
Conrad the Elder (died about 864) was a prominent
noble
A noble is a member of the nobility.
Noble may also refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Noble Glacier, King George Island
* Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land
* Noble Peak, Wiencke Island
* Noble Rocks, Graham Land
Australia
* Noble Island, Gr ...
in the
Carolingian Empire
The Carolingian Empire (800–887) was a Franks, Frankish-dominated empire in Western and Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as List of Frankish kings, kings of the Franks since ...
, and member of the
Elder House of Welf
The Elder House of Welf (known as Rudolphins in Burgundy) was a Frankish noble dynasty of European rulers documented since the 9th century. Closely related to the Carolingian dynasty, it consisted of a Burgundian and a Swabian group. It has n ...
. He was
count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
of several
counties
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in
Alamannia
Alamannia, or Alemania, was the kingdom established and inhabited by the Alemanni, a Germanic tribal confederation that had broken through the Roman '' limes'' in 213.
The Alemanni expanded from the Main River basin during the 3rd century and ...
, most notably the counties of
Argengau and
Linzgau
Linzgau is a historic region in Southern Germany, Southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located north of Lake Constance and south of the Danube valley.
Geography
The region is bounded by the shore of Lake Constance on the sou ...
, north of the
Lake Constance
Lake Constance (, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein (). These ...
. Conrad was son of count
Welf I
Welf I or Welfo (died before 876) was a Swabian nobleman. He was a member of the Elder House of Welf.
Welf was probably a son of Conrad I of Auxerre, and seems to have taken over his father's offices in Swabia, namely: count of Alpgau, count ...
and countess Heilwig. Both of Conrad's sisters married into the
Carolingian dynasty
The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Franks, Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Pippinids, Arnulfi ...
: the elder
Judith
The Book of Judith is a deuterocanonical book included in the Septuagint and the Catholic Church, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Christian Old Testament of the Bible but Development of the Hebrew Bible canon, excluded from the ...
was second wife of emperor
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious (; ; ; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aquitaine from 781. As the only ...
, while younger
Emma was wife of king
Louis the German
Louis the German (German language, German: ''Ludwig der Deutsche''; c. 806/810 – 28 August 876), also known as Louis II of Germany (German language, German: ''Ludwig II. von Deutschland''), was the first king of East Francia, and ruled from 8 ...
of
East Francia
East Francia (Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the East Franks () was a successor state of Charlemagne's empire created in 843 and ruled by the Carolingian dynasty until 911. It was established through the Treaty of Verdun (843) which divided the for ...
.
In 853-858, Conrad's sons left
East Francia
East Francia (Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the East Franks () was a successor state of Charlemagne's empire created in 843 and ruled by the Carolingian dynasty until 911. It was established through the Treaty of Verdun (843) which divided the for ...
, and went over to king
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald (; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as CharlesII, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), King of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a series of civil wars during t ...
of
West Francia
In medieval historiography, West Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the West Franks () constitutes the initial stage of the Kingdom of France and extends from the year 843, from the Treaty of Verdun, to 987, the beginning of the Capet ...
, who was Judith's son and thus Conrad's nephew. Since Conrad already held some lands in the West-Frankish
County of Auxerre
The County of Auxerre was a medieval and early modern county in the West Frankish Kingdom, and consequently in the Kingdom of France. Its capital was the city of Auxerre. It was commonly associated with the Duchy of Burgundy.
History
The f ...
, including the position of a
lay abbot of
Saint-Germaine in
Auxerre
Auxerre ( , , Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Auchoirre'') is the capital (Prefectures in France, prefecture) of the Yonne Departments of France, department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Par ...
, his son
Conrad the Younger was appointed
Count of Auxerre by king Charles, while the other son
Hugh
Hugh is the English-language variant of the masculine given name , itself the Old French variant of '' Hugo (name)">Hugo'', a short form of Continental Germanic Germanic name">given names beginning in the element "mind, spirit" (Old English ). ...
became a monk and
Abbot of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre
The Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre is a former Benedictine monastery in central France, dedicated to its founder Saint Germain of Auxerre, the bishop of Auxerre, who died in 448. It was founded on the site of an oratory built by Germanus in hon ...
. It is assumed that king Louis of East Francia reacted by confiscating most of their old fiefs and lands in Alamannia and Bavaria.
The ''
Miracula Sancti Germani'' calls Conrad ''Chuonradus princeps'' (prince, sovereign), when recording his marriage. By some accounts his wife re-married to
Robert the Strong
Robert the Strong (; c. 830 – 866) was the father of two kings of West Francia: Odo (or Eudes) and Robert I of France. His family is named after him and called the Robertians. In 853, he was named '' missus dominicus'' by Charles the Bald, ...
after his death.
Family
Between 834 and 838, Conrad married
Adelaide of Tours
Adelaide of Tours (''Adélaïde'', 820 – 866) was a prominent noblewoman in the Carolingian Empire and daughter of count Hugh of Tours and his wife Ava, who was a sister of count Matfrid of Orléans.
She married an East Frankish nobleman ...
, daughter of Hugh of Tours. They had:
*
Conrad the Younger (II),
Count of Auxerre, Lord of
Transjuran Burgundy.
*
Hugh
Hugh is the English-language variant of the masculine given name , itself the Old French variant of '' Hugo (name)">Hugo'', a short form of Continental Germanic Germanic name">given names beginning in the element "mind, spirit" (Old English ). ...
, the
Abbot of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre
The Abbey of Saint-Germain d'Auxerre is a former Benedictine monastery in central France, dedicated to its founder Saint Germain of Auxerre, the bishop of Auxerre, who died in 448. It was founded on the site of an oratory built by Germanus in hon ...
.
* Probably his son was also
Welf I
Welf I or Welfo (died before 876) was a Swabian nobleman. He was a member of the Elder House of Welf.
Welf was probably a son of Conrad I of Auxerre, and seems to have taken over his father's offices in Swabia, namely: count of Alpgau, count ...
count of Alpgau and Linzgau in Swabia
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Conrad the Elder
864 deaths
Alemannic people
Counts of the Holy Roman Empire
9th-century counts in Europe
9th-century people from East Francia
9th-century people from West Francia
Year of birth unknown