Oaths of Strasbourg

The Oaths of Strasbourg were two pledges made in 842 by Charles the Bald and Louis the German, grandsons of Charlemagne, to support each other against their brother, Lothair I. In these oaths, they swore loyalty and assistance in a conflict over territory. The significance lies in the fact that the oaths were recorded in both Latin and an early form of Old French, marking one of the earliest uses of a vernacular language in official documents. This event is seen as a key moment in the formation of modern France and Germany, reflecting the fragmentation of Charlemagne's empire.