conferred to him the office of a regent in 926. Eberhard quickly stabilized the Lotharingian lands and ruled until in 928 King Henry enfeoffed his son-in-law Gilbert, the husband of his daughter Gerberga. After Henry's death, however, Eberhard soon came into conflict with the king's son and successor Otto I, who aimed at strengthening the royal authority. In 937 the Franconian duke invested Helmern castle near Peckelsheim, located near the Saxon border and garrisoned by a Saxon burgrave who refused to swear fealty to any non-Saxon. King Otto called the feuding parties to a royal court at Magdeburg, where Eberhard was ordered to pay a fine and his lieutenants were sentenced to carry dead dogs in public, a particularly dishonouring punishment. Infuriated, Eberhard joined Otto's opponents, raising a rebellion in 938 with Otto's half-brother Thankmar and the new Duke Eberhard of Bavaria, the late Duke Arnulf's son. The revolt was soon suppressed; Thankmar was assassinated at Eresburg Castle, and Eberhard of Bavaria was replaced by his uncle Berthold as duke (ruled 938–945). Following a brief reconciliation with King Otto, Eberhard then allied himself with Duke Gilbert of Lorraine, Archbishop Frederick of Mainz, and Henry, Otto's younger brother, in a new uprising. Their united forces posed a serious threat to Otto's rule; nevertheless, on 2 October 939, the rebels were finally defeated in the Battle of Andernach. Eberhard of Franconia was killed, allegedly by his Conradine relative Count Odo of Wetterau, whereafter his duchy was seized and remained a direct Imperial possession until its dissolution in 1039. References |- 880s births 939 deaths Conradines Dukes of Franconia 10th-century rulers in Europe Year of birth uncertain