Karl der Grosse

König von ItalienKarl I. derGroße, * 747, + 814, bedeutendster Karolinger, König der Franken

09.10.768 (in Nouyen/Nordfrankreich)-814, Römischer Kaiser seit 800;

Sohn Pippins der Jüngere; eroberte das Langobardenreich (773/774); unterwarf

und christianisierte in zahlreichen Feldzügen (772-804) die Sachsen;

788 wurde auch Bayern dem fränkischen Reich eingegliedert; 795/796 folgte die

Unterwerfung des Awarenreichs. In Kämpfen über drei Jahrzehnte gelang es Karl,

die Grenzen des Frankenreichs so zu erweitern, daß es zum bedeutendsten Großreich

des abendländischen Mittelalters wurde. Mit seiner Ernennung zum Kaiser durch

Papst Leo II. an Weihnachten 800 wurde die Tradition des Römischen Reiches wieder

aufgenommen.2.Ehe mit der Fränkin Fastrada (+794), 2 Töchter; 3.Ehe mit der Alemannin Luitgard

(+800, kinderlos); Beisetzung Karl in der Pfalzkapelle Aachen. Karl der Große war der

bedeutendste Herrscher des Mittelalters. Mit der Vereinigung antiker, christlicher und germanischer Traditionen förderte der Begründer der Karolinger-Dynastie die

Entwicklung der abendländischen Kultut und gilt somit als ein "Vater" Europas.

(tlw. aus: Bertelsmann Universallexikon 1995)

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Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, CAROLINGIAN king of the FRANKS, came to rule

over most of Europe and assumed (800) the title of Roman emperor.

He is sometimes regarded as the founder of the HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE. In 768 he and

his brother Carloman inherited the Frankish kingdom (most of present-day France and

a part of western Germany) from their father PEPIN THE SHORT. The entire kingdom

passed to Charlemagne when Carloman died in771. He inherited great wealth and a

strong military organization from his father and brother. He used these assets to double

the territory under Carolingian control. In 772 he opened his offensive against the

SAXONS, and for more than three decades he pursued a ruthless policy aimed at

subjugating them and converting them to Christianity. Almost every year Charlemagne

attacked one or another region of Saxon territory.--4,500 Saxons were executed on a

single day in 782--and deportations were used to discourage the stubborn. The Saxons

proved to be a far more difficult enemy than any of the other peoples subjugated by

Charlemagne.For example, the LOMBARDS were conquered in a single extended

campaign773-74), after which Charlemagne assumed the title "king of theLombards."

In 788 he absorbed the duchy of Bavaria, and soon thereafter he launched an offensive

against the AVAR empire. The Avars succumbed within a decade, yielding Charlemagne

a vast hoard of gold and silver.After one disastrous campaign (778) against the Muslims

in Spain,Charlemagne left the southwestern front to his son Louis, (later EmperorLOUIS I)

who, with the help of local Christian rulers, conquered Barcelona in 801 and controlled

much of Catalonia by 814. On Christmas Day, 800, Charlemagne accepted the title of

emperor and was crowned by Pope LEO III. For several years after he regarded the

imperial title of being of little value. Moreover, he intended to divide his lands and titles

among his sons, as was the Frankish custom. At his death on Jan.28, 814, however,

only one son, Louis, survived; Louis therefore assumed control of the entire Frankish

empire. (source: Eileen McKinnon-Suggs, ancestry.com family tree)

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