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Birth:           913 Nordhausen, Saxony
Death:          5 May  984 Rheims, France
Burial:         Rheims, France

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerberga_of_Saxony
Gerberga of Saxony (also Gerberga of France) (c. 913 – 5 May 968/9 or 984?) was 
Regent of France during the minority of her son in 954–959. She was a member of the 
Ottonian dynasty and a descendant of Charlemagne. Her first husband was Gilbert, 
Duke of Lorraine. Her second husband was Louis IV of France. Contemporary sources 
describe her as a highly educated, intelligent and forceful political player.


Family[edit]

Gerberga was born c.913. She was the oldest daughter of Henry the Fowler, King of 
Germany, and his second wife, Matilda. Her older brother was Otto I of Germany.

First marriage[edit]

In 928, Gerberga married her first husband, Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine.[1] They had four 
children:
Alberade of Lorraine b. about 929. Married Renaud (originally as Ragenold), a Viking 
chieftain who became the Count of Roucy
Henry, Duke of Lorraine b. about 932
Gerberge of Lorraine b. about 935. Married Adalbert I of Vermandois.
Wiltrude, b. about 937.

Jocundus, a Lotharingia chronicler writing in the 1070s, recorded that Gerberga was 
the driving force behind Gilbert's decision to support her younger brother Henry when 
he rebelled against her older brother Otto I c.936.[2] Giselbert was defeated by Otto I 
in 939 at the Battle of Andernach and, while trying to escape, drowned in the Rhine.

Second marriage[edit]

When Gilbert died, Gerberga was about 26 years old. She married secondly Louis IV of 
France in 939. They were parents to eight children:
Lothair of France (941–986)
Matilda b. about 943; married Conrad of Burgundy
Hildegarde b. about 944
Carloman b. about 945
Louis b. about 948
Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine (953–993)
Alberade b. before 953
Henry b. about 953

Widowhood[edit]

As regent[edit]

Louis IV died on 10 September 954. At this time, his son and heir with Gerberga, 
Lothair of France, was only thirteen. Gerberga took action to ensure that Lothar could 
succeed his father. She reached an agreement with her brother-in-law Hugh the Great, 
who had been an adversary to Lothair's father.[3] In exchange for supporting Lothair's 
rule Hugh was given rule over Aquitaine and much of Burgundy[4] Gerberga did not 
seek the support of her brother, Emperor Otto I, because the interference of the 
East-Frankish emperor in West-Frankish affairs would have placed the West-Frankish 
kingdom in a weak position politically, and angered the West-Frankish nobles.

After the death of Hugh the Great in 956, Gerberga and her sister Hadwig (who was 
Hugh's widow) were the heads of the two most powerful dynasties in West Francia. 
Along with their brother, Bruno, who was both archbishop of Cologne and duke of 
Lotharingia, Gerberga and Hadwig ruled the kingdom, until Lothair came of age.[5]

As abbess[edit]

In 959, after Lothair had come of age, Gerberga became abbess of the Benedictine 
monastery of Notre Dame in Soissons. Nevertheless, she remained politically active. In 
961 she was involved in choosing the new archbishop of Reims, Odalric. In 965 she 
was present at the imperial court in Cologne, when her son Lothair married Emma of 
Italy, the step-daughter of her brother Emperor Otto I.

Death[edit]

There is some debate about when Gerberga died.[6] She is last documented in May 
968. Since necrology records indicate that she died on 5 May, her date of death is 
often given as 968 or 969,[7] but others maintain that Gerberga did not die until 984.
[8] She is buried in the Abbey of Saint-Remi in Reims, Champagne.

Parents
____ Henry (Heinrich) I "the Fowler" ( 876 - 2 Jul  936)
VON RINGLEHEIM Mathilda (Mechtilde) (ABT  894 - 14 May  968)

Siblings
____ Otto I "the Great" (23 Nov  912 - 7 May  973)
OF SAXONY Gerberge ( 913 - 5 May  984)
OF SAXONY Hedwig (ABT  915 - 14 Mar  965)

Marriage To ____ Louis IV "d'Outremere" (10 Sep  920 - 10 Sep  954)
    m.  939 

Notes
(her second)

Parents
____ Charles III "the Simple" (17 Sep  879 - 7 Oct  929)
OF FRANCE Edgiva (Ogive) (Eadgifu) (ABT  904 - AFT  951)

Children by ____ Louis IV "d'Outremere" 10 Sep  920 - 10 Sep  954
OF FRANCE Matilda ( 943 - AFT 26 Nov  981)
OF LAON Charles ( 953 - ABT 21 May  993)

Marriage To ____ Giselbert (Gilbert) (ABT  890 - 2 Oct  934)
    m.  929 

Notes

Parents
____ Regnier I "Longhals" ( 860 -  916)
____ Hersende (ABT  865 - )

Children by ____ Giselbert (Gilbert) ABT  890 - 2 Oct  934
DE LORRAINE Alberade (Aubree) (ABT  930 - 15 Mar  973)
OF HAINAULT AND LORRAINE Gerberge (EST  933 -  978)

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