Germany during the Crusades
Conrad III (1137-1152)
Conrad had been elected with the support of the papacy and of powerful German archbishops. Despite his close ties, however, Conrad was reluctant to go on the Second Crusade and had to be persuaded by St. Bernard himself. The Second Crusade brought Conrad no glory.
Nor did he win glory at home. He was never crowned emperor, being unable to leave Germany to go to Rome for the coronation. And, just as Lothair had had to contend with the hostility of the Hohenstaufen, now Conrad had to contend with the enmity of the Welfs. Henry the Proud opposed Conrad throughout his life, and the king spent most of his reign simply trying to keep what he had.
These two reigns—Lothair and Conrad—saw a steady loss of imperial power and prestige in Germany, even as German territory was expanding steadily eastward and Germany was flourishing economically. Germany remained a great prize, but it was not at all clear, in 1152, whether anyone would be able to rule it.