2nd Count of Flanders Baldwin II of Flanders

Other Events:

• Name: Calvus (the Bald)
• Reference Number: 37346

Notes:

Baldwin II (c. 865 - September 10, 918), nicknamed Calvus (the Bald) was the second count of Flanders. He was also hereditary abbot of St. Bertin from 892 till his death. He was the son of Baldwin I of Flanders and Judith, a daughter of Charles the Bald. Through his mother, Baldwin was a descendant of Charlemagne.

The early years of Baldwin's rule were marked by a series of devastating Viking raids. Little north of the Somme was untouched. Baldwin recovered, building new fortresses and improving city walls, and taking over abandoned property, so that in the end he held far more territory, and held it more strongly, than had his father. He also took advantage of the conflicts between Charles the Simple and Odo, Count of Paris to take over the Ternois and the Boulonnias.

In 884 Baldwin married Ælfthryth (Ælfthryth, Elftrude, Elfrida), a daughter of King Alfred the Great of England. The marriage was motivated by the common Flemish-English opposition to the Vikings, and was the start of an alliance that was a mainstay of Flemish policy for centuries to come.

In 900, he tried to curb the power of Archbishop Fulk of Rheims by assassinating him, but he was excommunicated by Pope Benedict IV.

He died at Blandinberg (near Ghent) and was succeeded by his eldest son Arnulf I of Flanders. His younger son Adalulf was (the first) count of Boulogne.

Baldwin — Ælfthryth. (daughter of Ælfr?d and Ealhswith) died 7 Jun 929. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: The Great
• Reference Number: 37345

Arnulf — . Unknown [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37344

Baldwin — . Unknown [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37334

Notes:

Baldwin III died in 962, when Arnulf was just an infant, while Arnulf's grandfather, Arnulf I, was still alive. When Arnulf I died three years later (965), the regency was held by his kinsman Baldwin Balso.

By the time Arnulf attained his majority in 976, Flanders had lost some of the southern territory acquired by Arnulf I. The latter had given some parts of Picardy to King Lothar of France to help assure his grandson's succession, and gave Boulogne as a fief to another relative. Then early in Arnulf's minority Lothar had taken Ponthieu and given it to Hugh Capet, and the first counts of Guînes had established themselves.

Arnulf — Rozala of Lombardy. (daughter of Berengar of Ivrea) [Group Sheet]