Conrad I of Germany
Encyclopedia
Conrad I called the Younger, was Duke of Franconia
from 906 and King of Germany from 911 to 918, the only king of the Conradine (or Franconian) dynasty. Though Conrad never used the title rex Teutonicorum ("king of the Germans") nor rex Romanorum
("King of the Romans"), he was the first king of East Francia who was elected by the rulers of the German stem duchies
as successor of the last Carolingian
ruler Louis the Child
. His Kingdom of Germany
evolved into the Holy Roman Empire
upon the coronation of Emperor Otto I
in 962.
and his wife Glismut, probably akin to Ota, wife of the Carolingian emperor Arnulf of Carinthia
and mother of the East Frankish king Louis the Child
. The Conradines, counts in the Franconian Lahngau
region, had been loyal supporters of the Carolingians; they competed vigorously for predominance in Franconia with the sons of the Babenberg duke Henry of Franconia
at Bamberg
Castle. In 906, the two parties battled each other near Fritzlar
. Conrad the Elder was killed, as had been two of the three Babenberg brothers; however, the King Louis took the Conradines' side and the third brother Adalbert of Babenberg was arrested and executed shortly thereafter, despite a promise of safe conduct by the king's chancellor
Archbishop Hatto I of Mainz. Conrad the Younger became undisputed Duke of all Franconia after this, nevertheless his attempts to extend the rule of the Conradines over the western Lorraine
(Lotharingian) part of former Austrasia
failed after the death of his uncle Duke Gebhard
.
Upon the death of King Louis the Child, Conrad was elected King of the East Frankish kingdom on 10 November 911 at Forchheim
by the rulers of Saxony
, Swabia
(Alamannia) and Bavaria
. The dukes resisted against the succession of Louis' West Frankish Carolingian relative Charles the Simple
and chose the Conradine scion, who was at least maternally related with the late king. Only Conrad's rival Duke Reginar of Lorraine
refused to give him his allegiance and joined West Francia.
In 913, to patch up relations, Conrad married the sister of the Swabian count Erchanger
, a grandson of King Louis the German
. Cunigunda, widow of Liutpold and mother of Duke Arnulf of Bavaria, gave him two children: Cunigunda and Herman, both born in 913.
His reign was a continuous and generally unsuccessful struggle to uphold the power of the kingship against the growing power of the German dukes. His military campaigns against Charles the Simple to regain the Duchy of Lorraine with the Imperial city of Aachen
were failures, Archbishop Ratbod of Trier even became West Frankish chancellor in 913. Furthermore Conrad's realm was exposed to the continuous raids of the Hungarians since the disastrous defeat of the Bavarian forces at the 907 Battle of Pressburg, leading to a considerable decline in his authority. His attempt to mobilize the East Frankish episcopate led by Archbishop Unni of Bremen
to his cause at the 916 synod of Hohenaltheim
was not enough to compensate. After several clashes of arms, Conrad at least was able to come to terms with Duke Henry of Saxony. The revolting Swabian dukes Erchanger
(executed in 917) and Burchard II
however were a continuous threat, as was the Bavarian duke Arnulf the Bad
. Severely injured at one of his fights with Arnulf, Conrad died on 23 December 918 at his residence Weilburg
Castle. He was buried in Fulda Cathedral
.
According to the Res gestae saxonicae
by chronicler Widukind of Corvey
, Conrad on his deathbed persuaded his younger brother Eberhard to offer the crown to Henry the Fowler, the duke of Saxony and one of his principal opponents, since he considered Henry to be the only prince capable of holding the German kingdom together in the face of internal rivalries among the dukes and the continuous Hungarian raids. It was however not until May 919, when Eberhard and the other Frankish nobles accepted Conrad's advice, and Henry was elected king, as Henry I, at the Reichstag
of Fritzlar
.
Eberhard succeeded Conrad as duke of Franconia. He was killed in 939 at the Battle of Andernach
during his rebellion against Emperor Otto I, whereafter the duchy of Franconia became a direct Imperial possession of the Ottonian dynasty until 1024.
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
from 906 and King of Germany from 911 to 918, the only king of the Conradine (or Franconian) dynasty. Though Conrad never used the title rex Teutonicorum ("king of the Germans") nor rex Romanorum
King of the Romans
King of the Romans was the title used by the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire following his election to the office by the princes of the Kingdom of Germany...
("King of the Romans"), he was the first king of East Francia who was elected by the rulers of the German stem duchies
Stem duchy
Stem duchies were essentially the domains of the old German tribes of the area, associated with the Frankish Kingdom, especially the East, in the Early Middle Ages. These tribes were originally the Franks, the Saxons, the Alamanni, the Burgundians, the Thuringii, and the Rugii...
as successor of the last Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
ruler Louis the Child
Louis the Child
Louis the Child , sometimes called Louis IV or Louis III, was the last Carolingian ruler of East Francia....
. His Kingdom of Germany
Kingdom of Germany
The Kingdom of Germany developed out of the eastern half of the former Carolingian Empire....
evolved into the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
upon the coronation of Emperor Otto I
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
in 962.
Biography
Conrad the Younger was the son of Duke Conrad of ThuringiaConrad, Duke of Thuringia
Conrad , called the Old or the Elder, was the Duke of Thuringia from 892 until his death. He was the namesake of the Conradiner family and son of Udo of Neustria. His mother was a daughter of Conrad I of Logenahe . He was the count of the Oberlahngau , Hessengau , Gotzfeldgau , Wetterau , and...
and his wife Glismut, probably akin to Ota, wife of the Carolingian emperor Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of East Francia from 887, the disputed King of Italy from 894 and the disputed Holy Roman Emperor from February 22, 896 until his death.-Birth and Illegitimacy:...
and mother of the East Frankish king Louis the Child
Louis the Child
Louis the Child , sometimes called Louis IV or Louis III, was the last Carolingian ruler of East Francia....
. The Conradines, counts in the Franconian Lahngau
Lahngau
The Lahngau was a medieval territory comprising the middle and lower Lahn River valley in the current German states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. The traditional names of the Gau are Loganahe Pagus or Pagus Logenensis....
region, had been loyal supporters of the Carolingians; they competed vigorously for predominance in Franconia with the sons of the Babenberg duke Henry of Franconia
Henry of Franconia
Henry , a son of Count Poppo of Grapfeld, one of the first Babenbergs, was the most important East Frankish general during the reign of Charles the Fat. He was variously titled Count or Margrave of Saxony and Duke of Franconia....
at Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
Castle. In 906, the two parties battled each other near Fritzlar
Fritzlar
Fritzlar is a small German town in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history. It can reasonably be argued that the town is the site where the Christianization of northern Germany began and the birthplace of the German empire as a political entity.The...
. Conrad the Elder was killed, as had been two of the three Babenberg brothers; however, the King Louis took the Conradines' side and the third brother Adalbert of Babenberg was arrested and executed shortly thereafter, despite a promise of safe conduct by the king's chancellor
Archchancellor
An archchancellor or chief chancellor was a title given to the highest dignitary of the Holy Roman Empire, and also used occasionally during the Middle Ages to denote an official who supervised the work of chancellors or notaries....
Archbishop Hatto I of Mainz. Conrad the Younger became undisputed Duke of all Franconia after this, nevertheless his attempts to extend the rule of the Conradines over the western Lorraine
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
(Lotharingian) part of former 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...
failed after the death of his uncle Duke Gebhard
Gebhard, Duke of Lorraine
Gebhard of Lahngau , of the Conradine dynasty, son of Odo , count of Lahngau, and Judith, was himself count of Wetterau and Rheingau and then duke of Lotharingia ....
.
Upon the death of King Louis the Child, Conrad was elected King of the East Frankish kingdom on 10 November 911 at Forchheim
Forchheim
Forchheim may refer to the following places in Germany:*Forchheim, capital of the district of Forchheim, Bavaria*Forchheim am Kaiserstuhl, a municipality in Baden-Württemberg*Forchheim , part of Rheinstetten, Baden-Württemberg...
by the rulers of Saxony
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
, Swabia
Duke of Swabia
The following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
(Alamannia) and Bavaria
History of Bavaria
The history of Bavaria stretches from its earliest settlement and its formation as a stem duchy in the 6th century through its inclusion in the Holy Roman Empires to its status as an independent kingdom and, finally, as a large and significant Bundesland of the modern Federal Republic of...
. The dukes resisted against the succession of Louis' West Frankish Carolingian relative Charles the Simple
Charles the Simple
Charles III , called the Simple or the Straightforward , was the undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23...
and chose the Conradine scion, who was at least maternally related with the late king. Only Conrad's rival Duke Reginar of Lorraine
Reginar, Duke of Lorraine
Reginar I Longneck was the Duke of Lorraine from 910 until his death. He stands at the head of the clan of Reginarids, an important Lotharingian noble family....
refused to give him his allegiance and joined West Francia.
In 913, to patch up relations, Conrad married the sister of the Swabian count Erchanger
Erchanger, Duke of Swabia
Erchanger was the duke of Swabia from September 915 to his death. He was the son of Berthold I, count palatine of Swabia, who is sometimes called Erchanger as well, in which case the duke is Erchanger II...
, a grandson of King Louis the German
Louis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
. Cunigunda, widow of Liutpold and mother of Duke Arnulf of Bavaria, gave him two children: Cunigunda and Herman, both born in 913.
His reign was a continuous and generally unsuccessful struggle to uphold the power of the kingship against the growing power of the German dukes. His military campaigns against Charles the Simple to regain the Duchy of Lorraine with the Imperial city of Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
were failures, Archbishop Ratbod of Trier even became West Frankish chancellor in 913. Furthermore Conrad's realm was exposed to the continuous raids of the Hungarians since the disastrous defeat of the Bavarian forces at the 907 Battle of Pressburg, leading to a considerable decline in his authority. His attempt to mobilize the East Frankish episcopate led by Archbishop Unni of Bremen
Unni (archbishop)
Saint Unni was an archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen . He died as a missionary in Birka in Sweden, where he tried to continue Ansgar's work....
to his cause at the 916 synod of Hohenaltheim
Hohenaltheim
Hohenaltheim is a municipality in the district of Donau-Ries in Bavaria in Germany....
was not enough to compensate. After several clashes of arms, Conrad at least was able to come to terms with Duke Henry of Saxony. The revolting Swabian dukes Erchanger
Erchanger, Duke of Swabia
Erchanger was the duke of Swabia from September 915 to his death. He was the son of Berthold I, count palatine of Swabia, who is sometimes called Erchanger as well, in which case the duke is Erchanger II...
(executed in 917) and Burchard II
Burchard II, Duke of Swabia
Burchard II was the Hunfriding Duke of Swabia and Count of Raetia. He was the son of Burchard I and Liutgard of Saxony....
however were a continuous threat, as was the Bavarian duke Arnulf the Bad
Arnulf, Duke of Bavaria
Arnulf , called the Bad or the Evil , was the duke of Bavaria from 907 until his death. He was a member of the Luitpolding dynasty....
. Severely injured at one of his fights with Arnulf, Conrad died on 23 December 918 at his residence Weilburg
Weilburg
Weilburg is, with just under 14,000 inhabitants, the third biggest town in Limburg-Weilburg district in Hesse, Germany, after Limburg an der Lahn and Bad Camberg.- Location :...
Castle. He was buried in Fulda Cathedral
Fulda Cathedral
Fulda Cathedral is the former abbey church of Fulda Abbey and the burial place of Saint Boniface. Since 1752 it has also been the cathedral of the Diocese of Fulda, of which the Prince-Abbots of Fulda were created bishops. The abbey was dissolved in 1802 but the diocese and its cathedral have...
.
According to the Res gestae saxonicae
Res gestae saxonicae sive annalium libri tres
The three-volume Res gestae saxonicae sive annalium libri tres is a chronicle of 10th century Germany written by Widukind of Corvey...
by chronicler Widukind of Corvey
Widukind of Corvey
Widukind of Corvey was a Saxon historical chronicler, named after the Saxon duke and national hero Widukind who had battled Charlemagne. Widukind the chronicler was born in 925 and died after 973 at the Benedictine abbey of Corvey in East Westphalia...
, Conrad on his deathbed persuaded his younger brother Eberhard to offer the crown to Henry the Fowler, the duke of Saxony and one of his principal opponents, since he considered Henry to be the only prince capable of holding the German kingdom together in the face of internal rivalries among the dukes and the continuous Hungarian raids. It was however not until May 919, when Eberhard and the other Frankish nobles accepted Conrad's advice, and Henry was elected king, as Henry I, at the Reichstag
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
of Fritzlar
Fritzlar
Fritzlar is a small German town in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history. It can reasonably be argued that the town is the site where the Christianization of northern Germany began and the birthplace of the German empire as a political entity.The...
.
Eberhard succeeded Conrad as duke of Franconia. He was killed in 939 at the Battle of Andernach
Battle of Andernach
The Battle of Andernach, between the followers and the opponents of King Otto I of Germany, took place at 2 October 939 in Andernach on the Rhine river and ended with a decisive defeat of the rebels and the death of their leaders....
during his rebellion against Emperor Otto I, whereafter the duchy of Franconia became a direct Imperial possession of the Ottonian dynasty until 1024.