Friedrich II., ein Sizilianer auf dem Kaiserthron?

Hubert Houben

doi:10.1515/qufiab-2017-0007

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Friedrich II., ein Sizilianer auf dem Kaiserthron?

Hubert Houben

Published/Copyright: May 8, 2018

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From the journal Quellen und Forschungen aus italienischen Archiven und Bibliotheken Volume 97 Issue 1

Riassunto:

Il contributo esamina la tesi di Olaf Rader, secondo cui l’imperatore Federico II, nato in Italia e cresciuto in Sicilia, sarebbe stato „durch und durch Sizilianer“ (del tutto siciliano), come aveva sostenuto nella seconda metà del sec. XIX Leopold von Ranke e di conseguenza „il primo straniero sul trono tedesco“, come scrisse poi Johannes Haller nella prima metà del Novecento. Secondo tale interpretazione, egli avrebbe dato priorità al regno di Sicilia, ereditato dalla madre Costanza d’Altavilla, e trascurato invece l’impero romano-tedesco, diversamente da suo nonno Federico I Barbarossa. Questa tesi risulta poco convincente perché attribuendo a Federico II una chiara identità siciliana si trascura il fatto che egli, trasferitosi in Germania all’età di 17 anni e rimanendovi per otto, si immerse in un contesto del tutto tedesco, riappropriandosi delle sue radici sveve. Inoltre Federico II difese accanitamente gli interessi dell’impero romano-tedesco contro il papato e i comuni settentrionali, mettendo le ingenti risorse economiche del regno di Sicilia al servizio delle sue azioni militari. Essendo a quell’epoca particolarmente importante la presenza fisica del sovrano per l’azione di governo, Federico ovviò alla sua assenza nelle zone d’oltralpe, prive di strutture amministrative paragonabili a quelle italiane, delegando i suoi figli – Enrico (VII) prima e Corrado IV poi – a rappresentarlo in Germania. La tesi di un Federico II come „il siciliano sul trono imperiale“ non convince perché è basata su concetti otto- e novecenteschi quali popolo, nazione e identità nazionali che mal si adattano al Medioevo.

Abstract:

This article examines Olaf Rader’s argument that emperor Frederick II, born in Italy and brought up in Sicily, was a „Sicilian to the core“ („durch und durch Sizilianer“), as Leopold von Ranke stated in the second half of the 19th century, and therefore, as Johannes Haller wrote in the first half of the 1900s, „the first foreigner on the German throne“. According to this interpretation, he supposedly prioritized the kingdom of Sicily, which he had inherited from his mother Constance of Hauteville, and neglected the German part of the Roman empire, in contrast to his grandfather Frederick I Barbarossa. This argument is not entirely convincing since attributing a Sicilian identity to Frederick II overlooks the fact that his move to Germany at the age of 17 and his eight-year stay there immersed him in a German context, returning him to his Swabian roots. Furthermore, Frederick II tenaciously defended the interests of the German part of the empire against the papacy and the northern cities, using the considerable economic resources of the kingdom of Sicily to support his military campaigns. Since at that time the physical presence of the sovereign was particularly important to the practice of government, Frederick resolved the problem of his absence from Germany, which lacked administrative structures comparable to those in Italy, by delegating his sons – firstly Henry (VII) and later Corrado IV – to represent him in Germany. The view of Frederick II as „the Sicilian on the imperial throne“ is unconvincing because it is based on 19th and 20th century concepts such as people, nation and national identity that are not applicable to the Middle Ages.

Hinweis:

Gekürzte und für den Druck überarbeitete Fassung des am 15. Juli 2015 in der Aachener Marienkirche gehaltenen öffentlichen Abendvortrags zum Abschluss des vom Historischen Institut der RWTH Aachen veranstalteten wissenschaftlichen Kolloquiums „1215 – Friedrich II. in Aachen. Krönung, Kreuznahme und die Umbettung Karls des Großen in den Karlsschrein” (Koordination Florian Hartmann, Vorträge von Kathrin Steinhauer, Ingo Deloie, Robert Gramsch, Jochen Johrendt und Max Kerner). Die Vortragsform ist weitgehend beibehalten worden.

Published Online: 2018-5-8

Published in Print: 2018-3-5

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https://doi.org/10.1515/qufiab-2017-0007