Questions of ancestry have fascinated us for centuries. Particularly popular: proof of a connection to historical celebrities. And when it comes to genealogical ‘celebrities’, there is no getting around Charlemagne. The legendary Frankish ruler, who shaped Europe like no other, left behind not only an empire but also a considerable number of descendants.
The mathematics of descent: why almost everyone is descended from Charlemagne
Charlemagne had more than twenty children, of whom we know at least seventeen by name. Through their descendants, his genetic makeup spread throughout Europe. As early as the year 1200, the European ruling class included thousands of his descendants, and over the centuries, the aristocratic blood mixed with the bourgeoisie.
From a purely mathematical point of view, it is therefore very likely that every person whose family has lived in Central Europe for many generations has at least a drop of Carolingian blood in them. The exciting question is not whether but whether it can be proven.
Genealogy: the art of proof
The challenge is to find complete documentation of one's own ancestry. While the first fourteen generations of Charlemagne are well documented thanks to the pioneering work of Erich Brandenburg, it becomes more difficult in the following centuries. However, works such as the Rübel-Blass and Benziger-Müller genealogical tables and the monumental genealogical collection of Johann Jakob Kubly-Müller provide valuable research clues.
In Switzerland, particularly in the Canton of Glarus, numerous bourgeois families have noble ancestors who can be traced back to Charlemagne. The Netstaler and Elmer lines are particularly prominent, as many Glarus families are related to them.
Why all this?
Well, maybe family trees are just fascinating. Maybe it's also a bit flattering to know that you are directly related to one of the greatest rulers of the Middle Ages. For historians and genealogists, however, it is much more: it is a window into the past that helps us to better understand the social and political fabric of earlier times.
In the end, we realise that we are probably all descendants of Charlemagne. But does that have any bearing on our daily lives? Probably not – unless you are looking for a good anecdote for the next family get-together!
If you would like to learn more about the noble connections and the ancestry of Charlemagne, you can find more information on my website: https://www.glarusfamilytree.com/nobility. Perhaps you can even find a very personal answer to the question asked at the beginning there!