| Sumario: | After several turns in modern historical research, we can now observe a renewed interest in political history. One reason for this rediscovery of a relatively ‘old-fashioned’ field of research is the availability of new explanatory models and research methods. This applies in particular to the history of the late medieval Holy Roman Empire, which seems to be a confusing sequence of ‘interminable struggles and conflicts’ (Johannes Haller). The article introduces a new computer-based research tool, social network analysis, which sheds light on the complex political entanglements and interdependencies of the late Staufer period, from 1225 to 1235. The article focuses in particular on the conflict between Emperor Frederick II (1212–1250) and his son, King Henry (VII), who was deposed and imprisoned by his father in 1235. It shows how historical information about a multitude of relevant players, relations and events can be translated into a network model of the German political system. The mathematical analysis of this model reveals hidden patterns of political co-operation and conflict. In particular, we can repeatedly observe a dualistic structure within the political network, which led to friction between the Staufer father and son, owing to their co-operation with different princely factions. In this way, the network model can explain the outbreak of the conflict between father and son, as well as the final triumph of Frederick over Henry.
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