Charlemagne according to Albrecht Dürer.

Charlemagne (-814)

King of the Franks and founder of the renewed Roman Empire. Member of the Carolingian dynasty, son of Pepin the Short, born in 742 or 747. In 768, he inherited half of the Frankish state from his father, but quickly marginalized brother Karloman, and after his death in 771, he united the country under his rule.

A tireless leader, organizing almost yearly expeditions against his neighbors. He seized the Lombard state, overthrew their monarch in 774 and crowned himself king of the Lombard. As a result of long wars, he conquered the land of the Saxons as far as the Elbe River, thus giving rise to the future German state. He broke the independence of Bavaria and led successful fights against the Avars, who settled on the central Danube. He also attacked the Slavic tribes in Połabie and the Czechs. He suffered a significant defeat only in battles with Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula.

Law reformer, patron of culture and art. The heyday of his reign is often referred to as the Carolingian Renaissance. On December 25, 800, he was crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III.

The word "king" existing in the Slavic languages ​​is assumed to come from the name of Charlemagne. In the light of contemporary research, the very concept of a royal or imperial title in the first centuries after Charles was closely associated with his person:in the circle of Western civilization, only those monarchs who descended from the ruler of the Franks or were related to his descendants were considered eligible for coronation. This conviction probably played an important role in the coronation of Bolesław the Brave, his son Mieszko and the first Polish queen of Rycheza.