Karlmann (son of Charles the Bald)

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Karlmann (French: Carloman ; † 876 in Echternach ) was a member of the Frankish ruling family of the Carolingians . He was a younger son of the West Franconian king and Roman emperor Charles the Bald from his first marriage to Irmentrud .

In order to avoid the traditional division of power among all ruler's sons , Charles the Bald intended to transfer his younger sons to the clerical status in favor of his eldest son, Ludwig the Stammler , in order to deprive them of the ability to inherit in kingship. Therefore, in 854, Karlmann was the first Carolingian to be tonsured and a little later was appointed Abbot of Saint-Médard in Soissons . After the death of his brother Lothar in 865, he also received the Saint-Germain Abbey in Auxerre .

Despite his ecclesiastical status, Karlmann was active in secular politics and, with some loyal followers, revolted against his father in 870. The uprising failed, Karlmann was removed from his abbeys in Senlis by a judge's verdict by his father and locked in the Castrum of Senlis. Soon released, he fled to Flanders, from where he continued the revolt. He rejected an attempt at mediation by his brother-in-law, Count Balduin Eisenarm . In 873 Karlmann was captured again and imprisoned in Senlis. A meeting of the West Franconian bishops denied him his spiritual dignity and only granted him lay communion. As a result, once again placed in lay status, Karlmann received all the rights of an heir to the throne and thus became an important political factor. A new opposition of leading great men quickly formed against Charles the Bald, with the aim of liberating Karlmann and presumably enthroning him. After the ruler had quickly put down this renewed uprising, he dealt mildly with the actual conspirators. But his son, who this time was not personally involved in the uprising, was blinded in order to once again and now finally deny him the succession to the throne.

After this criminal court, Karlmann was taken to Corbie Abbey , where he was supposed to live as a monk. From there he managed to escape to the East Franconian Empire of his uncle Ludwig II the German . This appointed him abbot of the Echternach monastery , where he died a little later.

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personal data
SURNAME Karlmann
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Carloman
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Abbot of Saint-Médard in Soissons, Saint-Germain in Auxerre and Echternach
DATE OF BIRTH 9th century
DATE OF DEATH 876
Place of death Echternach