Charlemagne and the Frankish Empire

In short: Charlemagne (c. 747/748–814) was King of the Franks and, from the year 800, emperor. Under him the Frankish realm became the most powerful empire in western Europe since the end of the Western Roman Empire.

In more detail: Charlemagne expanded his realm through many wars and promoted education, writing and the Church. Because his empire covered large parts of present-day France, Germany, Italy and the Benelux countries, he is often called the father of Europe.

In detail

• Origins: Charlemagne came from the Carolingian family. After the death of his father Pepin in 768, he first ruled jointly with his brother Carloman, and alone from 771.
• Conquests: In 774 he conquered the Lombard kingdom in Italy, and he led campaigns against the Avars, the Bavarians and Muslim rulers in Spain.
• Saxon Wars: The wars against the Saxons lasted around three decades and were extremely brutal. Their subjugation was linked to forced Christianisation.
• Imperial coronation: On Christmas Day in the year 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor in Rome. This linked him to the tradition of the Roman Empire.
• Administration: Counts governed the regions, and royal envoys inspected them on the ruler’s behalf. There was no fixed capital; Charlemagne travelled between his palaces.
• Aachen: In his later years Charlemagne often stayed in Aachen. His palace chapel is now part of Aachen Cathedral and a World Heritage Site.
• Learning and writing: Scholars such as Alcuin worked at his court. Monasteries copied ancient texts, and the clear Carolingian minuscule script spread.
• Legacy: After the death of his son Louis the Pious, the grandsons divided the empire in the Treaty of Verdun in 843. In the long run, the forerunners of France and Germany emerged from it.
• Assessment: Charlemagne is regarded as an important ruler, but his wars cost many lives. Historians consider both sides (mittelalter-lebenswelt-und-gesellschaft, roemisches-reich-aufstieg-und-niedergang).