Hardrad

Hardrad , also Hardrat (* 8th century ; † after 786 ) was a Frankish count . He was the leading figure of a conspiracy Thuringian nobleman against Charlemagne , with the first documented traditional allegiance emitted by subjects against Charlemagne and is regarded as one of the reasons that the emperor at the Diet of Aachen 802/803 recognizing the Thuringian Popular law in the Lex Thuringorum moved.

origin

Little is known about the life of Count Hardrad. As a member of the East Franconian aristocracy, he is said to have owned extensive property and maintained good contacts with the Fulda monastery . Investigations point to family relationships in the Lobdengau to Count Warin, who was related to Abbot Baugulf , Abbot of the Fulda Monastery. Bearers of the name Hardrad often appear in the tradition books of the monasteries Fulda , Lorsch and Weißenburg in the 8th and 9th centuries . They belong to an aristocratic family who were particularly wealthy in Wormsgau , probably also in Thuringia (around Sömmerda , Kölleda , Haßleben ), and later also in the Saalgau , and who were related to the Frankish imperial aristocracy ( Widonen , Rupertiner ). Recent research sees the person of the conspirator Hardrad as a member of this clan. In terms of time, a Hardrad mentioned between 773 and 781 in Ilvesheim (near Mannheim ) comes into question. A Hardrad, father of a Ratard, who was named in the cartular of the Lorze Abbey of Gorze in 771 as already deceased, could have been the father or grandfather of the younger Hardrad; perhaps he is identical to two other namesake, one of which appears in 746 in Echternach and the other 721 in Prüm as the son of the noble Bertrada and brother of Count Heribert von Laon , the maternal grandfather of Charlemagne.

Revolt against Charlemagne

The reason for the uprising is said to have been the engagement of a Thuringian woman who, according to Thuringian tribal law, was to be married to a franc . Charlemagne, however, called for a marriage under Frankish law . Thereupon Hardrad conspired with numerous other Thuringian nobles against the emperor. However, this representation is viewed by historians as poetic exaggeration. The background to the conspiracy was rather the introduction of the Carolingian imperial order in Thuringia, although the presentation as a dispute over the form of marriage makes it clear that the actual cause of the uprising must have been a comparatively futile one. With Ratulf, the father of Fastrada , fourth wife of Charlemagne, the uprising also had supporters at the emperor's court. The aim of the conspirators is said to have been to capture and kill Charlemagne. The latter reacted comparatively patiently and commissioned an envoy in 786 to persuade the Thuringians to obey, which they refused. Thereupon Karl sent troops to Thuringia to devastate the rebels' possessions. They fled to the Fulda monastery. Abbot Baugulf took them under his protection, but at the same time informed Charlemagne that the Thuringians were in his care. Karl ordered the rebels to his court. In the trial there, Hardrad submitted as a justification for the refusal of allegiance that he had not sworn allegiance to the king. As a result, Charlemagne had some of the rebels sent to Italy to swear allegiance to him and his descendants. This is considered to be the first documented oath of allegiance to Charlemagne. The pleading of the conspirators on their tribal law is also seen as one of the motives of Charlemagne to have the Lex Thuringorum recorded around 802 and thus to recognize Thuringian law at least in part.

On the way back, Charlemagne blinded the rebels and confiscated their goods. Nothing is known about Hardrad's further life; he was probably expelled from the empire. Only a marriage between one of his daughters and the Franconian nobleman Meginhar is proven. Meginhar's son Reginhar, Hardrad's grandson, was involved as a follower of the Italian King Bernhard in his uprising against Louis the Pious , was blinded on April 15, 818 and later succumbed to his injuries.

literature

Karl Brunner: Opposition groups in the Carolingian empire . In: Publications of the Institute for Austrian Historical Research . tape 25 . Böhlau Verlag , Vienna, Cologne, Graz 1979, ISBN 978-3-205-08531-7 .
Mathias Kälble: Ethnogenesis and Duchy of Thuringia in the Franconian Empire (6th – 9th centuries) . In: Helmut Castritius, Dieter Geuenich, Matthias Werner (ed.): The early days of the Thuringians . Verlag Walter de Gruyter , Berlin 2009, ISBN 978-3-11-021454-3 , p. 329, 386 f .
Ruprecht Konrad: Hartrat - a Thuringian (?) Rebel against Charlemagne. A contribution to the structure of the early medieval aristocratic society . In: Hans-Jürgen Beier, Thomas Weber (eds.): Old and new - From the museum to the state parliament. Festschrift for Volker Schimpff on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday (= contributions to the prehistory and early history of Central Europe 76) . Langenweißbach 2014, p. 47-83 .

Footnotes

^ Karl Brunner: Opposition groups in the Carolingian Empire . In: Publications of the Institute for Austrian Historical Research . tape 25 . Böhlau Verlag , Vienna, Cologne, Graz 1979, ISBN 978-3-205-08531-7 , pp. 49 .
↑ Ruprecht Konrad: - (?) Hartrat a Thuringian rebel against Charlemagne. A contribution to the structure of the early medieval aristocratic society . In: Hans-Jürgen Beier, Thomas Weber (eds.): Old and new - From the museum to the state parliament. Festschrift for Volker Schimpff on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday (= contributions to the prehistory and early history of Central Europe 76) . Langenweißbach 2014, p. 47-83 .
^ ^A ^b ^c Karl Brunner: Opposition groups in the Carolingian Empire . In: Publications of the Institute for Austrian Historical Research . tape 25 . Böhlau Verlag , Vienna, Cologne, Graz 1979, ISBN 978-3-205-08531-7 , pp. 51 .
^ Karl Brunner: Opposition groups in the Carolingian Empire . In: Publications of the Institute for Austrian Historical Research . tape 25 . Böhlau Verlag , Vienna, Cologne, Graz 1979, ISBN 978-3-205-08531-7 , pp. 52 .
^ ^A ^b ^c Karl Brunner: Opposition groups in the Carolingian Empire . In: Publications of the Institute for Austrian Historical Research . tape 25 . Böhlau Verlag , Vienna, Cologne, Graz 1979, ISBN 978-3-205-08531-7 , pp. 48 .
^ Karl Ubl: Incest prohibition and legislation . Verlag Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-11-021068-2 , p. 290 .
^ André Holenstein: The homage of the subjects: legal culture and rule of law (800–1800) . Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, New York 1991, ISBN 978-3-437-50338-2 , pp. 98 .
^ André Holenstein: The homage of the subjects: legal culture and rule of law (800–1800) . Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, New York 1991, ISBN 978-3-437-50338-2 , pp. 126 .
^ Mathias Kälble: Ethnogenesis and Duchy of Thuringia in the Franconian Empire (6th – 9th centuries) , p. 387.
^ Immo Eberl: Royal rule and high nobility in the Nordhausen / Sangerhausen area . In: Harzverein für Geschichte und Altertumskunde eV (Hrsg.): Harz-Zeitschrift 52./53. Born in 2000/2001 . Lukas Verlag, Berlin 2002, ISBN 978-3-931836-81-8 , pp. 11, 20 .

personal data
SURNAME	Hardrad
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Thuringian count and conspirator
DATE OF BIRTH	8th century
DATE OF DEATH	after 786

[brunner49-1] Karl Brunner: Opposition groups in the Carolingian Empire . In: Publications of the Institute for Austrian Historical Research . tape 25 . Böhlau Verlag , Vienna, Cologne, Graz 1979, ISBN 978-3-205-08531-7 , pp. 49 .

[2] Ruprecht Konrad: - (?) Hartrat a Thuringian rebel against Charlemagne. A contribution to the structure of the early medieval aristocratic society . In: Hans-Jürgen Beier, Thomas Weber (eds.): Old and new - From the museum to the state parliament. Festschrift for Volker Schimpff on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday (= contributions to the prehistory and early history of Central Europe 76) . Langenweißbach 2014, p. 47-83 .

[brunner51-3] A ^b ^c Karl Brunner: Opposition groups in the Carolingian Empire . In: Publications of the Institute for Austrian Historical Research . tape 25 . Böhlau Verlag , Vienna, Cologne, Graz 1979, ISBN 978-3-205-08531-7 , pp. 51 .

[brunner52-4] Karl Brunner: Opposition groups in the Carolingian Empire . In: Publications of the Institute for Austrian Historical Research . tape 25 . Böhlau Verlag , Vienna, Cologne, Graz 1979, ISBN 978-3-205-08531-7 , pp. 52 .

[brunner48-5] A ^b ^c Karl Brunner: Opposition groups in the Carolingian Empire . In: Publications of the Institute for Austrian Historical Research . tape 25 . Böhlau Verlag , Vienna, Cologne, Graz 1979, ISBN 978-3-205-08531-7 , pp. 48 .

[6] Karl Ubl: Incest prohibition and legislation . Verlag Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-11-021068-2 , p. 290 .

[7] André Holenstein: The homage of the subjects: legal culture and rule of law (800–1800) . Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, New York 1991, ISBN 978-3-437-50338-2 , pp. 98 .

[8] André Holenstein: The homage of the subjects: legal culture and rule of law (800–1800) . Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, New York 1991, ISBN 978-3-437-50338-2 , pp. 126 .

[9] Mathias Kälble: Ethnogenesis and Duchy of Thuringia in the Franconian Empire (6th – 9th centuries) , p. 387.

[10] Immo Eberl: Royal rule and high nobility in the Nordhausen / Sangerhausen area . In: Harzverein für Geschichte und Altertumskunde eV (Hrsg.): Harz-Zeitschrift 52./53. Born in 2000/2001 . Lukas Verlag, Berlin 2002, ISBN 978-3-931836-81-8 , pp. 11, 20 .