Udo was a 9th-century nobleman of
East Francia
East Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the East Franks () was a successor state of Charlemagne's empire ruled by the Carolingian dynasty until 911. It was created through the Treaty of Verdun (843) which divided the former empire int ...
, a son of
Gebhard, Count of Lahngau, and older brother of
Berengar I of Neustria. He and his brother were afforded their position in the
March of Neustria both by kinship to
Adalard the Seneschal and the favour of
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a s ...
.
With his brothers, Berengar and Waldo, Abbot of
St Maximin's, Trier, he took part in the 861 revolt of
Carloman of Bavaria, possibly his cousin-in-law, against
Louis the German. The revolt was crushed, and the three brothers fled with their relative Adalard to the court of the
West Frankish
In medieval history, West Francia ( Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the West Franks () refers to the western part of the Frankish Empire established by Charlemagne. It represents the earliest stage of the Kingdom of France, lasting from a ...
king,
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a s ...
, who granted them wardship of the march held against the
Vikings
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
while the march against the
Bretons
The Bretons (; br, Bretoned or ''Vretoned,'' ) are a Celtic ethnic group native to Brittany. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brittonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwall and Devon, m ...
was granted to
Robert the Strong.
Charles' patronage of the family provoked the jealousy of the
Rorgonids, the most powerful family local to Neustria, which controlled the ''
ducatus Cenomannicus'' (
Maine
Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...
). In 865, they allied with
Saloman of Brittany and attacked the brothers. Charles, to attain peace, took the march back and gave it to
Gauzfrid of Neustria, a Rorgonid.
A charter of 879 mentions Udo and his brothers taking part in the foundation of the college of
Gemünden. Evidently, the death of Louis the German in 876 had allowed them to return to the court of Carloman.
Udo left a son,
Conrad, Duke of Thuringia, who was the founder of the
Conradine dynasty and father of
Conrad I of Germany. One younger son,
Rudolf, became
Bishop of Würzburg, and another,
Gebhard, became
Duke of Lotharingia
The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions, since its creation as the kingdom of Lotharingia by the Treaty of Prüm, in 855. The first rulers of the newly established region were kings o ...
.
Sources
*Guillotel, Hubert. "Une autre marche de Neustrie." in
Christian Settipani and Katharine S. B. Keats-Rohan, ''Onomastique et Parenté dans l'Occident médiéval''. 2000.
Nobility of the Carolingian Empire
Conradines
9th-century European people
{{noble-stub