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From the Margins to the Mainstream: Dutch History to 1384 - The Merovingian and Carolingian Periods - The Carolingian Legacy

Q: Where did the 'renaissance' during Charlemagne take place mostly?

The 'renaissance' associated with his name - including his promotion of scholarship and the introduction of an easy-to-read minuscule - found its deepest cultural response not in the Netherlands but in the more populated areas of western Germany and France. Some traces of this renaissance do remain, such as the so-called Wachtendonck Psalms, written after 850 in East Lower Frankish, dialect of the eastern Netherlands, and often regarded as the first extant 'Dutch' text.

6 important questions on From the Margins to the Mainstream: Dutch History to 1384 - The Merovingian and Carolingian Periods - The Carolingian Legacy

What happened to the power of the Merovingian kings?

The Merovingian kings lost power over time to the Mayors of the Palace, a post ultimately filled by Charles Martel and his descendants, whose traditional family base was rooted in the triangle between Aachen, Liege and Maastricht.
In 751 his son Pepin the Short deposed the last of these kings, having himself crowned instead by Boniface, then archbishop of Mainz, marking the advent of the Carolingian dynasty.
It was under his son, Charlemagne, who succeeded him in 768, that the Frankish kingdom would reach its zenith.

What did Charlemagne conquer of the Netherlands?

In 772 he launched a campaign against the pagan Saxons, who had recently destroyed the church in Deventer erected by the English missionary Liafwin.
Using Nijmegen as his strategic base, Charlemagne subdued all of the eastern Netherlands that was Saxon territory, including present-day Overijssel and Drenthe.
Although this brutal war would last three decades, Charlemagne's control over all the present-day Netherlands was reached in 785, when he defeated a Saxon-Frisian revolt led by the Saxon leader Widukind, who then converted to Christianity.

What was the chief focus of Charlemagne?

The Low Countries was not his chief focus; he had to direct almost all of his military and political attention eastwards and southwards.

Where did the "renaissance" during Charlemagne take place mostly?

The "renaissance" associated with his name - including his promotion of scholarship and the introduction of an easy-to-read minuscule - found its deepest cultural response not in the Netherlands but in the more populated areas of western Germany and France.
Some traces of this renaissance do remain, such as the so-called Wachtendonck Psalms, written after 850 in East Lower Frankish, dialect of the eastern Netherlands, and often regarded as the first extant "Dutch" text.

What benefit did Frankish rule have for the Netherlands?

The region benefited from the peace and stability that Frankish rule brought; Dorestad seems to have reached the high point of its prosperity and importance as an economic center in the late eighth and early ninth centuries. Its silver coinage became a popular unit of exchange across many parts of Europe.

How did Charlemagne secure services?

In securing their service Charlemagne often rewarded nobility and counts with the spoils of war, and the spoils of war enabled him more easily to command their loyalty.
This meant that local nobility, probably including some counts, held the king's land as a fief in exchange for services rendered, and that the Church, too, was granted tax exemptions and land by the emperor in order to advance its work.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

A Concise History of the Netherlands | 9780521699174 | James C Kennedy

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