Odalric (Barcelona)

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Odalric , also Odalrich , Odalrih , Odelric or Udalrich , (*?; † 859 ) was from 852 to 858 Count of Barcelona , Girona , Rosselló and Empúries and Margrave of Gothien .

origin

It is generally believed that Odalric was a Frankish nobleman. He came from the Udalrichingen , the Counts of Argengau and Linzgau on Lake Constance (presumably Udalrich II.). However, through his mother Engeltrud he also had connections in the Spanish Mark . She was a daughter of Begos I , who took part in the conquest of Barcelona with Berà in 801 and received the county of Toulouse for it in 806 . In a second marriage, Engeltrude later married Unruoch II, Count of Ternois . From this marriage emerged Berengar of Toulouse , a predecessor of Odalric as Count of Barcelona and Adalhard, Abbot of Saint-Bertin . With the election of Odalric, the West Frankish King Charles the Bald secured loyalty and ties to the areas to be ruled.

politics

In 853, the East Franconian King Ludwig the German attempted to gain power over Aquitaine through his son Ludwig the Younger . The diplomatically complicated peace negotiations failed and in August 854 Odalric and Charles the Bald went to battle in Aquitaine.

Around the same time, Pippin II , the former king of Aquitaine, managed to escape from monastery detention in Saint-Médard in Soissons . The nobility in Aquitaine then turned away from Ludwig the Younger and sided with the rebelling prince. Ludwig fled to Eastern Franconia . Pippin remained master of Aquitaine, but he was unable to secure his rule. The nobility submitted to Charles on the condition that Aquitaine be recognized as a kingdom and that a son of Charles be appointed king. In October 855, the eight-year-old son Karl ("the child") was crowned (sub) king of Aquitaine in Limoges . It is believed that Odalric contributed to the successful outcome of these negotiations.

In 856, Muhammad I , the new Emir of Córdoba, ordered a campaign against Barcelona and several castles in the county of Barcelona were destroyed and the country plundered. Odalric was accused of failure.

Before he was finally imprisoned in a monastery in Senlis in 864 , where he also died, Pippin II succeeded twice more in being recognized as prince in Aquitaine. The conspiratorial attempts by Ludwig the German to rule the country continued. Finally, in 857, Pippin II and the nobles even asked the North Germanic Normans for help. Shortly afterwards, the influential Count of Auvergne , Bernard Plantevelue and Abbot Adalhard von Saint-Bertin, Odalric's stepbrother, recognized Pippin II.

It is not certain whether Odalric was on the side of the insurgents, but the fact that his stepbrother co-initiated the insurrection makes it seem possible. So he was deposed as Count of the Catalan Counties at the turn of the year 857/858 . On March 21, 858 he again pledged allegiance to Karl the Bald, but he only received the counties of Argengau and Linzgau .

predecessor	Office	successor
Aleran and Isembart	Count of Barcelona , Rosselló and Empúries 852–858	Humfried of Gothien
Guifré I.	Count of Girona 852–858	Humfried of Gothien