Frederick I, Count of Zollern


Frederick I, Count of Zollern, was often cited as a powerful Swabian Count and supporter of the imperial party of Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor.
He most likely was the son of Burkhard I, and was married to Udilhild of the House of Urach, which house later became the Fürstenberg family. They had nine children; his eldest son was Frederick II. A younger son was Burkhard, who founded the Zollern-Hohenberg line.
Frederick was the first reeve of the Swabian Alpirsbach Abbey, which had been founded by Adalbert of Zollern and other lords.
The Zollern dynasty based their rise to power on their loyalty to the ruling royal or imperial family. Frederick I served the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, and was sent on a diplomatic mission to France. He also accompanied Henry V on his Italian expedition in 1110 and again in 1111, where Henry V intended to claim the imperial crown in Rome. He is also mentioned as an advisor to Henry V in both 1111 and 1114, both times while the imperial party was in Strasbourg.

Family and children

Frederick I and Udilhild most likely had at least nine children:
  • Frederick II, Count of Zollern
  • Burkhard, also Burkhard II of Zollern-Hohenberg
  • Egino
  • Gotfried of Zimmern, likely Count of Zollern sometime around 1155
  • Ulrich, who late in life became a monk, then abbot, at the Benedictine abbey in Reichenau, after supposedly having been involved in the murder of his predecessor
  • Adalbert, who became a monk in Zwiefalten
  • Kuno
  • Luitgard
  • Udilhild