Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor

About Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor

Frederick I, known as Barbarossa, reigned as Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death in 1190. A key figure of the High Middle Ages, his importance stems from his relentless efforts to consolidate imperial authority in Northern Italy and his involvement in the Second and Third Crusades. His ambition to revive the Roman Empire's prestige earned him a high Historical Popularity Index (HPI) rank of #344 out of nearly 15,000 figures.

Despite this historical weight, the modern internet grants Frederick I relatively little attention. His Wikipedia pages garnered only 100K views in 2025. This places him at a significant -4x Attention Gap, indicating underattention relative to his influence. To illustrate this disconnect, consider that the less historically important politician Harry S. Truman (#592 HPI) drew 2.7 million views in the same year, highlighting a vast disparity in digital focus for figures with comparable political roles.

Furthermore, the downward trend suggests a continued slippage from contemporary awareness. His 2025 annualized views saw a -12.3% year-over-year decline, and his recent momentum shows an -18% drop between Q1 and Q3, signaling that interest in this medieval ruler is currently waning.