Baldwin II, Count of Flanders
| Baldwin II | |
|---|---|
| Margrave of Flanders | |
Baldwin II from the 16th century
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| Spouse(s) | Ælfthryth of Wessex |
Issue
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| Noble family | House of Flanders |
| Father | Baldwin I of Flanders |
| Mother | Judith of Flanders |
| Born | c. 865 |
| Died | 10 September 918 (aged 52–53) |
Baldwin II (c.865– 10 September 918) was the second margrave (or count) of Flanders, ruling from 879 to 918. He was nicknamed the Bald (Calvus) after his maternal grandfather, King Charles the Bald.
Baldwin II was born around 865 to Baldwin I of Flanders and Judith of Flanders, the great-granddaughter of Charlemagne.
The early years of Baldwin's rule were marked by a series of devastating Viking raids into Flanders. By 883 CE, he was forced to move north to Pagus Flandransis, which became the territory most closely associated with the Counts of Flanders. Baldwin constructed a series of wooden fortifications at Saint-Omer, Bruges, Ghent, and Kortrijk. He then seized lands that were abandoned by royal and ecclesiastical officials. Many of these same citadels later formed castellanies which housed government, militia, and local courts.
In 884 CE, Baldwin II married Ælfthryth (or Elftrude or Elfrida), the daughter of Alfred the Great. The immediate goal of that Anglo-Flemish alliance was to help Baldwin control the lower Canche River valley.
In 888 CE, the western Frankish king, Charles the Fat, was deposed, leaving several candidates vying to replace him. As a grandson of Charles the Bald, Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia, Baldwin could have competed for the crown of West Francia. Instead, Baldwin and others tried to convince the East Frankish King, Arnulf, to take the West Frankish crown, but Arnulf declined.
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