Capitulatio de Partibus Saxoniae

The Capitulatio de Partibus Saxoniae was an ordinance issued by Charlemagne around 785 CE. It was part of his efforts to subdue and convert the Saxons to Christianity and Frankish rule. This capitulary imposed severe penalties, including the death penalty, for actions such as destroying churches, refusing baptism, and violating the Lenten fast. It reflects the brutal methods used during the Frankish campaigns against Saxony, which lasted for decades. While a later capitulary, the Capitulare Saxonicum (797), introduced less harsh measures, the initial capitulary highlights the forceful imposition of Frankish authority and Christian doctrine on the Saxon people.12