 His death plunged the Empire into the chaos of the German throne dispute for the next 17 years.Henry was born in autumn 1165 at the "Valkhof" pfalz of Nijmegen to Emperor Frederick Barbarossa and Beatrix of Burgundy.At the age of four his father had him elected King of the Romans during a "Hoftag" in Bamberg at Pentecost 1169.