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Austrasia, homeland of the Franks (darkest green), and subsequent conquests (other shades of green).

Austrasia (meaning "eastern land") formed the northeastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Metz served as its capital, although some Austrasian kings ruled from Rheims, Trier, and Cologne.

History[link]

Ancient basilica Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains from the 4th century in Metz, capital of Austrasia kingdom.

After the death of the Frankish king Clovis I in 511, his four sons partitioned his kingdom amongst themselves, with Theuderic I receiving the lands that were to become Austrasia. Descended from Theuderic, a line of kings ruled Austrasia until 555, when it was united with the other Frankish kingdoms of Chlothar I, who inherited all the Frankish realms by 558. He redivided the Frankish territory amongst his four sons, but the four kingdoms coalesced into three on the death of Charibert I in 567: Austrasia under Sigebert I, Neustria under Chilperic I, and Burgundy under Guntram. These three kingdoms defined the political division of Francia until the rise of the Carolingians and even thereafter.

From 567 to the death of Sigbert II in 613, Neustria and Austrasia were almost constantly at odds, with Burgundy playing the peacemaker between them. These struggles reached their climax in the wars between Brunhilda and Fredegund, queens respectively of Austrasia and Neustria. Finally, in 613, a rebellion by the nobility against Brunhilda saw her betrayed and handed over to her nephew and foe of Neustria, Chlothar II. Chlothar then took control of the other two kingdoms and set up a united Frankish kingdom with its capital in Paris. It was during this period that the first majores domus or mayors of the palace appeared. These officials acted as mediators between king and people in each realm. The first Austrasian mayors were drawn from the Pippinid family, which was to experience a slow, but steady ascent until it eventually displaced the Merovingian on the throne.

In 623, the Austrasians asked Chlothar II for a king of their own and he appointed his son Dagobert I to rule over them with Pepin of Landen as regent. Dagobert's government in Austrasia was widely admired. In 629, he inherited Neustria and Burgundy. Austrasia was again neglected until, in 633, the people demanded the king's son as their own king again. Dagobert complied and sent his elder son Sigebert III to Austrasia. Sigebert is widely regarded by historians as the first roi fainéant or do-nothing king of the Merovingian dynasty. His court was dominated by the mayors. In 657, the mayor Grimoald the Elder succeeded in putting his son Childebert the Adopted on the throne, where he remained until 662. Thereafter, Austrasia was predominantly the kingdom of the Arnulfing mayors of the palace and their base of power. With the Battle of Tertry in 687, Pepin of Heristal defeated the Neustrian king Theuderic III and established his mayoralty over all the Frankish kingdoms. This was even regarded by contemporaries as the beginning of his "reign". It also signaled the dominance of Austrasia over Neustria which was to last until the end of the Merovingian era. In 718, Charles Martel, with Austrasian support in his war against Neustria, each struggling to unite Francia under their hegemony, appointed one Chlothar IV to rule in Austrasia. This was the last Frankish ruler who did not rule over all the Franks. In 719, Francia was united permanently under Austrasian hegemony.

Under the Carolingians and subsequently, Austrasia is sometimes used as a denominator for the east of their realm, the Carolingian Empire. It has been used as a synonym for East Francia, though this is somewhat inaccurate.

Rulers[link]

Sources[link]

• Charles Oman. The Dark Ages 476–918. London: Rivingtons, 1914.
• Thomas Hodgkin. Italy and Her Invaders. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1895.

Alain Bashung
Alain Bashung
Background information
Birth name	Alain Bashung
Born	(1947-12-01)1 December 1947 Paris, France
Died	14 March 2009(2009-03-14) (aged 61) Paris, France
Genres	Rock
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, actor
Years active	1966–2009
Labels	Barclay Records
Website	www.alainbashung.fr

Alain Bashung (born Alain Baschung [alɛ̃ baʃuŋ]) (1 December 1947 – 14 March 2009) was a French singer, songwriter and actor.

Biography[link]

Youth[link]

Alain Bashung was the son of a Breton factory worker and French Kabyle father, whom he never knew.^[1] His mother remarried, and at the age of one, Bashung was sent to Strasbourg to live with his new stepfather's parents. He spent his childhood in the countryside.

Career[link]

A multi-platinum artist, Bashung received three awards during the ceremony at the Paris Zenith, including best male artist, best album for "Bleu Pétrole" (Barclay/Universal) and best live show. He spent his career singing a pop-chanson repertoire. With 11 trophies won since 1993, he was the most awarded artist in the history of the Victoires de la Musique. Bashung, who had cancer, had to postpone several dates of his last tour. While receiving his award, he said he hoped that record companies would "remain in a human dimension by making people happy with records."

Long beginnings

• 1966 : "Pourquoi rêvez-vous des États-Unis ?" (first record, 45 tours) ; arranger for RCA ; writes and composes
• 1968 : "Les Romantiques", first (and rare) single
• 1972–1974 : (co)realizes and writes in 3 albums for Dick Rivers
• 1973 : plays on stage Robespierre in the musical La Révolution française

Boris Bergman

• The success comes with the lyricist Boris Bergman, the single "Gaby oh Gaby" in 1980 (after two albums in 1977 and 1979) and their third album, Pizza (with the tube "Vertige de l'amour") in 1981.
• 1982 : Bashung breaks with Boris Bergman, no success for the album Play blessures, in collaboration with Serge Gainsbourg ; Bashung is described by one critic as the « Johnny Hallyday New-wave »...
• 1983 : album Figure imposée – no more success
• 1985 : "Touche pas à mon pote", single for the association SOS Racisme
• 1986 : Passé le Rio Grande, album with Boris Bergman and the tube "SOS Amor", and Victoires de la musique (TV show) ; surprise success for Bashung (not very satisfied)
• 1989 : Novice, first official collaboration with the lyricist Jean Fauque and last with Boris Bergman

Jean Fauque

• 1991 : Osez Joséphine with the tubes "Osez Joséphine" (first real popular tube since "Vertige de l'amour") and "Madame rêve" in a new vein.
• 1992 : Bashung sings "Les Mots bleus", old tube by the eternal Christophe in a compilation for AIDS research.
• 1994 : Chatterton, "Country New Age album" (according to Bashung), with the tube "Ma petite entreprise".
• 1997 : "City", duet with Brigitte Fontaine in Les Palaces
• 1998 : Fantaisie militaire (collaborations with Jean Fauque, Rodolphe Burger, Les Valentins, Jean-Marc Lederman, Adrian Utley (Portishead), Joseph Racaille) with, as first single, the tube "La nuit je mens" ; wins 3 victoires de la musique in 1999 and, in 2005, during the twentieth edition of the Victoires de la Musique, Fantaisie Militaire becomes "best album of the last twenty years".

Other collaborations

• 2000 : Climax, double album and compilation, with the duet "Volontaire" with Noir Désir ; Bashung writes "L'eau et le vin" for Vanessa Paradis (in album Bliss).
• 2002 : Alain Bashung sings (or says) with his wife Chloé Mons "Le Cantique des cantiques", the song of Solomon, in a new traduction by Olivier Cadiot (music by Rodolphe Burger).
• 2003 : sings "Avec le temps" in Avec Léo, tribute to Léo Ferré.
• 2004 : La Tournée des grands espaces, double live album.
• 2005 : sings "Le sud" in On dirait Nino, tribute to Nino Ferrer.
• 2006 : sings "Que reste-t-il de nos amours" (written by Charles Trenet), duet with Françoise Hardy in Parenthèses ; on stage with Christophe, Dominique A, Rodolphe Burger et Arto Lindsay.
• 2007, Les Aventuriers d'un autre monde, tour with Jean-Louis Aubert, Cali, Daniel Darc, Richard Kolinka et Raphaël ; Bashung plays the British myth, Jack l'éventreur, in the song "Panique Mécanique", in La Mécanique du cœur (album by Dionysos) ; plays with Arno (themselves) in the film J'ai toujours rêvé d'être un gangster (director : Samuel Benchetrit).
• 2008 : sings "L.U.V.", duet with Daniel Darc, in Amours suprêmes ; "I Can't Escape from You", duet with Étienne Daho, in the Daho Show ; (re)records the classic album L'Homme à tête de chou (Serge Gainsbourg) for stage.

Last albums

• 2002 : L'Imprudence, inspired by music from old films according to Alain Bashung.
• 2008 : Bleu pétrole (collaborations with Gaëtan Roussel (Louise Attaque), Arman Méliès and Gérard Manset – Bashung sings "Il voyage en solitaire", last track of his last album).

Final months[link]

On 1 January 2009, Bashung was made Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur.^[2] On 28 February 2009, he received three prestigious Victoires de la Musique awards for his final album Bleu pétrole. The 2009 award ceremony was his last public appearance. He appeared frail, but still performed "Résidents de la République."

Bashung died in Paris on 14 March 2009 from lung cancer at the age of 61. He was buried on 20 March 2009 in the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Discography[link]

Studio Albums[link]

Singles[link]

Live albums[link]

• 1985 : Live Tour 85
• 1992 : Tour novice
• 1995 : Confessions publiques
• 2004 : La Tournée des grands espaces

Filmography[link]

Actor[link]

• 1981 : Nestor Burma, détective de choc de Jean-Luc Miesch
• 1981 : Le Cimetière des voitures de Fernando Arrabal
• 1991 : Rien que des mensonges de Paule Muret
• 1992 : L'Ombre du doute de Aline Issermann
• 1994 : Ma sœur chinoise de Alain Mazars
• 1995 : Le Jeu de la clé de Michel Hassan
• 1998 : Mon père, ma mère, mes frères et mes sœurs... de Charlotte de Turckheim
• 1999 : Je veux tout de Patrick Braoudé
• 2000 : La Confusion des Genres de Ilan Duran Cohen
• 2000 : Retour à la vie de Pascal Baeumler (avec Emmanuelle Laborit)
• 2000 : Félix et Lola de Patrice Leconte
• 2000 : L'Origine du monde de Jérôme Enrico
• 2002 : La Bande du drugstore de François Armanet
• 2003 : Le P'tit Curieux de Jean Marbœuf
• 2006 : Arthur et les Minimoys de Luc Besson (voix de M Le maudit)
• 2007 : J'ai toujours rêvé d'être un gangster de Samuel Benchetrit

Composer[link]

• 1981 : Nestor Burma, détective de choc de Jean-Luc Miesch
• 1985 : Le Quatrième Pouvoir de Serge Leroy
• 1986 : Le Beauf de Yves Amoureux
• 1992 : Le Jeune Werther de Jacques Doillon
• 1994 : Pigalle de Karim Dridi
• 1999 : Ma petite entreprise de Pierre Jolivet

References[link]

External links[link]

• Alain Bashung – Official Website
• Alain Bashung – Website (discography, songs, news)
• Listen to Alain Bashung's discography
• IMDb
• Alain Bashung: Revered singer and actor described as 'the gentleman rocker of French chanson' , obituary from The Independent
• Alain Bashung dies, Radio France Internationale in English
• Site sur Alain Bashung
• Ma Petite Entreprise : The Life of Alain Bashung, featured at http://www.4ortherecord.com