Europe. Throughout his life, Frederick was in conflict with the popes and the rising towns of Germany and Italy. He died on Dec. 13, 1250. See Gregory IX.
