1. Overview
Eberhard of Franconia (c. 885 - October 2, 939), also known as Eberhard III, was a prominent member of the Conradine dynasty and served as the Duke of Franconia from 918 until his death in 939. He succeeded his elder brother, King Conrad I, in this ducal role. Eberhard played a significant part in the political landscape of the early 10th century East Frankish Kingdom, initially supporting his brother King Conrad I, and later loyally serving King Henry I by acting as regent of Lotharingia. However, his tenure was marked by escalating conflicts and two major rebellions against Henry's successor, Otto I, stemming from Otto's efforts to consolidate royal authority. These confrontations ultimately led to Eberhard's defeat and death at the Battle of Andernach in 939.
2. Early Life and Family Background
Eberhard was born around 885, the second son of Conrad the Elder, Duke of Thuringia, and his wife, Glismut. Glismut, who died in 924, is believed to have been an illegitimate daughter of the Carolingian emperor Arnulf of Carinthia. The Conradine family, originally counts in the Franconian Lahngau region, had established themselves as staunch supporters of the Carolingians.
The Conradines were engaged in a fierce rivalry for supremacy in Franconia with the Babenbergian family, led by Duke Henry of Franconia, whose base was at Bamberg Castle. This feud culminated in a significant battle near Fritzlar in 906. During this conflict, Eberhard's father, Conrad the Elder, was killed. In the same engagement, two of the three Babenberg brothers also perished. The Babenberg feud effectively concluded when King Louis the Child sided with the Conradines, leading to Eberhard's elder brother, Conrad the Younger, becoming the undisputed duke of all Franconia.
3. Reign of Conrad I and Succession
During the reign of his elder brother, King Conrad I (formerly Conrad the Younger, Duke of Franconia), Eberhard was a steadfast supporter and actively assisted him, particularly in conflicts against rival dukes. From 913, Eberhard appeared as a count in the Franconian Hessengau and Persgau. In 913 and 928, he also held the title of count in the Upper Lahngau. He played a crucial role in supporting King Conrad I against powerful rivals such as Arnulf of Bavaria and Henry of Saxony. In 914, he assumed the office of a Franconian margrave. Despite his efforts, he witnessed Henry of Saxony's successful conquest of the Thuringian lands previously held by Duke Burchard.
Upon King Conrad I's deathbed in December 918 at Forchheim, he made a crucial decision regarding his succession. According to the medieval chronicler Widukind of Corvey, Conrad assembled the German princes, though Henry of Saxony was not present. Conrad persuaded Eberhard to relinquish any personal ambition for the German crown. Instead, Conrad urged Eberhard to encourage the Prince-electors of the Empire to choose his former rival, the Ottonian Duke Henry the Fowler, as his successor. Eberhard complied with his brother's dying wish, personally handing over the royal insignia to Henry at the Imperial Diet held in May 919 in Fritzlar. Conrad believed this act was essential to end the long-standing feud between the Saxons and Franks and to prevent the dissolution of the empire into smaller, independent stem duchies. However, many modern historians now believe that Widukind's account of Conrad's deathbed wish was likely added later, based on the traditions of the Liudolfing family (Henry the Fowler's family), to legitimize the Ottonian succession.
4. As Duke of Franconia and Regent of Lotharingia
Following the death of his brother, King Conrad I, Eberhard succeeded him as the Duke of Franconia in December 918. Throughout the reign of the new king, Henry I, Eberhard remained a loyal and supportive figure. This period was characterized by stability in his relationship with the monarchy.
Henry I demonstrated his trust in Eberhard by entrusting him with significant responsibilities. After Henry I successfully reconquered the volatile Duchy of Lotharingia, a region often plagued by unrest, he appointed Eberhard as its Regent in 926. Eberhard effectively stabilized the Lotharingian territories, bringing a period of quiet governance to the region. His regency lasted until 928, when King Henry I ultimately enfeoffed Lotharingia to his son-in-law, Gilbert, who was married to Henry's daughter, Gerberga. In 934, as a testament to his continued influence and the King's trust, Eberhard was dispatched by Henry I, along with Duke Gilbert of Lotharingia and several bishops, to meet with King Raoul of West Francia.
5. Conflicts and Rebellions against Otto I
After the death of King Henry I in 936, Eberhard's relationship with the new monarch, Otto I (Henry's son and successor), rapidly deteriorated. Otto I harbored strong ambitions to strengthen royal authority and consolidate power within the East Frankish Kingdom, which inevitably brought him into conflict with powerful dukes like Eberhard who sought to maintain their own regional autonomy. This clash of intentions led to a period of significant unrest and two major rebellions spearheaded by Eberhard against the new king.
5.1. The Helmern Castle Incident and First Rebellion
The first major point of conflict between Eberhard and Otto I occurred in 937, stemming from an incident at Helmern Castle. This castle, located near Peckelsheim on the border between the Saxon and Franconian ducal territories, was garrisoned by a Saxon burgrave named Bruning. Bruning defiantly refused to swear fealty to Eberhard, a non-Saxon duke, and Eberhard responded by besieging the castle.
King Otto I, asserting his royal authority, summoned all parties involved in the siege to a royal court in Magdeburg. There, Otto imposed a humiliating punishment on Eberhard and his lieutenants. Eberhard was ordered to pay a substantial fine. More degrading, however, was the sentence imposed on his lieutenants, who were forced to publicly carry dead dogs, a punishment specifically designed to dishonor them. Infuriated by this public humiliation and Otto's overreaching assertion of power, Eberhard decided to actively oppose the King.
In 938, Eberhard joined forces with other opponents of Otto I, initiating a major rebellion. His key allies included Otto's half-brother Thankmar and the newly appointed Duke Eberhard of Bavaria, who was the son of the late Duke Arnulf. The alliance also included Wichmann of the Billung family, brother of Herman Billung. During this revolt, Eberhard even managed to capture Henry, Otto's younger brother. However, the rebellion was swiftly suppressed by Otto's forces. Thankmar was assassinated at Eresburg Castle. Eberhard of Bavaria was subsequently replaced as duke by his uncle, Berthold (who ruled from 938 to 945). After being briefly imprisoned in a fortress at Hildesheim, Eberhard himself was forced to surrender and release Henry, but surprisingly, he was soon restored to his original ducal position.
5.2. The Second Rebellion and Death
Despite his brief reconciliation with King Otto I, Eberhard soon resumed his rebellious activities. He formed a new and powerful alliance, this time with Duke Gilbert of Lorraine, Archbishop Frederick of Mainz, and Henry, Otto's younger brother, who had previously been his captive. Their combined forces posed a serious threat to Otto's burgeoning rule.
The decisive confrontation occurred on October 2, 939, at the Battle of Andernach. The rebel forces, led by Eberhard, were decisively defeated. During the battle, Eberhard of Franconia was killed. He was allegedly slain by his own Conradine relative and cousin, Count Udo of Wetterau, and Konrad Kurzbold. Udo himself is believed to have dealt the fatal blow, his motivation stemming from the death of his own son, Gebhard, who was killed during the 938 rebellion led by Thankmar and Eberhard. Duke Gilbert of Lorraine, another key rebel leader, drowned in the Rhine River while attempting to escape.
6. Historical Assessment and Legacy
Eberhard of Franconia's political actions and his role in the power struggles of the early Ottonian era are primarily characterized by his determined efforts to maintain regional ducal autonomy against the centralizing ambitions of the monarchy. His two major rebellions against Otto I, though ultimately unsuccessful, highlight the inherent tensions between the powerful stem duchies and the emerging royal authority in the East Frankish Kingdom.
His initial loyalty to King Henry I and his effective stabilization of Lotharingia demonstrated his capabilities as a ruler and administrator. However, his strong reaction to Otto I's attempts to assert royal dominance, particularly after the humiliating Helmern Castle incident, drove him into direct conflict with the crown. His alliances with other disgruntled figures, including members of the royal family, posed a significant challenge to Otto I's nascent reign and momentarily threatened the stability of the kingdom.
Eberhard's defeat and death at the Battle of Andernach in 939 had a profound and lasting impact on the political structure of East Francia. With his demise, the Duchy of Franconia was seized by King Otto I and remained a direct imperial possession. This marked a significant step in Otto's consolidation of royal power, as it prevented the emergence of another powerful and potentially rebellious ducal line in Franconia. The ducal title was never again conferred upon a distinct ruling family, and the duchy as a separate entity eventually dissolved in 1039, making Eberhard the last truly independent Duke of Franconia. His legacy is therefore intertwined with the shift from a decentralized kingdom dominated by powerful dukes to a more centralized, imperially controlled state under the Ottonians.