Which Holy Roman Emperor died during the Third Crusade?

Frederick Barbarossa was the Holy Roman Emperor who died during the Third Crusade. He joined the expedition after Saladin captured Jerusalem in 1187 and led one of the largest European armies toward the Holy Land.

Frederick chose the overland route through the Balkans and Anatolia. His army defeated forces of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, but the emperor never reached the crusader states. On 10 June 1190, while crossing the Saleph River in Cilicia, he drowned.

His death caused confusion and grief among the German crusaders. Many soldiers abandoned the expedition and returned home, while others continued toward Acre under the leadership of Frederick's son, Duke Frederick of Swabia. The German contingent was therefore greatly reduced before the main siege began.

Conrad III was a previous Holy Roman Emperor who participated in the Second Crusade, not the Third. Henry VI planned a later crusade, and Otto IV was not the emperor who died on campaign in 1190.