Editing Lothair II (section)

==Reign==
[[File:Lothair II of Lotharingia.jpg|thumb|left|Seal of Lothair II]]
[[File:Vertrag von Prüm.svg|thumb|300px|Division of the Carolingian Empire under the [[Treaty of Prüm]] (855)]]

For political reasons, his father made him marry Teutberga in 855. Just a few days before his death in late autumn of 855, Emperor Lothair I divided his realm of [[Middle Francia]] among his three sons, a partition known as [[Treaty of Prüm]]. Lothair II received the Middle Francia territory west of the [[Rhine]] stretching from the [[North Sea]] to the [[Jura Mountains]]. It became known as ''Regnum Lotharii'' and early in the 10th century as [[Lotharingia]] or [[Duchy of Lorraine|Lorraine]] (a designation subsequently applied only to the [[Duchy of Lorraine]]). His elder brother [[Louis II of Italy|Louis II]] received northern [[Italy]] and the title of [[Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor]], and his younger brother Charles received the western parts of his father's domains, [[Burgundy (region)|Burgundy]] and the [[Provence]].

On the death of his brother Charles in 863, Lothair added some lands south of the [[Jura Mountains|Jura]] to this realm, but except for a few feeble expeditions against the [[Vikings|Norman]] pirates he seems to have done little for its government or its defense. Thirty-six of Lothair II's royal [[charter]]s survive.<ref>Die Urkunden Lothars I. und Lothars II., ed. Theodor Schieffer (Berlin, 1966); see http://turbulentpriests.group.shef.ac.uk/our-dearest-wife-and-son-king-lothar-iis-charters/</ref>

[[File:Teilungsvertrag von 863.svg|thumb|300px|Expansion of Lothar's domains, after the death of his brother [[Charles of Provence]] in 863]]

Teutberga was not capable of bearing children and Lothair's reign was chiefly occupied by his efforts to obtain an annulment of their marriage, and his relations with his uncles [[Charles the Bald]] and [[Louis the German]] were influenced by his desire to obtain their support for this endeavour. Although quarrels and reconciliations between the three kings followed each other in quick succession, in general it may be said that Louis favoured annulment, and Charles opposed it, while neither lost sight of the fact that Lothair had no sons to inherit his lands. Lothair, whose desire for annulment was prompted by his affection for his mistress, [[Waldrada of Lotharingia|Waldrada]], put away Teutberga, but [[Hucbert]] took up arms on her behalf, and after she had submitted successfully to the [[ordeal of water]], Lothair was compelled to restore her in 858. Still pursuing his purpose, he won the support of his brother, Emperor [[Louis II of Italy|Louis II]], by a cession of lands and obtained the consent of the local clergy, such as [[Adventius (bishop of Metz)|Adventius of Metz]], to the annulment and to his marriage with Waldrada, which took place in 862.

A [[synod]] of [[Franks|Frankish]] [[bishop]]s [[Council of Metz (863)|met at Metz in 863]] and confirmed this decision, but Teutberga fled to the court of Charles the Bald, and [[Pope Nicholas I]] voided the decision of the synod. An attack on [[Rome]] by the emperor was without result, and in 865 Lothair, threatened with [[excommunication]] and convinced that Louis and Charles at their recent meeting had discussed the partition of his kingdom, again took back his wife. Teutberga, however, either from inclination or compulsion, now expressed her desire for an annulment, and Lothair went to Italy to obtain the assent of the new pope, [[Adrian II]]. Placing a favourable interpretation upon the words of the pope, he had set out on the return journey, when he was ill from Malaria or from a Fever and died at [[Piacenza]] on {{#dateformat:August 8, 869}}.