Charlemagne (Albrecht Dürer, 1511)

20 comments
  1. Question from an American deeply interested in European history – how is Charlemagne remembered in Germany?

    From my understanding there was a concerted effort by French historians over the past 1,000 years to ensure that Charlemagne would always be remembered as a French figure (hence the name).

    That said, Charlemagne’s empire comprised modern Germany as well, and the tradition of Holy Roman Empire took root in what would become Germany, rather than what would become France, and successors to the title were all German – at least from Otto I onward.

    Is there a tradition in Germany of trying to “claim” Charlemagne as a sort of “founding father?”

  2. What’s everyone one about in the comments? Karel De Grote was Belgian, not French or German. It’s so obvious and simple.

    /s

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