Background
When his father died in 1291, Baden was divided and he received Baden-Pforzheim.
When his father died in 1291, Baden was divided and he received Baden-Pforzheim.
As a younger son, he was initially destined for an eccesiastical career. He became canon at Speyer. From 1300 until his death, he ruled alone.
In the conflict between Duke Leopold I of Austria and Emperor Louis IV, he initially sided with Leopold. After a while he changed sides and sided with Louis IV, who in 1334 mortgaged Ortenburg Castle, the cities of Offenburg, Gengenbach and Zell am Harmersbach and the imperial possessions in the Ortenau area to Rudolf IV. Rudolf IV died on 25 June 1348.
