Why did the German princes elect Frederick I as king in 1152?

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Medieval manuscript miniature showing Frederick I as a crowned crusader holding an orb and scepter, with Henry of Schaftlarn kneeling and presenting a book to him. — Frederick I Frederick I as a Crusader with (right) Henry of Schäftlarn dedicating to him a copy of the *History of the First Crusade* by Robert of St. Remy; miniature from a manuscript in the Vatican Library.

The German princes elected Frederick I (Barbarossa) as king in 1152 primarily because they believed he could resolve the kingdom's persistent internal conflicts.12

As the son of Conrad III's elder brother and a Welf princess, Judith, Frederick united the bloodlines of the two rival dynasties—the Hohenstaufen and the Welfs. Contemporaries hoped this unique lineage would allow him to bridge the divide between these powerful factions, which had long destabilized the region. Additionally, his election was influenced by his existing connections to important German families, and he proved adept at maintaining these relationships by making strategic concessions, such as restoring the duchy of Bavaria to his cousin, Henry the Lion.123