Chrodobert, Crodobert, or Crodebert (Crodobertus or Chrodobertus) was an Aleman

Alamanni

The Alamanni, Allemanni, or Alemanni were originally an alliance of Germanic tribes located around the upper Rhine river . One of the earliest references to them is the cognomen Alamannicus assumed by Roman Emperor Caracalla, who ruled the Roman Empire from 211 to 217 and claimed thereby to be...

 dux

Dux

Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....

of the early seventh century (fl.

Floruit

Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...

 631/632). He probably ruled in the south of the region later known as Swabia

Swabia

Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...

.

There is little evidence to suggest the existence of an Aleman duke in the period from c. 610 to c. 630, but Fredegar records that around 631 an Alemannic army under duke Chrodobert participated in Dagobert I

Dagobert I

Dagobert I was the king of Austrasia , king of all the Franks , and king of Neustria and Burgundy . He was the last Merovingian dynast to wield any real royal power...

's assault on the realm of the Slavs

Samo

Samo was a Frankish merchant from the "Senonian country" , probably modern Soignies, Belgium or Sens, France. He was the first ruler of the Slavs whose name is known, and established one of the earliest Slav states, a supra-tribal union usually called Samo's empire, realm, kingdom, or tribal...

 to the east. The Alemannic host (exercitus Alamannorum) was one of the three columns of the Austrasia

Austrasia

Austrasia formed the northeastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Metz served as its capital, although some Austrasian kings ruled from Rheims, Trier, and...

n army (exercitus regnum universum Austrasiorum). While the Alemanni won a battle at an unknown location and the Lombard

Lombards

The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...

 allies were successful against the Slavs in the Julian Alps

Julian Alps

The Julian Alps are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav. They are named after Julius Caesar, who founded the municipium of Cividale del Friuli at the foot of the mountains...

, the main army of Austrasian Franks

Franks

The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...

 under Dagobert was defeated at the Battle of Wogastisburg

Battle of Wogastisburg

According to the contemporary Chronicle of Fredegar, the battle of Wogastisburg was a battle between Slavs under King Samo and Franks under King Dagobert I in 631. The Frankish armies were advancing the area of Slavic tribal union in three streams - Alamanni, Lombards, and Austrasian Franks...

.

Chrodobert's authority in Alemannia probably increased after the succession of Sigebert III

Sigebert III

Sigebert III was the king of Austrasia from 634 to his death; probably on 1 February 656, or maybe as late as 660. He was the eldest son of Dagobert I....

 to the throne of Austrasia.

The relationship between Chrodobert and both earlier and later dukes of the Alemanni is unknown. It is possible that Chrodobert was the same person as the Hruodi mentioned in the passio of Saint Killian.

Sources

• Geuenich, Dieter. Geschichte der Alemannen. Verlag Kohlhammer: Stuttgart, 2004. ISBN 3170182277.
• Mittelalter-Genealogie: Chrodobert.