William, count of Holland definition of William, count of Holland in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

William, count of Holland, 1227?–1256, German king (1254–56), previously rival king (1247–54) to Conrad IV Conrad IV, 1228–54, German king (1237–54), king of Sicily and of Jerusalem (1250–54), son of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II . He was elected (1237) king of the Romans at his father's instigation after Frederick had deposed Conrad's older brother
..... Click the link for more information. . William was chosen by Pope Innocent IV Innocent IV, d. 1254, pope (1243–54), a Genoese named Sinibaldo Fieschi, a distinguished jurist who studied and later taught law at the Univ. of Bologna; successor of Celestine IV. He was of a noble family.
..... Click the link for more information. to succeed Henry Raspe (d. 1247) as antiking to Conrad IV during the conflict between Innocent and Conrad's father, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II Frederick II, 1194–1250, Holy Roman emperor (1220–50) and German king (1212–20), king of Sicily (1197–1250), and king of Jerusalem (1229–50), son of Holy Roman Emperor Henry VI and of Constance , heiress of Sicily.
..... Click the link for more information. . Although William was recognized as king by most of the German princes after Conrad's death (1254), his rule was only nominal and was never unchallenged. His major support came from the Rhenish towns. He was killed fighting the Frisians.