In 1248 he received from the Counts of Andechs the region of Bayreuth by so-called Meran's inheritance.
After the death of Conrad I in 1261 he became Burgrave of Nuremberg and tried to eliminate the Frankish power in the Main region.
In 1273 he gave his deciding vote for his friend Rudolf of Habsburg on the election of the king of the Romans.
As a reward the King confirmed his position as a Burgrave and granted the rank of a Prince-Elector.
Thus Frederick was entrusted with the royal district court of Franconia, took part in the imperial war against the outlawed Otakar II of Bohemia and also joined in the struggle in the Battle of Dürnkrut and Jedenspeigen in 1278.