Charlemagne

History 101 - Fast Forward Fall 1996 PREPARED BY: SUBMITTED: September 30, 1996

Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, King of the Franks (742-814), was a strong leader who unified Western Europe through military power and the blessing of the
Church. His belief in the need for education among the Frankish people was to bring about religious, political, and educational reforms that would change the history of Europe.

Charlemagne was born in 742 at Aachen, the son of Pepin(or Pippin) the Short and grandson of Charles Martel. His grandfather, Charles, had begun the process of unifying western Europe, in the belief that all people should be Christian.
Charlemagne's father, Pepin, continued this
Once again, an example of the minimal separation of Church and State.

Charlemagne recognized the importance of education, not only of spreading it throughout his kingdom, but also of learning for himself the ability to read and write Latin and Greek. His desire for personal knowledge, and to educate the people, lead him to found the "Palace School" at his home, Aix-La-Chapelle. To staff his school, Charlemagne turned to the monasteries. During the Dark Ages preceding the Carolingian dynasty, only the monks had maintained the ability to read and write. They had over the years, however, misprinted many of the books of the Bible. Charlemagne asked the monk, Alcuin, to head the school, and commissioned him to correct the texts that had been copied incorrectly. (Ganshof
30)

The schools begun by Charlemagne were primarily for the education of the priests, but were open to all people. Charlemagne's Admonitio generalis stressed the importance of education for everyone. Many of the scholars brought to the
Palace School were foreigners: Italians, Spaniards, and Irish, but there were also some Franks. (Holmes 96-97)