The German kingdom is divided after the…
1252 CE to 1263 CE
The German kingdom is divided after the death of Frederick II in 1250 between his son Conrad IV, who dies in 1254, and the anti-king, William of Holland, who dies in 1256).
Conrad's death is followed by the Great Interregnum, during which no king can achieve universal recognition and the princes manage to consolidate their holdings and become even more independent rulers.
The crown after 1257 is contested between Richard of Cornwall, who is supported by the Guelph party, and Alfonso X of Castile, who is recognized by the Hohenstaufen party but never sets foot on German soil.