The comital house of the southern Sundgau, round the castle of Ferrette on its Jura spur and the town of Altkirch.
In blood feud with Otto I of Burgundy since the murder of Count Ulrich in September 1197.
Who he is
- Name
- Frederick II
- Title
- Count of Ferrette
- Since
- 1197 (sole count after his uncle Ulrich I was murdered; de.wikipedia lists both as count in 1194)
- Born
- not pinned
- Family
- Son of Count Louis II (died 1189); nephew of Count Ulrich I, a supporter of the bishop of Strasbourg, murdered on Otto of Burgundy's order the day before Henry VI's death (Henry died 28 September 1197). The house descends from the counts of Montbeliard-Mousson. Frederick dies in 1232-1234.
- Confidence
- medium
de.wikipedia Grafschaft Pfirt; fr.wikipedia and en.wikipedia on Otto I of Burgundy
Overlord
The emperor (the bishop of Basel's overlordship comes only in 1271).
What it holds
- Ferrette castle (Hohenpfirt)
- Altkirch
- The southern Sundgau
How it was acquired
Inheritance.
Allies and rivals
Enemies of Otto of Burgundy; allies of the bishop of Strasbourg in 1196-1197; neighbours of Montbeliard, Habsburg and Basel. Later quarrels with Richard of Montbeliard over Delle and Belfort.
How things stand that morning
Frederick II holds the county; side in the throne war not pinned.
Wealth
Sundgau grain and rents; road from Basel to Montbeliard and Burgundy. No figures.
Military
Ferrette castle. No numbers.
Threats
- Otto of Burgundy, until 13 January.
Places of note
- Castle of Ferrette: Seat
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Counts' names from a genealogy; extent not pinned.
On the map: Rough extent.
Primary sources for Empire
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Annals of Marbach (compiled to 1238, the section on 1198 to 1210 written in the early 13th century). Alsatian annals on the Staufen side of the Upper Rhine. Read online
- Annals of Reiner of Saint James, Liège, Reiner of Liège (1197 to 1230, kept year by year). Contemporary annals kept inside Liège. Read online
- Chronicle of Burchard of Ursberg, Burchard of Ursberg (about 1229 to 1230, reworked by Conrad of Lichtenau). Written a generation later by a fierce partisan of the Staufen and a critic of Innocent III. Read online
- Chronicle of Otto of St Blasien, Otto of St Blasien (about 1209 to 1210). A Swabian continuation of Otto of Freising written from the Staufen side. Read online
- Chronicle of Reinhardsbrunn; Chronicle of St Peter's, Erfurt (Erfurt chronicle in the 13th century; Reinhardsbrunn compilation about 1340 to 1349 from older annals). The two Thuringian chronicles. Read online
- Chronicle of the Slavs, by Arnold of Lübeck, Arnold of Lübeck (about 1209 to 1210). Arnold continues Helmold and writes from Lübeck, close to Danish, Welf and Baltic affairs. Read online
- Royal Chronicle of Cologne (in stages from about 1175 to about 1250; the section on 1198 to 1220 written soon after the events). The fullest German narrative of the throne war from the Welf and Cologne side. Read online
- Chronicle of Hainaut, Gislebert of Mons (about 1195 to 1196). Ends in 1195, so it has no 1200 entries, but it is the indispensable background for Flanders and Hainaut: the career of Count Baldwin V of Hainaut (VIII of Flanders), his union of the two counties, the settlement with Philip over Artois, the rights, castles, fiefs and vassals of Hainaut listed by a man who ran its chancery, and the youth of Baldwin IX, who held both counties in 1200. Read online
8 more in the sources library for The Rhineland, the Low Countries and the Swiss Lands.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.