With the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, eastern France populations dispersed. This phenomenon favored the return of wolves in the region of Gérardmer. The neighboring forests were indeed large in both number and size. Charlemagne used to hunt wolves and bears on these lands. He decided to create a new institution, the louveterie (wolf officers). The counts, vassals of the Emperor, were now responsible for hunting down wolves, practicing the art of war at lower cost and risk. Charlemagne had found a way to divert and channel the violence of his nobles. Nowadays, wolves are a symbol of a diversified ecosystem.