Observations on the Dead Emperor Collected from Annals and Laws

...and from there, by lying that he was Emperor Henry, he said so. And when, by seducing many, he had enticed them to enter—so that grave battles and murders were committed on his behalf, with some receiving him and others openly declaring him a seducer—at last, his falsity having been declared, he was shorn as a monk at Cluny. See Engelhus, Chronicon, Vol. II, Leibniz, Rerum Brunsvicensium Matters of Brunswick, p. 1100.

Of Frederick II.

It is more certain that many assumed the appearance of Emperor Frederick II. For when this Emperor, too, was buried secretly after being excluded from the communion of the faithful, as noted in the Chronicon Augustanum Augsburg Chronicle for the year 1250, and the Pope had already made it known beforehand that the Emperor was dead (see Conrad of Ursperg, p. 325), many began to doubt his death. Indeed, even in the year 1256, a diploma is found, issued by Henry the Illustrious, reigning as Lord Emperor of the Romans in place of Frederick II, as recorded in Horn, Codex Diplomaticus Henrici Illustris Diplomatic Code of Henry the Illustrious, with number XIV added, p. 306. Meanwhile, we do not deny that some say this Emperor was absolved from the Pope's excommunication before his death. Matthew Paris, p. 538: Frederick died absolved from the sentence by which he was bound, having assumed, it is said, the habit of the Cistercians, and being wondrously repentant and humbled. See also the letters of Manfred to Conrad IV, Book I, Miscellanea of Etienne Baluze, p. 476. Albert of Stade, for the year 1250, relates that the absolution was performed by the Archbishop of Palermo. Struve, in the Neueröffnetes historisch- und politisches Archiv Newly Opened Historical and Political Archive, Part I, No. 1, dealt more extensively with the five Pseudo- Fredericks.

Punishment of the pseudo- Fredericks.

Among them, John of Cocleria, who established his seat on Mount Etna, was hanged, as witnessed by Salla Malaspina, Book II, Rerum Sicularum Sicilian Matters, ch. 6. They report that another was burned at Esslingen by Emperor Adolph, Annales Colmarienses Colmar Annals for the year 1295. The most well-known usurper, and the most serious one, was Frederick Holtschuch or Thilo Kolup, whom Emperor Rudolph I ordered to be burned at Wetzlar. Conrad of Ursperg, Paralipomena Omissions/Additions for the year 1292; Siffrid the Priest for the years 1284 and 1285.