Royalty, Roman emperor, King of Germany, Italy and Burgundy. He was the son of count Heinrich von Speyer, a great-grandson of emperor Otto I the Great, and his wife Adele of Metz. He was the first of the Salian kings and emperors that reigned the empire until 1125. When his mother remarried she gave him to the Bishop of Worms to be raised. During his childhood his claims to his inheritance were lost to relatives. He was powerless, poor and unable to read or write, but his marriage to the rich, beautiful and intelligent Gilsela of Swabia changed his situation vastly. Although he wasn't even a count he was elected German king on September 4th, 1024 and was crowned four days later in Mainz, succeeding Heinrich II. He had a good sense for politics and focused only on possible goals. He named his son Heinrich as his successor and gave the child the duchy of Bavaria. After his first campaign against rebelling nobles in Italy he was crowned King of Italy in 1026. A year later, in March 1027 he was crowned emperor in Rome by Pope John XIX. A campaign against Mieszko II of Poland ended in 1033 with the complete surrender of the polish duke who lost some of his territories and had to accept the German control over Poland. In the same year king Rudolf III of Burgundy died and following a contract from 1006 Burgundy became part of the empire and Konrad was crowned King of Burgundy. He founded the Monastery of Limburg an der Hardt and started the building of the Cathedral of Speyer which he intended to be the burial place for his family. In March 1039 the court stayed in the palatine Nymwegen and later went to Utrecht for Pentecost. He seems to have been unwell for a while and when he visited mass on Sunday he had to be supported by his wife. On Monday, when he wanted to rise for lunch he was hit by a seizure and all attending bishops were called to give him the last rites. He died fast and had barely any time to say goodbye to his family. While his intestines were buried in the Cathedral of Utrecht, his body was brought to Speyer. The funeral procession passed through Cologne, Koblenz, Worms, Mainz to Speyer. He was brought before every altar of every church in the cities they passed. They reached Speyer nearly a month after his death and he was buried in the unfinished cathedral on July 3rd.