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"The wonder of the world" is what some contemporaries called the Staufer Frederick II (1194-1250), whose empire stretched from Sicily to the North Sea coast. In addition to German, he spoke Italian, French, Greek and Arabic, wrote poetry and philosophy, and wrote a book on falconry. As a small child he already possessed the German royal dignity, his mother, Constance of Sicily, had him crowned monarch there. On German soil, a bitter dispute over the throne was once again raging between the Hohenstaufen and Guelph dynasties. Once again, the princely camp was divided, and the pope got involved.