[1] Engelbert was excommunicated by Pope Innocent III in 1206, on account of his support for his cousin Adolf of Altena, archbishop of Cologne, in the interests of Philip of Swabia against Otto of Brunswick but was pardoned in 1208.

It is not clear to what extent Engelbert was personally involved with the Confoederatio cum principibus ecclesiasticis, a treaty with the ecclesiastical princes, which Frederick signed on 26 April 1220, although as Administrator of the German Kingdom (Gubernator Regni Teutonici) he must have had at least some input.

Engelbert granted town privileges to many places, including Wipperfürth, Attendorn, Brilon, Siegen, Werl and Herford, Vianden, Hamm, Neuerburg and Manderscheid.

Engelbert earned the respect and affection of his subjects through his devotion to justice and his energy in maintaining law, and took great pains to ensure the well-being of the religious within his authority.

On 7 November 1225 while they travelled together to Cologne from a judicial hearing in Soest, Engelbert was killed, possibly by Frederick, in a defile near present-day Gevelsberg near Schwelm.

Engelbert's body was buried in Cologne Cathedral on 24 February 1226 by order of Cardinal Conrad of Urach, the papal legate, who declared him a martyr, though a formal canonization did not take place.

[3] His remains are preserved today in a Baroque shrine prepared on the authority of Ferdinand of Bavaria, archbishop of Cologne, who in 1618 also ordered the celebration of his feast on 7 November.