Gundoin, Duke of Alsace
Encyclopedia
Gundoin was the first Duke of Alsace in the middle of the seventh century. He was a Frankish
nobleman from the Meuse
-Moselle
basin. He was, according to the author of the Vita Sadalbergae, an "illustrious man (vir inluster), opulent in wealth and fame according to the highest secular dignity and skilled in courtly affairs."
Gundoin's duchy comprised both sides of the Vosges
, the Burgundian Gate, and the Transjura. It was probably created by Dagobert I
in order to defend southern Austrasia
from the Alemanni and to assert Austrasian claims to the region in the face of Burgundian
opposition. In 596, Childebert II
bequeathed Alsace to his son Theuderic II
, who was raised there. This attached it to Burgundy, but in 610 Theudebert II
, Theuderic's brother of Austrasia, forced Alsace' cession to him only to lose it two years later to Burgundy again. In 623, when Chlothar II granted Austrasia to Dagobert, he excluded Alsace, the Vosges, and the Ardennes
, but was shortly after forced to concede it to Dagobert by the Austrasian nobility. The rule of a Frank from the Austrasian heartland tied Alsace more closely to the Austrasian court. By some accounts, Gundoin even lived in "Meuse", a villa at the headwaters of the Meuse and may have been a royal courtier. He did have problems retaining the faithfulness of the Sundgau
.
By his wife Saratrude he had five children, including Leduin Bodo, Bishop of Toul; Sadalberga
; and a son named Fulculf Bodo. According to the Vitae Columbani of Jonas of Bobbio
, Sadalberga was born blind before being healed by Eustasius of Luxeuil. Between 629 and 631, Gundoin removed Sadalberga, already a widow, from her convent of Remiremont
and sought to marry her to a courtier of Dagobert I, Balduin Baso, at the king's insistence.
During the tenure of Waldebert of Luxeuil, Gundoin granted property in the Giura valley to the Abbey of Luxeuil to found a daughter house at Grandval
(Grandisvallis). The monks, under Germanus
, built a monastery and cleared an old Roman road which lay on the shortest route from Basel
to Biel. Gundoin probably intended to link his duchy with the region of the Aar and extend his authority as far as Lake Thun
. He probably also wished to better impose himself on the Sornegau.
Gundoin died and was succeeded by Boniface
, according to Bobolenus. This has led to him being called the first of a line of dukes ruling Alsace for the next century; the later dukes of Alsace did consider him a precessor. Gundoin has controversially been identified with Gunzo
, a duke in the region around Lake Constance
with his seat at Überlingen
, who betrothed his daughter to Sigebert III
. Gunzo's men escorted the woman as far as the Rhine, which would imply that Gunzo's authority ended there, but the region over which Gundoin ruled was without a doubt Alsace on the other side of the Rhine.
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...
nobleman from the Meuse
Meuse
Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse.-History:Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
-Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
basin. He was, according to the author of the Vita Sadalbergae, an "illustrious man (vir inluster), opulent in wealth and fame according to the highest secular dignity and skilled in courtly affairs."
Gundoin's duchy comprised both sides of the Vosges
Vosges
Vosges is a French department, named after the local mountain range. It contains the hometown of Joan of Arc, Domrémy.-History:The Vosges department is one of the original 83 departments of France, created on February 9, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was made of territories that had been...
, the Burgundian Gate, and the Transjura. It was probably created by 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...
in order to defend southern 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...
from the Alemanni and to assert Austrasian claims to the region in the face of Burgundian
Kingdom of Burgundy
Burgundy is a historic region in Western Europe that has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities - the first around the 6th century, the second around the 11th century - have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy; a third was very...
opposition. In 596, Childebert II
Childebert II
.Childebert II was the Merovingian king of Austrasia, which included Provence at the time, from 575 until his death in 595, the eldest and succeeding son of Sigebert I, and the king of Burgundy from 592 to his death, as the adopted and succeeding son of his uncle Guntram.-Childhood:When his father...
bequeathed Alsace to his son Theuderic II
Theuderic II
Theuderic II , king of Burgundy and Austrasia , was the second son of Childebert II...
, who was raised there. This attached it to Burgundy, but in 610 Theudebert II
Theudebert II
Theudebert II , King of Austrasia , was the son and heir of Childebert II. He received the kingdom of Austrasia plus the cities of Poitiers, Tours, Vellay, Bordeaux, and Châteaudun, as well as the Champagne, the Auvergne, and Transjurane Alemannia, on the death of his father in 595, but was...
, Theuderic's brother of Austrasia, forced Alsace' cession to him only to lose it two years later to Burgundy again. In 623, when Chlothar II granted Austrasia to Dagobert, he excluded Alsace, the Vosges, and the Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
, but was shortly after forced to concede it to Dagobert by the Austrasian nobility. The rule of a Frank from the Austrasian heartland tied Alsace more closely to the Austrasian court. By some accounts, Gundoin even lived in "Meuse", a villa at the headwaters of the Meuse and may have been a royal courtier. He did have problems retaining the faithfulness of the Sundgau
Sundgau
Sundgau is a geographical territory on the eastern edge of France that was once a principality of the Holy Roman Empire. The name Sundgau derives from Alemannic German, which means "South County" ....
.
By his wife Saratrude he had five children, including Leduin Bodo, Bishop of Toul; Sadalberga
Sadalberga
Saint Sadalberga was the daughter of Gundoin, Duke of Alsace. Cured of blindness while still a child by Saint Eustace of Luxeuil, she was twice married, first to a man who died after two months and then to a nobleman, Saint Blandinus, by whom she had five children, Saretrude, Ebana, Anstrude,...
; and a son named Fulculf Bodo. According to the Vitae Columbani of Jonas of Bobbio
Jonas of Bobbio
Jonas of Bobbio or Jonas Bobiensis was a Columbanian monk and writer of hagiography, among which his Life of Saint Columbanus is outstanding....
, Sadalberga was born blind before being healed by Eustasius of Luxeuil. Between 629 and 631, Gundoin removed Sadalberga, already a widow, from her convent of Remiremont
Remiremont Abbey
Remiremont Abbey was a Benedictine abbey near Remiremont, Vosges, France.-History:It was founded about 620 by Romaric, a lord at the court of Chlothar II, who, having been converted by Saint Ame, a monk of Luxeuil, took the habit at Luxeuil...
and sought to marry her to a courtier of Dagobert I, Balduin Baso, at the king's insistence.
During the tenure of Waldebert of Luxeuil, Gundoin granted property in the Giura valley to the Abbey of Luxeuil to found a daughter house at Grandval
Grandval, Switzerland
Grandval is a municipality in the Jura bernois administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. It is located in the French-speaking Bernese Jura . Grandval also used to be known under its German name Granfel or Granfelden, but these forms are no longer commonly...
(Grandisvallis). The monks, under Germanus
Germanus of Granfelden
Saint Germanus of Granfelden was the first abbot of Moutier-Grandval Monastery.Germanus hailed from a family of senators in Trier. He became a monk in Remiremont monastery near Metz, later in Luxeuil...
, built a monastery and cleared an old Roman road which lay on the shortest route from Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
to Biel. Gundoin probably intended to link his duchy with the region of the Aar and extend his authority as far as Lake Thun
Lake Thun
Lake Thun is an Alpine lake in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland. It took its name from the city of Thun, on its northern shore.Lake Thun's approximately 2,500 km² large catchment area frequently causes local flooding after heavy rainfalls...
. He probably also wished to better impose himself on the Sornegau.
Gundoin died and was succeeded by Boniface
Boniface, Duke of Alsace
Boniface or Bonifacius was the second Duke of Alsace, in the mid 7th century. He is an obscure figure and his background is unknown, but charter evidence and onomastics make him a relative of the families of Gundoin and Wulfoald, a powerful extended kin group in Austrasia...
, according to Bobolenus. This has led to him being called the first of a line of dukes ruling Alsace for the next century; the later dukes of Alsace did consider him a precessor. Gundoin has controversially been identified with Gunzo
Gunzo
Gunzo was a 7th century duke of the Alamanni under Frankish sovereignty. His residence was at villa Iburninga at Lake Constance...
, a duke in the region around Lake Constance
Lake Constance
Lake Constance is a lake on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps, and consists of three bodies of water: the Obersee , the Untersee , and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein.The lake is situated in Germany, Switzerland and Austria near the Alps...
with his seat at Überlingen
Überlingen
Überlingen is a city on the northern shore of Lake Constance . After the city of Friedrichshafen, it is the second largest city in the Bodenseekreis , and a central point for the outlying communities...
, who betrothed his daughter to 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....
. Gunzo's men escorted the woman as far as the Rhine, which would imply that Gunzo's authority ended there, but the region over which Gundoin ruled was without a doubt Alsace on the other side of the Rhine.
Sources
- Hummer, Hans J. Politics and Power in Early Medieval Europe: Alsace and the Frankish Realm 600 – 1000. Cambridge University Press: 2005.
- Borgolte, Michael. "Gundoin." Historical Dictionary of SwitzerlandHistorical Dictionary of SwitzerlandThe Historical Dictionary of Switzerland is an encyclopedia on the history of Switzerland that aims to take into account the results of modern historical research in a manner accessible to a broader audience....
. 2005. Italiano, Français, and Deutsch. - Geuenich, Dieter. "Gundoinus." Geschichte der Alemannen. W. Kohlhammer GmbH, 1997. pp 99, 102, 158.