Charlemagne and Widukind (Austria, Germany)

Charlemagne was born in 742. He became King of the Franks in 768 and lead the Frankish Kingdom to its biggest expansion. He operated as protector of the papacy, removed the Lombards from power in northern Italy and fought against the Muslims in Spain. His rule also spurred the Carolingian Renaissance. In 774 he became King of Italy. In 800 he was crowned by Pope Leo III the first Holy Roman Emperor since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. During his reign he united big parts of Western Europe and is today known as Pater Europae. Charlemagne died in 814.

Albrecht Dürer's Charlemagne from the collection of the
Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna

Around 796 Charlemagne started the construction of a chapel for his palace in Aachen. The church, which later became the Aachen Cathedral, is one of the most important Carlolingian monuments and was constantly enlarged over the centuries. In 814 Charlemagne was buried in the church and between 936 and 1531 thirty German Kings were coronated in the cathedral. In 1978 the Aachen Cathedral was one of the first twelve sites to be listed as World Heritage of the UNESCO.

In 772 Charlemagne started the first attempt to conquer Saxony. These Saxon Wars ended after 32 years and eighteen battles in 804, when the last rebellion of disaffected tribesmen was crushed. Afterwards Saxony was incorporated into the Frankish realm and the Saxons were forcible converted to Catholicism.

Widukind was a leader of the Saxons and Charlemagne's chief opponent during the Saxon Wars. In 785 he surrendered to Charlemagne and was baptised. Later many legends developed around Widukind's life.