Henry VI (1165-1197) succeeded his father, Frederick I (also called Barbarossa), as king of Germany in 1190. The next year, Henry was crowned emperor of what later became known as the Holy Roman Empire. In 1192, Henry became involved in a civil war in Germany. King Richard I (the Lion-Hearted) of England had close ties to one of the groups fighting Henry. A vassal of Henry’s captured Richard and handed him over to Henry. By holding Richard hostage, Henry gained control over his opponents in the war. He released Richard in 1194. That same year, Henry seized Sicily to expand his empire. He also hoped to gain control of lands along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea by mounting a crusade. But he was stricken with malaria and died while launching this crusade. Henry was born in Nijmegen, in what is now the Netherlands.
