ZAHRINGEN, the house from which the former grand-ducal family of Baden took its origin. The name is derived from the ruined castle of Zahringen, in a village of the same name, 2 miles N. of Freiburg in Baden. The first found ers of the family were from the 8th to the 10th century Counts of Breisgau, but the authenticated history of the house really begins with Bertold I., "the Bearded," who became duke in 1050, was much esteemed by the Emperor Hein rich III., and received from him the re version of the duchy of Swabia. He was, however, passed over in 1057 by Agnes, the widow of Heinrich III., in favor of Rudolf of Rheinfelden, and re ceived in 1061 as compensation the duchy of Karnthen with the march of Verona. He became reconciled with Rudolf in 1070, and fought by his side at Melrichstadt, Aug. 7, 1078. When he saw from Lintburg the devastation of his lands by Heinrich IV. he became insane, and died soon after—Nov. 8, 1078. His elder son, Hermann, had died in 1074, leaving a son, Hermann II., who married Judith of Baden, and from whom the present house of Baden is directly descended. The younger son of
Bertold "the Bearded," Bertold II., Duke of Zahringen (died 1111) , inher ited the dominions of his father-in-law, Rudolf of Swabia, and was followed by Bertold III. (fell at Molsheim, March 3, 1122), the founder of Freiburg. His brother and successor Konrad, wrio founded Minster, was made in 1127 by the Emperor Lothar, "Rektor" of Bur gundy, where his son Bertold IV. (died 1168) and his grandson Bertold V., the founder of Bern (1191), received rich possessions. As Bertold V. died child less (Feb. 18, 1218), his dominions fell to the nearest heirs, the Duke of Teck, who sprang from a brother of Bertold IV., and the elder Baden line. His Swa bian possessions fell to his sister Agnes, the wife of the Graf von Urach, and his Swiss lands mostly to his youngest sister Anna, wife of the Graf von Ki burg. The remainder, including the towns Zurich, Bern, Solothurn, and Of fenburg, fell by testament to the em peror.