Robert II (archbishop of Rouen)

Robert called the Dane (le Danois, * 967-974, † 1037 ) from the family of Rolloniden was archbishop of Rouen from 989 and Count of Évreux from 996 He was a son of Richard I, Duke of Normandy, and the Dane (hence the nickname ) Gunnora.

His father made ​​him a young age already to the Archbishop of Rouen, the most important church officials in Normandy. The historian William of Jumièges reported that the clergy, opposed the appointment, as long as the Duke refused to marry his beloved Gunnora. Richard had finally relented and had received marriage with Gunnora.

A few years later, in 996, the year of his father, Robert received the county Evreux, and in this dual role, he was now the most powerful person in the Norman court after his brother Richard II, the new Duke.

When Count of Évreux, he took the right to marry. He took Herleve for woman, perhaps a daughter of Turstin the rich, by whom he had several children, including Richard, who became his successor in Évreux, and Raoul de Gacé. Even taking into account that the Gregorian reforms made ​​the obligatory celibacy later, married bishops were at that time already the exception. The historian François Neveux writes Robert was a more secular than sacred archbishop.

In the late 1020s Years Robert began with the enlargement of the Cathedral of Rouen. In addition, we know from the excavations of archaeologists Jacques Le Maho, that he began in the early 11th century, expanding his castle in Gravenchon to a country house. As a patron of the arts, he gathered a literary circle around. Dudo of Saint- Quentin and the satirist Garnier de Rouen dedicated to him some works.

In 1027 his nephew Robert I took the Magnificent of Normandy, the government, and these soon fell for unknown reasons in dispute with Robert the Dane. Archbishop Robert had to leave Rouen and retired with some knights to Evreux, where he was besieged by the Duke. After some resistance Robert the Dane went to France, where he pronounced the excommunication of the Duke - a measure which probably forced the duke to his knees. Uncle and nephew agreed, the Archbishop returned to the ducal court, where it was even one of the key advisers in the Duchy - a position that was reinforced when Robert the Magnificent 1035 died and one child leaving as his successor, Wilhelm II. Archbishop Robert was, until his death in 1037 now the strong man of Normandy.