He was born in Austrian Alland, the only son of the Swabian margrave Herman VI of Baden (c.1226–1250) and his wife Gertrude (1226–1288), niece and heiress of the late Babenberg duke Frederick II of Austria.

As Duke Frederick II of Austria had been killed at the 1246 Battle of the Leitha River, the ducal line of the Babenberg dynasty had become extinct.

Though he was backed by Pope Innocent IV and anti-king William of Holland, Herman could not prevail against the claims raised by the mighty Přemyslid king Wenceslaus I of Bohemia and his warlike son Ottokar II.

However, when in 1252 Ottokar II married Gertrude's aunt Margaret and moved into Austria, he again had to flee, at first to Styria and later to the Sponheim court in Carinthia.

Their mortal remains were at first hastily buried, but later transferred to the church of Santa Maria del Carmine, Naples, at the behest of Conradin's mother Elisabeth of Bavaria.