Carolingian Empire Archives - just moving around just moving around

The Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands, is located in Amsterdam and is renowned for its extensive collection of art and historical artifacts, with a particular emphasis on Dutch art and history. Founded in 1798 in The Hague, the museum moved to Amsterdam in 1808. The current building, designed by the Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers, opened its doors in 1885 and is an iconic example of Dutch Gothic Revival architecture, featuring ornate facades and grand interiors that incorporate both Gothic and Renaissance elements. The museum’s central atrium is the Great Hall decorated with stained glass windows and ornate murals. One of them depicts Charlemagne and his scholar servant Einhard.

A mural Charlemagne and Einhard by Georg Sturm that can be seen at the West side of the Great Hall of Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam

Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and Emperor of the Carolingian Empire from 800 until his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish state into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. He is credited with the Carolingian Renaissance, a revival of art, religion, and culture through the support of the Church. Charlemagne reformed legal and administrative systems and promoted education, establishing schools and bringing scholars to his court. His reign laid the foundations for the development of modern Europe and he is often referred to as the Father of Europe.

Einhard or Eginhard was a Frankish scholar, dedicated servant to Charlemagne, and later, to his son Louis the Pious. He was educated at the monastery of Fulda and became a prominent member of Charlemagne’s court. Einhard wrote the “Vita Karoli Magni” around 817-833, which is one of the most important contemporary sources on Charlemagne’s life. Einhard served as an advisor and close confidant to Charlemagne, managing many of the king’s projects and correspondences. Through his biography, Einhard helped shape the posthumous image of Charlemagne, portraying him as a wise and benevolent ruler.

To my NETHERLANDS photo gallery

More on CHARLEMAGNE

Seen at Rijksmuseum Amsterdam: Charlemagne and Einhard

Charlemagne (Charles the Great) is one of the most influential figures in French and European history of the early medieval time. He was a skilled military commander and a shrewd politician. His reign from 768 to 814 AD marked the set up of the Carolingian Empire that replaced the Roman Empire in the Western parts of Europe. Its successor (although with a smaller territory limited to so-called West Francia) was the Kingdom of France and consequently after the French Revolution the present French Republic.

Statue of Charlemagne standing at the front of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

For around 400 years, Frankish kings united and ruled descendants of Germanic, Gaul and Roman people. The Franks were a Germanic tribe that migrated to the area that is now modern-day France in the 3rd century AD. Over time, they intermarried and assimilated with the local Gallo-Roman population. Although having different roots ‘Frankish’ people seemingly developed a common language and seemed to be a coherent nation for the outsiders. Charlemagne himself was of Frankish descent, but he saw himself as a ruler of all the peoples within his empire, regardless of their ethnic background. He encouraged the use of Latin as a unifying language, and his court was open to scholars, artists, and intellectuals from across the continent.

The ruling dynasty of the Franks from the 5th to the mid-8th century were the Merovingians. Founded by Clovis I, they were the first Frankish rulers to unite the tribes and convert to Christianity, establishing strong ties with the Roman Catholic Church. However, over time, the Merovingians became more symbolic rulers, with real power shifting into the hands of the Mayors of the Palace – high-ranking officials who governed in the kings’ names. The latter set the stage for the rise of the Carolingians, the family of Charlemagne. His grandfather, Charles Martel, was one of the most influential Mayors of the Palace. In 732, he won a decisive victory at the Battle of Poitiers (also known as the Battle of Tours), where he halted the advance of Muslim forces into Western Europe. Although Charles Martel never claimed the title of king, he effectively ruled the Frankish territories. His son, Pepin the Short, took the next step. In 751, Pepin deposed the last Merovingian king, Childeric III, and declared himself king, with the backing of the Church. This act formally ended the Merovingian dynasty and established the Carolingian dynasty. It was this dynasty that Charlemagne would later expand.

During his reign, Charlemagne extended by far the Frankish territories. He led numerous military campaigns and conquered many territories, including parts of modern-day France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, and even parts of Hungary. This way, he was able to convince the pope (head of the Catholic Church, who that time in history had much political power in Western Europe) to crown him (800 AD). He became the first recognized emperor in Western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. Technically, he was already ruling an empire, but the papal ‘blessing’ gave him the ultimate power. This coronation was, however, to the detriment of relations between Rome (Western Europe) and Constantinople (South-Eastern Europe). On the other hand, the coronation of Charlemagne by the pope was not without controversy, as it raised questions about the relationship between church and state, and about the role of the pope in political affairs. However, despite these concerns, Charlemagne’s reign as Holy Roman Emperor helped to establish a strong tradition of cooperation between the Catholic Church and secular rulers in Western Europe.

Charlemagne was married several times over the course of his life, and he had a total of at least 18 children. Charlemagne’s first recorded marriage was to a Frankish noblewoman named Himiltrude, with whom he had a son named Pepin the Hunchback. After this marriage was dissolved, Charlemagne married a Lombard princess named Desiderata, but this marriage was also annulled. His next marriage was to a Frankish noblewoman named Hildegard, who became his main wife and with whom he had nine children, including three sons who would go on to become kings: Charles the Younger, Pepin of Italy, and Louis the Pious. In addition to his legitimate children, Charlemagne also had several children born out of wedlock, although little is known about them.

It is alleged that among Charlemagne’s illegitimate sons was Roland, the famed hero later celebrated in medieval epic poetry, particularly in the Song of Roland. However, this claim is not confirmed by historical research. While Roland was a real figure – a Frankish military leader who died at the Battle of Roncevaux Pass in 778 – the connection between him and Charlemagne’s family remains a part of legend rather than documented history.

Charlemagne died in 814 AD at the age of 72, and he was buried in the city of Aachen. After Charlemagne’s death, his empire was divided among his heirs. Charlemagne himself did not have a clear plan for succession, and he did not designate a single heir to the throne. Instead, he divided his empire among his three sons, with Charles the Younger receiving the western Frankish lands, Louis the Pious receiving the eastern Frankish lands, and Pepin of Italy receiving the Italian lands. The Empire was weakened by succession struggles, Viking invasions, and other external pressures. Eventually it evolved into a series of smaller, more localized kingdoms.

To my FRANCE main site

to my other posts on #CHARLEMAGNE