King of Burgundy
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of the Kings of the two Kingdoms of Burgundy
, and a number of related political entities devolving from Carolingian machinations over family relations.
had left Bornholm
c. 300 and settled near the Vistula
. Jordanes
relates that in this area they were thoroughly defeated by the Gepids in the 4th century and then moved to the Rhineland
.
Flavius Aëtius
moves the Burgundians into Sapaudia (Upper Rhône Basin
).
and Clothar I from 532 – 534
United with Neustria
under one king, but with separate administration (613–751)
The sons of Louis the Pious
divided the Frankish kingdom in the treaty of Verdun
in 843. Burgundy was divided between the brothers
or Bourgogne
.
After Lothar's death in 855, his realm was divided between his sons. The Burgundian territories were divided between:
For the kings of Provence before its (re)union with the rest of Burgundy, see the list of dukes, kings, counts, and margraves of Provence.
Lothar subsumed his portion of Burgundy into the Kingdom of Lotharingia
and at his brother Charles'
death, gained some northern districts of the deceased's kingdom. When Lothar II died in 869, his realm was divided between his uncles Charles the Bald
and Louis the German
in the Treaty of Mersen.
When Emperor Charles the Fat
, who until 884 had reunited all Frankish kingdoms except for Kingdom of Provence, died in 888, the nobles and leading clergy of Upper Burgundy assembled at St Maurice and elected Rudolph
, count of Auxerre, from the Elder Welf family, as king. At first, he tried to reunite the realm of Lothar II, but opposition by Arnulf of Carinthia
forced him to focus on his Burgundian territory.
In 933 Rudolph ceded his claims to the Kingdom of Italy to Hugh of Arles and in return gained the Kingdom of Provence, thus reuniting the two territories.
Kingdom of Burgundy
Burgundy is a historic region in Western Europe that has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities - the first around the 6th century, the second around the 11th century - have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy; a third was very...
, and a number of related political entities devolving from Carolingian machinations over family relations.
Kings of the Burgundians
The BurgundiansBurgundians
The Burgundians were an East Germanic tribe which may have emigrated from mainland Scandinavia to the island of Bornholm, whose old form in Old Norse still was Burgundarholmr , and from there to mainland Europe...
had left Bornholm
Bornholm
Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea located to the east of the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is...
c. 300 and settled near the Vistula
Vistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
. Jordanes
Jordanes
Jordanes, also written Jordanis or Jornandes, was a 6th century Roman bureaucrat, who turned his hand to history later in life....
relates that in this area they were thoroughly defeated by the Gepids in the 4th century and then moved to the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
.
- Gebicca (late 4th century – c.407)
- Gundomar I (c.407 – 411), son of Gebicca
- Giselher (c.407 – 411), son of Gebicca
- Gunther (c.407 – 436), son of Gebicca
Flavius Aëtius
Flavius Aëtius
Flavius Aëtius , dux et patricius, was a Roman general of the closing period of the Western Roman Empire. He was an able military commander and the most influential man in the Western Roman Empire for two decades . He managed policy in regard to the attacks of barbarian peoples pressing on the Empire...
moves the Burgundians into Sapaudia (Upper Rhône Basin
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
).
- Gunderic/Gundioc (436–473) opposed by
- Chilperic IChilperic I of BurgundyChilperic I was the King of Burgundy from 473 until his death. He succeeded his brother Gundioch and co-ruled with his nephews Godomar, Gundobad, Chilperic II, and Godegisel.-Sources:*Gregory of Tours. translated Earnest Brehaut, 1916....
, brother of Gundioc (443–c.480)
- Chilperic I
- division of the kingdom among the four sons of Gundioc:
- GundobadGundobadGundobad was King of the Burgundians , succeeding his father Gundioc of Burgundy. Previous to this, he had been a Patrician of the Western Roman Empire in 472–473, succeeding his uncle Ricimer.- Early life :...
(473–516 in Lyon, king of all of Burgundy from 480), - Chilperic IIChilperic II of BurgundyChilperic II was the King of Burgundy from 473 until his death, though initially co-ruler with his father from 463. He began his reign in 473 after the partition of Burgundy with his brothers Godegisel, Godomar, and Gundobad; he ruled from Valence and his brothers ruled respectively from Geneva,...
(473–493 in Valence) - Gundomar/Godomar (473–486 in Vienne)
- Godegisel (473–500, in Vienne and Geneva)
- Gundobad
- SigismundSigismund of BurgundySigismund was king of the Burgundians from 516 to his death. He was the son of king Gundobad, whom he succeeded in 516. Sigismund and his brother Godomar were defeated in battle by Clovis' sons and Godomar fled. Sigismund was taken by Chlodomer, King of Orléans, where he was kept as a prisoner. He...
, son of Gundobad (516–523) - GodomarGodomarGodomar , son of king Gundobad, was king of Burgundy. He ruled Burgundy after his elder brother's death in 524 until 534.Both he and his brother Sigismund of Burgundy were defeated in battle by Clovis' sons. Godomar fled and Sigismund was taken prisoner by Chlodomer, King of Orléans. Godomar then...
or Gundimar, son of Gundobad (523–532)
Burgundy under Frankish Kings
Gradually conquered by the Frankish kings Childebert IChildebert I
Childebert I was the Frankish king of Paris, a Merovingian dynast, one of the four sons of Clovis I who shared the kingdom of the Franks upon their father's death in 511...
and Clothar I from 532 – 534
Merovingian Kings
- Childebert IChildebert IChildebert I was the Frankish king of Paris, a Merovingian dynast, one of the four sons of Clovis I who shared the kingdom of the Franks upon their father's death in 511...
, 534–558 (central parts) - Theudebert ITheudebert ITheudebert I was the Merovingian king of Austrasia from 533 to his death in 548. He was the son of Theuderic I and the father of Theudebald....
, 534–548 (northern parts) - Chlothar I, 534–561 (southern parts), eventually uniting the entire kingdom
- GuntramGuntramSaint Guntram was the king of Burgundy from 561 to 592. He was a son of Chlothar I and Ingunda...
(561–592)
- Childebert II, 592–595
- Theuderic II, 595–613
United with Neustria
Neustria
The territory of Neustria or Neustrasia, meaning "new [western] land", originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities...
under one king, but with separate administration (613–751)
Carolingian Kings
- Pippin the Younger, 751–768
- CarlomanCarloman, son of Pippin IIICarloman I was the king of the Franks from 768 until his death in 771. He was the second surviving son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon...
, 768–771 - CharlemagneCharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, 771–814 - Louis the PiousLouis the PiousLouis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
, 814–840 - Lothar I, 840–855, king under his father since 817
The sons of Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
divided the Frankish kingdom in the treaty of Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
in 843. Burgundy was divided between the brothers
- Charles the BaldCharles the BaldCharles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
, who received the smaller part, west of the river SaôneSaôneThe Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
. This entity was officially called
Duchy of Burgundy
The Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
or Bourgogne
Bourgogne
Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern...
.
- Lothair ILothair ILothair I or Lothar I was the Emperor of the Romans , co-ruling with his father until 840, and the King of Bavaria , Italy and Middle Francia...
received the larger part, east of the river Saône, which retained the name of Kingdom of Burgundy
After Lothar's death in 855, his realm was divided between his sons. The Burgundian territories were divided between:
- Lothair II, who received the northern parts.
- Charles of ProvenceCharles of ProvenceCharles of Provence was the Carolingian King of Provence from 855 until his early death in 863.Charles was the youngest son of Holy Roman Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours....
, who received the southern parts including ProvenceProvenceProvence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, LyonLyonLyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
and VienneVienneVienne is the northernmost département of the Poitou-Charentes region of France, named after the river Vienne.- Viennese history :Vienne is one of the original 83 departments, established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou,...
. His realm was called the regnum provinciae (kingdom of Provence).
For the kings of Provence before its (re)union with the rest of Burgundy, see the list of dukes, kings, counts, and margraves of Provence.
Kingdom of Upper Burgundy
- Lothar II, 855–869
Lothar subsumed his portion of Burgundy into the Kingdom of Lotharingia
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
and at his brother Charles'
Charles of Provence
Charles of Provence was the Carolingian King of Provence from 855 until his early death in 863.Charles was the youngest son of Holy Roman Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours....
death, gained some northern districts of the deceased's kingdom. When Lothar II died in 869, his realm was divided between his uncles Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
and Louis the German
Louis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
in the Treaty of Mersen.
When Emperor Charles the Fat
Charles the Fat
Charles the Fat was the King of Alemannia from 876, King of Italy from 879, western Emperor from 881, King of East Francia from 882, and King of West Francia from 884. In 887, he was deposed in East Francia, Lotharingia, and possibly Italy, where the records are not clear...
, who until 884 had reunited all Frankish kingdoms except for Kingdom of Provence, died in 888, the nobles and leading clergy of Upper Burgundy assembled at St Maurice and elected Rudolph
Rudolph I of Burgundy
Rudolph I was King of Burgundy from his election in 888 until his death.Rudolph belonged to the elder Welf family and was the son of Conrad, Count of Auxerre, from whom he inherited the lay abbacy of St Maurice en Valais, making him the most powerful magnate in Upper Burgundy - present-day...
, count of Auxerre, from the Elder Welf family, as king. At first, he tried to reunite the realm of Lothar II, but opposition by Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of East Francia from 887, the disputed King of Italy from 894 and the disputed Holy Roman Emperor from February 22, 896 until his death.-Birth and Illegitimacy:...
forced him to focus on his Burgundian territory.
- Rudolf IRudolph I of BurgundyRudolph I was King of Burgundy from his election in 888 until his death.Rudolph belonged to the elder Welf family and was the son of Conrad, Count of Auxerre, from whom he inherited the lay abbacy of St Maurice en Valais, making him the most powerful magnate in Upper Burgundy - present-day...
(888–912) - Rudolf IIRudolph II of BurgundyRudolph II was king of Upper Burgundy , Lower Burgundy , and Italy . He was the son of Rudolph I, king of Upper Burgundy, and it is presumed that his mother was his father's known wife, Guilla of Provence...
(912–937)
In 933 Rudolph ceded his claims to the Kingdom of Italy to Hugh of Arles and in return gained the Kingdom of Provence, thus reuniting the two territories.
- Conrad IConrad of BurgundyConrad the Peaceful was the king of Burgundy from 937 until his death. He was the son of King Rudolph II, the first king of a united Burgundy and Bertha of Swabia...
(937–993) - Rudolph III (993–1032)
In 1032 the Kingdom of Burgundy was incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire as a third kingdom, the Kingdom of ArlesKingdom of ArlesThe Kingdom of Arles or Second Kingdom of Burgundy of the High Middle Ages was a Frankish dominion established in 933 from lands of the early medieval Kingdom of Burgundy at Arles...
, with the King of Germany or Emperor as King of Burgundy.
Kingdom of Burgundy (Arelat) as part of the Holy Roman Empire
Salian (Frankish) Dynasty
- Conrad IIConrad II, Holy Roman EmperorConrad II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1027 until his death.The son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Count Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace, he inherited the titles of count of Speyer and of Worms as an infant when Henry died at age twenty...
, king 1032-1039, emperor since 1027 - Henry IIIHenry III, Holy Roman EmperorHenry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
, king 1039-1056, emperor 1046-1056 - Henry IVHenry IV, Holy Roman EmperorHenry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
, king 1056-1105, emperor 1084-1105 - Henry VHenry V, Holy Roman EmperorHenry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor...
, king 1105-1125, emperor 1111-1125
Supplinburger
- Lothar IIILothair III, Holy Roman EmperorLothair III of Supplinburg , was Duke of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia...
, king 1125-1137, emperor 1133-1137
Staufen (or Hohenstaufen
HohenstaufenThe House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
dynasty)- Conrad IIIConrad III of GermanyConrad III was the first King of Germany of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. He was the son of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia, and Agnes, a daughter of the Salian Emperor Henry IV.-Life and reign:...
, king 1138-1152 - Frederick I BarbarossaFrederick I, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
, king 1152, emperor 1155-1190 - Henry VIHenry VI, Holy Roman EmperorHenry VI was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197, Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King of Sicily from 1194 to 1197.-Early years:Born in Nijmegen,...
, king 1190, emperor 1191-1197
- Philip of SwabiaPhilip of SwabiaPhilip of Swabia was king of Germany and duke of Swabia, the rival of the emperor Otto IV.-Biography:Philip was the fifth and youngest son of Emperor Frederick I and Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy, daughter of Renaud III, count of Burgundy, and brother of the emperor Henry VI...
, rival king 1198-1208 - Otto IV of BrunswickOtto IV, Holy Roman EmperorOtto IV of Brunswick was one of two rival kings of the Holy Roman Empire from 1198 on, sole king from 1208 on, and emperor from 1209 on. The only king of the Welf dynasty, he incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1215.-Early life:Otto was the third son of Henry the...
(House of Welf), rival king 1208-1215, emperor 1209-1215
- Frederick IIFrederick II, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
, king 1212, emperor 1220-1250 - Conrad IV, king 1237-1254 (until 1250 under his father)
Rectorate of Burgundy
Under the kings Conrad IConrad of BurgundyConrad the Peaceful was the king of Burgundy from 937 until his death. He was the son of King Rudolph II, the first king of a united Burgundy and Bertha of Swabia...
and Rudolph III, royal power had weakened while local nobles, such as the Counts of Burgundy, had gained prominence.
After the early death of Emperor Henry IIIHenry III, Holy Roman EmperorHenry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
, his widow Agnes of Poitou acted as Regent for his young son Henry IVHenry IV, Holy Roman EmperorHenry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
. She made Rudolf von Rheinfeld duke of SwabiaSwabiaSwabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
and also conferred on him the regal powers over Burgundy. However, when Rudolf was elected anti-king, Roman king Henry IVHenry IV, Holy Roman EmperorHenry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
in 1079 stripped him of his powers and delegated them to the Prince-bishopPrince-BishopA Prince-Bishop is a bishop who is a territorial Prince of the Church on account of one or more secular principalities, usually pre-existent titles of nobility held concurrently with their inherent clerical office...
s of Lausanne and Sitten (both in present Switzerland).
When William III, Count of BurgundyWilliam III, Count of BurgundyWilliam III, Count of Burgundy inherited his father William II's counties Burgundy and Mâcon as his only son, following William II's assassination by his barons. William III was himself then assassinated aged only 17 in 1127 and succeeded by Renaud II, son of William III's great-uncle Stephen....
was assassinated in February 1127, King Lothar IIILothair III, Holy Roman EmperorLothair III of Supplinburg , was Duke of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia...
supported the claims of William's uncle Duke Conrad of Zähringen, grandson of Rudolf von Rheinfeld to the countship and conferred on him the regal powers over Burgundy.
Lacking a proper title, the Zähringer called themselves dukes and rectors of Burgundy, in order to gain the status of dukes of Burgundy. The royal chancellory however consistently avoided this term and the effective power of the rectorRectorThe word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
(in Roman law, a generic term for provincial governor) was restricted to the possessions of the Zähringer east of the Jura.
Any attempts to enforce the Zähringer's claims and to extend royal authority into the western and southern parts of the kingdom failed, most notably a military campaign in 1153. After these failures, Emperor Frederick I BarbarossaFrederick I, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
, gained a firm hold of the western districts in 1156 by marrying Beatrice, heiress to the countship of Burgundy.
This success permanently confined the Zähringer between Jura and Alps, where they used their regal powers to expand their possessions. In 1218, Berthold V of Zähringen died without issue.
After this, King Frederick IIFrederick II, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
conferred the title of the rector of Burgundy on his young son HenryHenry (VII) of GermanyHenry was King of Sicily from 1212, Duke of Swabia from 1216, and King of Germany from 1220. He was the son and co-king of Emperor Frederick II and elder brother of Conrad IV of Germany...
, in order to keep the heirs of Zähringer possessions away from the regal powers associated with that title. This appointment was only of momentary importance and after Henry had been elected king of Germany in April 1220, the title disappeared for good. Also, the decline of royal power inside the kingdom of BurgundyKingdom of BurgundyBurgundy is a historic region in Western Europe that has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities - the first around the 6th century, the second around the 11th century - have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy; a third was very...
remained irreversible.
See also
- Queen of Burgundy
- Duchy of BurgundyDuchy of BurgundyThe Duchy of Burgundy , was heir to an ancient and prestigious reputation and a large division of the lands of the Second Kingdom of Burgundy and in its own right was one of the geographically larger ducal territories in the emergence of Early Modern Europe from Medieval Europe.Even in that...
- Duke of BurgundyDuke of BurgundyDuke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks...
- County of BurgundyCounty of BurgundyThe Free County of Burgundy , was a medieval county , within the traditional province and modern French region Franche-Comté, whose very French name is still reminiscent of the unusual title of its count: Freigraf...
- Count of Burgundy
- Dukes of Burgundy family treeDukes of Burgundy family treeThis is a family tree of the Dukes of Burgundy, from the 9th century to 1482.Image:BurgundyDukes.pngrect 174 129 324 169 Richard of Autunrect 407 138 521 166 rect 90 189 184 214 Rainier II of Hainautrect 219 189 271 213...
- Conrad II