• The Merovingiens [481-751]
  • Clovis I [481-511]  King of the Franks and first Merovingien king.  The Franks, under Clovis I, defeated the Romans in Gaul.  He was converted to Christianity in 496 and formed a strong alliance with the church, making him the most powerful of the Franc kings.  That year he also conquered the Alemannis, in what is now Alsace, making the area a Frankish duchy.  In 486, Clovis I defeated the Romans at Soissons where he established his capital.  In 498 he made Reims the spiritual and political center of France.  In 507 he he drove the Visigoths out of Angoulême and in 508 he captured Paris and made it his capital.  His sons were Theuderic I, Chlodomer, Childebert I and Chlotar I.
  • Chlotar I [511-561] Son of Clovis I; King of Soissons from 558; the King of all Franks; His sons were Charibert I, Guntram, Chilpéric I and Sigebert I;  There was widespread disorder; Feudalism became entrenched; The power of the Catholic church spread.
  • Theuderic I (Son of Clovis I)
  • Chlodomer (Son of Clovis I)
  • Childebert I [561-567]  Eldest son of Clovis I and Clotilda; Upon Clovis I's death Childebert received lands in northwestern France; Upon his death, his brothers Theuderic I, Chlodomer and Chlotar I shared his lands.  Childebert built Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris; He had no sons. 
  • Guntram [561-593]  Son of Chlotar I; King of Bourgogne; After death of Sigebert I, in 575, he protected the interests of Sigebert I's son Childebert II and adopted him; In 590, Saint Colombanus introduced Irish monasticism to France.
  • Charibert I  Son of Chlotar I.
  • Chilpéric I [561-584]  Son of Chlotar I and Aregund,  father of Chlotar II; Married to Galswintha, a daughter of the Visigothic king Athanagild; Received Soissons, in the northwest of Gaul, from his father; King of Neustria after Charibert's death; His death left Guntram master of Neustria and Austrasia. 
  • Sigebert I [561-575]  Son of Chlotar I and Ingurd; King of  Austrasia, the northeastern portion of Chlotar I's lands with its capital at Metz; Married Brunhild, a daughter of the Visigothic king Athanagild in 567; Received part of Charibert I's lands upon his brother's death in 567; Father of Childebert II; Assassinated. 
  • Chlotar II [584-629]  Son of Chilperic I and Fredegund; King of Neustria; Had Sigebert II and Brunhild killed; Father of Dagobert I and Charibert II; The only king from 613. 
  • Childebert II [592-593]  Son of Sigebert I and Brunhild; King of Austrasia; Father of Theodebert II and Theodoric II.
  • Theodebert II [595-612]  Succeeded his father, Childebert II, on the throne of Austrasia.
  • Theodoric II [595-612]  Younger son of Childebert II; Father of Sigebert II; Succeeded his father as King of Burgundy.
  • Dagobert I [623-639]  Son of Chlotar II and brother of Charibert II; In 623 he became king of Austrasia; In 629 he became king of the entire Frankish realm; In 631 he defeated the Bretons and Gascons and moved his capital from Austrasia to Paris; Reunified the Frankish territories; Father of Sigebert III and Clovis II; In 634 he made his 3 year old son Sigebert III king of Austrasia; Last king of the Merovingien dynasty to actually rule.
  • Charibert II [630-631]  Son of Chlotar II, brother of Dagobert I and father of Theodoric II; In 630 Dagobert I ceded to him several territories in Aquitaine and Gascony; He and Theodoric II were assassinated the following year with his lands reverting to Dagobert I.
  • Clovis II [639-657]  Son of Dagobert I; King of Neustria-Bourgondy. 
  • Sigebert II [639-656]  Son of Theodoric II; Protected by his uncle Guntram; King of Austrasia. 
  • Chlotar III [657-673]  Son of Clovis II and Bathilda; King of Neustria and Burgundy. 
  • Childeric II [662-675]  Second son of Clovis II; Became king of Austrasia; Was assassinated.
  • Theodoric III [673-691]  Son of Clovis II and brother of Chlotar III; Succeeded Chlotar III as king of Neustria and Burgandy; Also became king of Austrasia in 679; A puppet of Pépin II. 
  • Clovis III [691-695]  Son of Theodoric III; Merovingien king of Neustria, but actual power was held by the Carolingian Pépin II of Herstal) 
  • Childebert III [695-711] (Son of Theodoric II; Puppet king of the Franks for Pépin II. 
  • Dagobert III [711-715]  Son of Childebert III; Puppet king of the Franks for Pépin II; Pépin de Herstal, the mayor of the palace, actually governed.
  • Chilpéric II [715-721]  Alleged son of Childeric II; Chosen by Neustria;  Vanquished by Charles Martel, son of Pépin de Herstal, who in 732 defeated the Muslims at Poitiers.
  • Clotaire IV [717-719]  King of Neustria;  Son of Chilpéric II; Designated by Charles Martel against his own son.
  • Theodoric IV [719-737]  Son of Dagobert II; He was a puppet of Charles Martel, the grandfather of Charlemagne, who governed, as the Mayor of the Palace, until his death in 741; In 732, Charles Martel repulsed the Arab invasion at Poitiers.
  • Childéric III [743-751]  A Merovigngien of questionable legitimacy; puppet for Pépin III, the Short [le Bref]; Pépin [another Mayor of the Palace] deposed Childeric III, in 751, and confined him to the monastery of Sithiu, near Saint-Omer.
• Contributed Information on Merovingian Era
  • Contributed by Rolf Badenhausen, with other researchers are continuing the work of the late pioneer Heinz Ritter who started to verify the Thidrek Saga by re-evaluating its geographical and ethnical terminology. His re-translation, the so-called Didrik Chronicle, might allow comparison of historical events from c. 420 to c. 550 and, particularly considering the Nordic chroniclers' nicknaming of many important individuals outside of their Saxon home region, draw a parallel to Theuderic I, most talented son of Clovis I, whose biography, especially his youth, certainly was neglected by Gregory. 
    
    For the latest findings related to the Merovingians of Frankish history by Rolf Badenhausen - can be found at:  https://www.badenhausen.net/harz/svava/MerovingSvava.htm
    
    Information is written in English and German - please note that the first link takes about 4 minutes to download, so please be patient.

                    The Carolingiens [751-987]