Hugh the Abbot facts for kids

Hugh the Abbot (died May 12, 886) was an important person from the Welf family. He was the son of Conrad I of Auxerre and Adelaide. After his father passed away, his mother married Robert the Strong, who was a powerful leader in a region called Neustria. When Robert died in 866, Hugh became the temporary ruler and guardian for Robert's young sons, Odo and Robert.

Hugh joined a monastery and later became an abbot (a leader of a monastery). Even though he was a monk, he was also a strong warrior, which was common for some church leaders back then. King Charles the Bald even sent him on military missions. This shows how church leaders often supported the king against powerful nobles. Hugh helped King Charles when the king had to escape during an invasion in 858 by Louis the German. At that time, many of Charles's own nobles, including Robert the Strong, rebelled against him.

When Robert the Strong regained the king's favor, Hugh was sent away to Lotharingia. There, he became the archbishop of Cologne in 864. However, he was soon called back to France.

Hugh's Power and Role

In 866, after Robert the Strong died, Hugh received many of Robert's important positions. These included leading several monasteries like Noirmoutiers and Saint-Martin de Tours. He also gained control of regions like Tours and the margraviate (a border territory) between the Seine and Loire rivers, known as Neustria. Robert's sons only inherited lands in Beauce and Touraine.

Even though Hugh and Robert were rivals when Robert was alive, Hugh became the guardian of Robert's children after his death. Hugh was very smart politically and fought bravely against the Vikings. He was also a chief advisor to the kings Louis III and Carloman.

Fighting the Vikings

Hugh worked hard to keep the alliance between the different Carolingian kings strong so they could fight the Vikings together. He also helped unite all the Carolingian kingdoms against a ruler named Boso of Provence, who had taken power illegally.

Hugh supported Charles the Fat when he became king of West Francia in 884. Sadly, Hugh died on May 12, 886, before he could help defend Paris during the famous siege of 885–86 by the Vikings.

Sources

• MacLean, Simon. Kingship and Politics in the Late Ninth Century: Charles the Fat and the end of the Carolingian Empire. Cambridge University Press: 2003.

See also

In Spanish: Hugo el Abad para niños