negotiate with Rudolph to become his heir. Rudolph was present at Conrad's imperial coronation at Easter 1027 and in August an inheritance contract was concluded. This agreement was contested by Rudolph's nobles, Counts Odo II of Blois and Reginald I of Burgundy. Rudolph died in 1032, at the age of 61, with no surviving issue. He was buried in Lausanne Cathedral. Conrad II then claimed the Kingdom of Burgundy and incorporated it in the Holy Roman Empire. Legacy As the last member of the Burgundian Welfs, Rudolph was considered a weak ruler by his contemporaries. The chronicler Wipo of Burgundy called him effete; according to Hermann of Reichenau, his rule was marked by idleness and chaos. Thietmar of Merseburg named the Burgundian counts the actual rulers, while Rudolph only held the royal title. At least from 1018, Rudolph actually ruled as a mock king in the shadow of his designated successor, who also interfered in domestic conflicts. Emperor Conrad II likewise had to defend his right of succession against the embittered resistance of the Burgundian nobility. References Sources Kings of Burgundy 10th-century rulers in Europe 11th-century rulers in Europe 970s births 1032 deaths Elder House of Welf