Lotharingia (yellow), as established by the Treaty of Verdun, 843, and reduced by the Treaty of Mersen, 870

Lotharingia or Lorraine was a short-lived kingdom in western Europe, the aggregate of territories belonging to Lothair, King of Lotharingia (reigned 855–869), who received it in 855 from his father, Lothair I (795-855), Holy Roman Emperor. The name derives from the Latin "Lotharii Regnum", the Lothair's realm. The Division of the Carolingian Empire: Verdun 843 and Mersen, 870 (Col) Source: Adapted from Muirs Historical Atlas: (1911) Public domain image, taken from digitized copy at Internet Medieval Sourcebook[1] This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... The Division of the Carolingian Empire: Verdun 843 and Mersen, 870 (Col) Source: Adapted from Muirs Historical Atlas: (1911) Public domain image, taken from digitized copy at Internet Medieval Sourcebook[1] This image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other jurisdictions. ... Geopolitical divisions according to the Treaty of Verdun. ... The Treaty of Mersen (870 AD) was an agreement of the division of the Carolingian Empire by the sons of Louis I, Charles II of the West Franks (France) and Louis the German of East Franks (Germany), signed at the town of Meerssen, which is now in the Netherlands. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Lorraine (province). ... A current understanding of Western Europe. ... Lothair (825 - August 8, 869), was the second son of the emperor Lothair I. On his fathers death in 855, he received for his kingdom a district lying west of the Rhine, between the North Sea and the Jura mountains, which was called Regnum Lotharii and early in the... Events Louis II succeeds Lothar as western emperor. ... Events Western Emperor Louis II allies with eastern Emperor Basil I against the Saracens. ... Events Louis II succeeds Lothar as western emperor. ... Lothair I Lothair I (German: Lothar, French: Lothaire, Italian: Lotario) (795 – 2 March 855), king of Italy (818 – 855) and Holy Roman Emperor (840 – 855), was the eldest son of the emperor Louis the Pious and his wife Ermengarde of Hesbaye, daughter of Ingerman, duke of Hesbaye. ... Events Leo III becomes pope Earliest recorded Viking raid on Ireland. ... Events Louis II succeeds Lothar as western emperor. ... The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ... For other uses, see Latin (disambiguation). ...

The territory was the northern section of the division of Carolingian lands that had been effected at the Treaty of Verdun, 843. After Lothair's death his lands were further divided between the Kingdom of the East Franks and the Kingdom of the West Franks, in the Treaty of Mersen, 870. Also see: France in the Middle Ages. ... Geopolitical divisions according to the Treaty of Verdun. ... Events Treaty of Verdun divides the Carolingian empire between the 3 sons of Louis the Pious. ... Eastern Francia were the lands of Louis the German after the Treaty of Verdun of 843. ... Western Francia was the land under the control of Charles the Bald after the Treaty of Verdun of 843, which divided the Carolingian Empire of the Franks into an East, West, and Middle. ... The Treaty of Mersen (870 AD) was an agreement of the division of the Carolingian Empire by the sons of Louis I, Charles II of the West Franks (France) and Louis the German of East Franks (Germany), signed at the town of Meerssen, which is now in the Netherlands. ... Events February 28 - End of the Fourth Council of Constantinople. ...

Strictly speaking, there were no Lotharingians as a unified ethnic group. Broadly speaking, Lotharingia comprised the present-day:

• The Netherlands
• Belgium
• Luxembourg
• North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany)
• Rhineland-Palatinate (Germany)
• Saarland (Germany)
• Lorraine (France)
• Alsace (France)

The name Lotharingia (Dutch: Lotharingen, German: Lotharingien, French: Lotharingie) survives today in the French name derived from it: Lorraine. Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain... Coat of arms Location Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DEA Capital Düsseldorf Prime Minister Jürgen Rüttgers (CDU) Governing parties CDU / FDP Votes in Bundesrat 6 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  34,084 km² (13,160 sq mi) Population 18,033,000... The Rhenish Palatinate (Rheinpfalz, sometimes Lower Palatinate or Niederpfalz) occupies rather more than a quarter of the German Bundesland (federal state) of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) and contains the towns of Ludwigshafen, Kaiserslautern, Neustadt an der Weinstrasse, Pirmasens, Landau and Speyer. ... Location Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) Administration Country NUTS Region DEC Capital Saarbrücken Minister-President Peter Müller (CDU) Governing party CDU Votes in Bundesrat 3 (from 69) Basic statistics Area  2,569 km² (992 sq mi) Population 1,044,000 (11/2006)[1]  - Density 406 /km... (Région flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Regional President Departments Meurthe-et-Moselle Meuse Moselle Vosges Arrondissements 19 Cantons 157 Communes 2,337 Statistics Land area1 23,547 km² Population (Ranked 11th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... (New region flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Regional President Departments Bas-Rhin Haut-Rhin Arrondissements 13 Cantons 75 Communes 903 Statistics Land area1 8,280 km² (??? mi) km² Population (Ranked 14th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... (Région flag) (Region logo) Location Administration Capital Regional President Departments Meurthe-et-Moselle Meuse Moselle Vosges Arrondissements 19 Cantons 157 Communes 2,337 Statistics Land area1 23,547 km² Population (Ranked 11th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ...

Lotharingia itself did not survive its king; it dissolved in violence and local warfare. Henry the Fowler gained control over the divided lands, and brought them back as a duchy under the German crown. His son and heir Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor granted Lotharingia to his brother, Bruno I, Archbishop of Cologne. In 959 Bruno effected the long-lasting split of the territory under two dukes, as the duchies of Upper and Lower Lorraine. Heinrich I depicted as The Bamberg Knight Henry I, the Fowler (German: Heinrich der Finkler or Heinrich der Vogler) (876 - July 2, 936), was Duke of Saxony from 912 and king of the Germans from 919 until his death in 936. ... For others with the same name, see Otto I (disambiguation). ... Brun or Bruno I (925-965) was Archbishop of Cologne from 953 until his death, and Duke of Lotharingia from 954. ...

Upper Lotharingia became the duchy of Lorraine, the nucleus of which survived until 1766. Lorraine was the object of territorial disputes between France and Germany for a thousand years.

The Duchy of Lower Lorraine lost its authority entirely in 1190 (the Diet of Schwäbisch Hall), due to the territorialisation of the 11th and 12th century. The duchy fragmented into separate duchies (Brabant, Limburg, Gelre), bishoprics, counties and imperial fiefs. The Duke of Brabant traditionally retained the honorific title of Duke of Lower Lotharingia, also known as Lothier . Schwäbisch Hall (or Hall for short) is a town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg; it is the capital of the district of Schwäbisch Hall. ... Brabant is a former duchy in the Low Countries, and a former province of Belgium. ... The Duchy of Lower Lorraine encompassed part of modern-day Belgium and the Netherlands. ...

External links

• European region Lotharingia (German/French)