Frederick was the son of
Albert the Degenerate and was born at
Wartburg in 1257. According to legend, his mother,
Margaret of Sicily, who fled Wartburg from her husband in 1270, was overcome with grief at their parting and bit him on the cheek. As a result, he became known as 'the Bitten' or 'the Cheek-Bitten'. While still a child, he was invited by the Lombard
Ghibellines, as a grandson of
Emperor Frederick II, to assume the
Hohenstaufen inheritance in Italy, following various prophecies that foretold the coming of a third Emperor Frederick. From 1280 onward, he held the title of
Count Palatine of Saxony. Because his father preferred their half-brother Apitz, Frederick and his brother
Diezmann waged war upon him. Frederick was captured in 1281, but after a long war his father recognized the rights of the brothers in 1289. After the death of their cousin
Frederick Tuta (1291), both brothers took possession of his lands and Frederick received the
Margraviate of Meissen, leaving to their father only the
Margraviate of Landsberg. However, King
Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg thought that Meissen and the
Eastern March should return to the crown after Tuta's death, and bought
Thuringia from the debt-laden Albert. The brothers were again called to arms in the defense of their inheritance, but had to give up the land. Frederick stayed away from home until the death of Adolf returned his land to him. By now his father had also been reconciled with him. Soon afterwards, however, King
Albert I claimed Thuringia and was supported by the cities, which longed to become independent (
reichsunmittelbar). The landgrave's family was besieged on the Wartburg by the
Eisenach forces; however, Frederick succeeded in liberating them. But only the victory at
Lucka on 31 May 1307 gave the two brothers relief, and before the king could gather new forces, he died. After Diezmann's death (1307) the vassals rendered
homage to Frederick only, because Albert had renounced rule for an annuity. Only the cities were still opposed to Frederick. But
Erfurt was subjected by force, and he was also reconciled with Emperor
Henry VII, to whom Frederick had originally refused to submit. In 1310, the Emperor granted him his lands as fiefs. However, the fight with
Brandenburg still continued and when Frederick was captured by Margrave
Waldemar, he had to buy his freedom with 32,000 marks of silver and the cession of
Lower Lusatia in the
Treaty of Tangermünde of 1312. The feuds were renewed in 1316, but ended in 1317 with the
Magdeburg Peace. Through the extinction of the
Ascanian house, Frederick regained all lost lands except for Landsberg and Lower Lusatia. Now he was able to install a general
Landfrieden (peace). Paralyzed by a stroke since 1321, Frederick died on 16 November 1323 at Eisenach. His bones were later moved to Grimmenstein Castle in
Gotha and after its demolition were buried in
Friedenstein Castle; however, his tomb was erected in
Reinhardsbrunn. In 1285, he married Agnes, the daughter of Count
Meinhard II of Gorizia-Tyrol and
Elisabeth of Bavaria, widowed mother of Conradin, and after her death he married Elizabeth of Arnshaugk, the daughter of his stepmother, in 1303. Only two children survived him, Elizabeth, who was married to
Henry II, Landgrave of Hesse, in 1322, and Frederick, his successor. ==Family==