Hugh or Hugo (before 855 – 895) was an illegitimate son of
Lothair II, king of
Lotharingia, by his mistress
Waldrada. His father made him
Duke of Alsace
The Duchy of Alsace (, ''Ducatum Elisatium''; ) was a large political subdivision of the Frankish Empire during the last century and a half of Merovingian rule. It corresponded to the territory of Alsace and was carved out of southern Austrasia in ...
in 867.
Hugh's name was not a
Carolingian royal name, but it was common among the
Etichonid family of Alsace, who were rumoured to be his mother's relatives. There is no concrete evidence of his mother's origins. His name however does suggest that his father did not originally intend him to succeed him as king, but instead to rule in Alsace. After Lothair repudiated his wife,
Teutberga, shortly after their marriage in 855, he sought to have his relationship with Waldrada and his children with her, including Hugh, legitimized. This would become a continuing theological and political struggle, as the laws and opinions around marriage and infidelity at this time were not solid.
In December 861, Hugh was probably recognized as legitimate by his uncle, King
Charles of Provence, and great uncle, King
Louis of East Francia. The three royal families all signed the
memorial book of the
abbey of Remiremont as equals at that time. By 863, however, Lothair's request for a divorce had led to strong opposition from the church and an international crisis. It was in this situation that Lothair gave his son the duchy of Alsace during a stay at the court of Louis of East Francia. At his request, Louis then took both his kingdom and his son Hugh under East Frankish protection.
[Hummer, ''Politics and Power'', pp. 174–76.]
When his cousin
Louis the Stammerer, king 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 ...
, died in 879, he seized authority in Lotharingia west of the Rhine and the ''
Annales Fuldenses
The ''Annales Fuldenses'' or ''Annals of Fulda'' are East Francia, East Frankish chronicles that cover independently the period from the last years of Louis the Pious (died 840) to shortly after the end of effective Carolingian rule in East Fran ...
'' accuse him of "playing the tyrant in Gaul."
[ T. Reuter (ed.), ''The Annals of Fulda'' (Manchester, 1992).] It is likely that he refused to recognise the succession of Louis's young sons,
Louis III and
Carloman, to the
West Frankish kingdom, as with
Boso in
Provence
Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...
. He had a sizable following in Lotharingia, but
Louis the Younger, son of Louis the German, came to the defence of the young Louis and Carloman. In 880, he sent men against Hugh's castle at
Verdun
Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department.
In 843, the Treaty of V ...
and defeated his army, burning down the fortress.
After his Easter court (23 April) in 882, Louis the Younger enfeoffed Hugh with Alsace, but the latter rebelled and Louis chased him in
Burgundy
Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...
. In 883, Hugh murdered Bernarius, Count of Charpeigne, the second husband of
Friderada (widow of
Engelram, Chamberlain to Charles the Bald), and married her as her third husband. He also murdered his guardian Wipert of Nantes, son of
Lampert III of Nantes, as both Bernarius and Wipert opposed his ambitions. Also in 883, Hugh's sister Gisela married
Godfrey, the
Viking
Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
leader ruling in
Frisia
Frisia () is a Cross-border region, cross-border Cultural area, cultural region in Northwestern Europe. Stretching along the Wadden Sea, it encompasses the north of the Netherlands and parts of northwestern Germany. Wider definitions of "Frisia" ...
. With this alliance, Hugh plotted to seize his father's old kingdom, but in 885,
Charles the Fat
Charles the Fat (839 – 13 January 888) was the emperor of the Carolingian Empire from 881 to 887. A member of the Carolingian dynasty, Charles was the youngest son of Louis the German and Hemma, and a great-grandson of Charlemagne. He was t ...
heard of the scheme and called both Hugh and Godfrey to court, where the former was blinded and the latter killed. Hugh was sent first to
Sankt Gallen, then to
Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the city hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
Histor ...
, and finally to
Prüm in his own country.
Notes
Further
*
E. Dummler, ''Geschichte des ostfränkischen Reiches'' (Leipzig, 1887–88)
*E. Muhlbacher, ''Die Regenten des Kaiserreichs unter den Karolingern'' (Innsbruck, 1881)
*M. Sdralek, ''Hinkmars von Rheims Kanonistisches Gutachten uber die Ehescheidung des Königs Lothar II'' (Freiburg, 1881)
{{Authority control
895 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Frankish warriors
Dukes of Lorraine
Dukes of Alsace
9th-century dukes in Europe
Carolingian dynasty
Sons of kings