Also known as Charles le Chauve, Karl der Kahle, Karolus Calvus.
King of Neustria
King of the Western Franks
King of Lorraine
King of Italy
Emperor
Events
Date of Birth: 13 June 823.
Place of Birth: Frankfurt am Main.
The date and place are given by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (p. 301), and by Baldwin.
Date of Death: 6 October 877.
Place of Death: Avrieux, Savoy.
The date and place are given by Schieffer and by Schneidmüller. Settipani (p. 301) gives the same date, and the place as in Maurienne between Mont-Cenis and Saint-Jean de Maurienne.
Place of Burial: Nantua, then Saint-Denis.
The places are given by Schieffer and by Schneidmüller. Settipani (p. 301) gives Saint-Denis.
Relationships
Father: Louis the Pious (died 840), emperor.
This relationship is given by père Anselme (1:32), by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (p. 257), by Hlawitschka, and by Baldwin.
Mother: Judith (died 843), daughter of count Welf.
This relationship is given by père Anselme (1:32), by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (p. 257), by Hlawtischka, and by Baldwin.
Spouse: Ermentrude (about 839 - 869), daughter of Eudes, count of Orléans. Married 22 January 842 in Quierzy.
This relationship is given by père Anselme (1:33), by Schieffer, by Settipani (p. 307), by Hlawitschka, by Bouchard (p. 102), and by Baldwin.
Spouse: Richilde, daughter of count Bivin. Married 22 January 870.
This relationship is given by père Anselme (1:34), by Schieffer, by Settipani (p. 308), by Bouchard (p. 77, p. 102), and by Baldwin.
Children (by Ermentrude):
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. Most information below comes from Baldwin.)
Judith (about 844 - after 870) married (1) Æthelwulf, king of Wessex; married (2) Æthelbald, king of Wessex; married (3) Baldwin I of Flanders.
Louis II (about 846 - 10 April 879), king of Neustria, king of Aquitaine, king of France, married (1) Ansgard, daughter of count Harduin in March 862; married (2) Adelaide, daughter of count Adelard in about 870.
Charles (about 847 or 848 - 29 September 866), king of Aquitaine, married a daughter of count Humbert in 862.
Carloman (died about 877 or 878). Abbot.
Lothair (died 865), abbot of Saint-Germaine, Auxerre.
Hildegard.
Ermentrude, abbess of Hasnon.
Gisela.
Drogo (died before 866).
Pépin (died before 866).
Children (by Richilde):
Rothilde married Roger, count of Maine.
a son (born 23 March 875 - died soon after).
Charles (10 October 876 - early 877).
References
Anselme de Sainte-Marie. Histoire Généalogique et Chronologique de la Maison Royale de France, des Pairs, Grands Officiers de la Couronne, de la Maison du Roy et des Anciens Barons du Royaume. 9 Volumes (Paris: 1726-1733).
Baldwin, Stewart. “Charles "le Chauve" (the Bald) (Karolus Calvus, Karl "der Kahle")” in The Henry Project.
Bouchard, Constance Brittain. “Those of My Blood”: Constructing Noble Families in Medieval Francia (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001).
Hlawitschka, Eduard. Vom Frankenreich zur Formierung der europäishen Staaten- und Völkergemeinschaft 840-1046: Ein Studienbuch. (Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft: Darmstadt, 1986).
Schieffer, Theodor. “Karl II. der Kahle” in Neue Deutsche Biographie 11 (1977), S. 175-181) [Onlinefassung].
Schneidmüller, B. "Karl (II") der Kahle" in Lexikon des Mittelalters. Band 5 (Stuttgart: 1991).
Settipani, Christian (with Patrick Van Kerrebrouck). La préhistoire des Capétiens 481-987. Première Partie (Volume 1 of Nouvelle Histoire Généalogique de l’Auguste Maison de France, 1993).