Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
"Frederick Barbarossa (1123-1190) was the German emperor who challenged papal authority and established German predominance over much of Europe. He was elected king in 1152 and immediately challenged the authority of the pope. Crowned emperor in 1155, he embarked on a protracted series of military campaigns against the Lombard leagues. In 1177, Barbarossa eventually recognized Alexander III as the true pope, and was publically reconciled to him. Within the empire, Barbarossa became involved in violent struggles with the most powerful prince, Henry the Lion, duke of Bavaria, who was eventually stripped of his possessions. An enthusiastic supporter of the ideals of knighthood and chivalry, Barbarossa embarked on the third Crusade in 1190, but died before he reached the Holy Land." [DK Timelines, p. 193] "He combined qualities that made him appear almost superhuman to his contemporaries: his longevity, his ambition, his extraordinary skills at organization, his battlefield acumen and his political perspicacity." He reestablished the Roman rule of law, which counterbalanced papal power. [Wikipedia]