# Massacre of Verden (782)

URL: https://germany-history.com/timeline/782-massacre-of-verden
Location: Verden, Lower Saxony
Categories: main-event

According to the Frankish royal annals, in 782 Charlemagne ordered the execution of 4,500 Saxons at Verden after a Saxon rebellion. The massacre was one of the bloodiest episodes of the Saxon Wars. Its scale and memory have been debated by historians ever since.

## Why it matters
It symbolises the brutality of the forced Christianisation of the Saxons.

Ruler at the time: [Charlemagne](https://germany-history.com/rulers/charlemagne)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia – Massacre of Verden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Verden)