Mayor of the Palace

The office of mayor of the palace (or majordomo or maior, from Latin maior - the administrator and domus - the house ), so the manager of the house, was one of the offices of the early medieval court. In the Merovingian kingdom of the house Meier eventually gained great influence and a significant impact on the politics of the empire.

Official importance and development in the Merovingian Frankish Empire

The office of mayor of the palace was built during the migration period and is both the Merovingians and in Burgundians and Goths ( as in the Ostrogothic kingdom of Theodoric the Great ) occupied; for the Vandal kingdom in North Africa this is disputed. While the house Meier office in most Germanic -Roman successor kingdoms of the Western Roman Empire but fell to no more importance, it evolved in the Merovingian Frankish Empire since the late 6th century one of the most influential court offices.

The Frankish house Meiern was responsible for initially only the overall supervision of the non-free " house servants " of the court. With the emergence possibly elements of late antique management practices played a role. Originally, there were several home Meier in the Frankish Empire, the King, the Queen and Prince had their own house Meier. After the Merovingian kingdom again experienced territorial partitioning, the office of mayor of the palace has been upgraded, which was responsible for managing the entire King good now and has become one of the most important confidant of the king. With increase their power since the late 6th century, the house Meier in the Frankish Empire were so from the 7th century in fact head of the government. The house Meier now appointed officials and presented certificates in the name of the king, where first each of the kingdoms ( Neustria, Burgundy and Austrasia ) through one own house Meier decreed. The Office was now clothed by nobles, at the same time used their position to curtail the power of the king as far as possible and made ​​a point to influence the appointment of the House Meier. While in the house Neustria Meier still aspired to a certain king near the house Meier office in Austrasia was among the Arnulf Ingern - Pippinids become a mere instrument of the nobility. It was within this family, the fate of the entire Frankish Empire drew since 687, even hereditary. However, the subsequent house Meier put even care to keep the influence of the nobility as low as possible to their policy.

The Merovingian kings ruled by Dagobert I in fact probably only a shadow ruler, although some researchers the mediated image in later sources of the powerless Merovingian kings quite skeptical about (about Johannes Fried ). The Grimoaldaffäre certainly had shown that the Meier house could not take open the kingship for himself or her family. Only in the middle of the 8th century Carolingian ventured the decisive step and put the last Merovingian from the year 751. The house Meier office was abolished by the Carolingians significantly.

List of house Meier in the Merovingian Frankish Empire

Austrasia

  • Called Gogo and Wandalenus, at the time of immaturity Childebert II ( 575ff. ) at Fredegar as home Meier
  • Florentianus to 589
  • Gundulf to 600 under Theudebert II (reigned 596-612 )
  • Rado, 613 to 617 before
  • Chucus ( Hugo), as successor Rados
  • Pepin I the Elder ( Pippinids, Dagobert I., reigned 623-640 )
  • Otto, 640-643
  • Grimoald the Elder ( Pippinids ), 643-662
  • Chlodulf ( Arnulf Inger ), 648/650-656
  • Ansegisel ( Arnulf Inger ), 648/650 until after 657
  • Wulfoald, 662-680
  • Pepin II, the Middle ( Carolingian ), 680 dux, 688-714 Haus Meier
  • Theudoald 714-715 (de jure )
  • Charles Martel ( Carolingian ), 715-718 in Austrasia, 718-741 in total reach
  • Carloman, 741-747
  • Pippin III. , The Younger ( also known as the Short ) 747-751

In 751 Pippin was the king choose and managed at the same time the office of mayor of the palace from.

Neustria

  • Baudegisil ( Batechisil )? -581, Afterwards Bishop of Le Mans 581-586
  • Waddo, documented around 584, † 590
  • Rich country, under Clotaire II (reigned 584-629/630 )
  • Gundoland, † 639, Neustria since 613/616
  • Ega ( AEGA ), † 641, 639-641
  • Erchinoald, 641-656
  • Ebroin, 656-680/681
  • Wulfoald, 673-675
  • Leudesis, nominated by Wulfoald, soon deposed
  • Waratto, 680/681-686, † 686
  • Giselmar, Warattos son, † 683, ousted his father from time to time
  • Berchar, Warattos son, 686-688/689, † 688/689
  • Pippin the Middle ( Carolingian ), dux 680 in Austrasia, 688/689-714 house Meier
  • Grimoald the Younger ( Carolingian ), in Neustria and Burgundy to 700-714
  • Theudoald, 714-715 (de jure )
  • Raganfrid, 715-718
  • Charles Martel ( Carolingian ), 718-741 in total reach
  • Pepin the Short ( Carolingian ), 742 in Neustria, Burgundy and Provence, 751 King

Burgundy

  • Garnier, Ambassador in Constantinople in 570, then home Meier
  • Warnachar, in Burgundy under Theodoric II († 613) and Chlothar II
  • Flaochad, in Burgundy from 639, † 642
  • Pippin the Middle ( Carolingian ), 680 dux in Austrasia 688-714 Haus Meier
  • Grimoald the Younger ( Carolingian ), in Neustria and Burgundy to 700-714
  • Pepin the Short ( Carolingian ), 742 in Neustria, Burgundy and Provence, 751 King
Francia Carolingian dynasty Childebert II. Theudebert II. Chlodulf of Metz Carloman (mayor of the palace) Chlothar II. Aega (mayor of the palace) Waratton Berthar Ragenfrid Theuderic II Josef Fleckenstein Lexikon des Mittelalters Historia (Antiquity journal) Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde Georg Waitz
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