WorldViews. The World in Textbooks

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Bibliographic data

Kienitz, Otto; von Borries, Emil: Die Hauptereignisse der römischen Kaiserzeit. Deutsche Geschichte bis zum Ende des Dreißigjährigen Krieges, Sonderausgabe für Südwestdeutschland. Pfeifers Lehrbuch der Geschichte für höhere Lehranstalten, Vol. 5. Ferdinand Hirt Verlag, 1911, 67–74.

"The Restauration of the Empire"

Charlemagne appears as the unifier of all the Germanic tribes on the mainland and as the innovator of the Western Roman EmpireThe source highlights Charlemagne’s importance for the development of the German nation.As German Emperor, who possessed the same power of the earlier roman emperors, he was placed in a line of tradition along with the Roman emperors. The Frankish Empire is thus interpreted as the successor to the Roman Empire and Charlemagne defined as the first German Emperor.

Kienitz, Otto

von Borries, Emil

The history textbook Die Hauptereignisse der römischen Kaiserzeit (The main events of the period of Roman Empire) was designed for the use at the upper secondary level in Germany.

Ferdinand Hirt Verlag

[p. 74]

§ 37. The Restoration of the Empire. As Charlemagne stayed in Rome in the year 800 and carried out his prayers on Christmas morning in Saint Peter’s Cathedral, Pope Leo III approached him and placed the imperial crown on his head; those present welcomed the German emperor, who possessed the power of the earlier roman emperors, with acclamation. Charlemagne later expressed that had he known the Pope’s intention, he would not have visited the church. But the thought of restoring the West Roman Empire couldn’t have been foreign to him, it even seems that he had considered this first in his entourage, it was thus only the manner of how it was carried out that displeased him. Because the world monarchy had effectively passed over from the Romans to the Germans.

Translation:
Tarquini, Liesel
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