Duchy of Thuringia
Encyclopedia
The Duchy of Thuringia was an eastern frontier march of the Merovingian kingdom of Austrasia
, established by Dagobert I
after his victory over the Slavic confederation of Samo
at the Battle of Wogastisburg
in 631/2. It was recreated in the Carolingian empire
, and its dukes appointed by the king until it was absorbed into Saxony
in 908.
The first duke (dux) of Thuringia
, or of the Thuringii
, was Radulf
. According to the Chronicle of Fredegar
, in 641/2 his victories "turned his head" (i.e., made him proud) and he allied with Samo and rebelled against Dagobert's successor, Sigebert III
, even going so far as to declare himself king (rex) of Thuringia. The local ducal dynasty, the Hedenen, supported missionary activity within the duchy, but seems to have lost its hold on Thuringia after the rise of the Pippinids in the early eighth century. A conflict with Charles Martel
around 717–19 brought an end to autonomy.
In 849, the eastern part of Thuringia was organised as the limes Sorabicus, or Sorbian march, and placed under a duke named Thachulf
. In the Annals of Fulda his title is dux Sorabici limitis, "duke of the Sorbian frontier", but he and his successors were commonly known as duces Thuringorum, "dukes of the Thuringians", as they set about establishing their power over the old duchy. After Thachulf's death in 873, the Sorbs
rose in revolt and he was succeeded by his son Radulf
. In 880, King Louis
replaced Radulf with Poppo
, perhaps a kinsman. Poppo instigated a war with Saxony in 882 and in 883 he and his brother Egino
fought a civil war for control of Thuringia, in which the latter was victorious. Egino died in 886 and Poppo resumed command. In 892, King Arnulf
replaced Poppo with Conrad
. This was an act of patronage by the king, for Conrad's house, the Conradines, were soon feuding with Poppo's, the Babenbergs. But Conrad's rule was short, perhaps because he had a lack of local support. He was replaced by Burchard
, whose title in 903 was marchio Thuringionum, "margrave of the Thuringians". Burchard had to defend Thuringia from the incursions of the Magyars and was defeated and killed in battle, along with the former duke Egino, on 3 August 908. He was the last recorded duke of Thuringia. The duchy was the smallest of the so-called "younger stem duchies
", and was absorbed by Saxony after Burchard's death. The Thuringians remained a distinct people, and in the Middle Ages their land was organised as a landgraviate.
"Younger" stem duchy
Austrasia
Austrasia formed the northeastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Metz served as its capital, although some Austrasian kings ruled from Rheims, Trier, and...
, established by Dagobert I
Dagobert I
Dagobert I was the king of Austrasia , king of all the Franks , and king of Neustria and Burgundy . He was the last Merovingian dynast to wield any real royal power...
after his victory over the Slavic confederation of Samo
Samo
Samo was a Frankish merchant from the "Senonian country" , probably modern Soignies, Belgium or Sens, France. He was the first ruler of the Slavs whose name is known, and established one of the earliest Slav states, a supra-tribal union usually called Samo's empire, realm, kingdom, or tribal...
at the Battle of Wogastisburg
Battle of Wogastisburg
According to the contemporary Chronicle of Fredegar, the battle of Wogastisburg was a battle between Slavs under King Samo and Franks under King Dagobert I in 631. The Frankish armies were advancing the area of Slavic tribal union in three streams - Alamanni, Lombards, and Austrasian Franks...
in 631/2. It was recreated in the Carolingian empire
Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
, and its dukes appointed by the king until it was absorbed into Saxony
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
in 908.
The first duke (dux) of Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, or of the Thuringii
Thuringii
The Thuringii or Toringi were a Germanic tribe which appeared late during the Völkerwanderung in the Harz Mountains of central Germania around 280, in a region which still bears their name to this day — Thuringia. They evidently filled a void left when the previous inhabitants — the...
, was Radulf
Radulf, King of Thuringia
Radulf was the Duke of Thuringia from 632 or 633 until his death after 642.According to the Chronicle of Fredegar, he was a son of one Chamar, a Frankish aristocrat, and rose to power under the Merovingian king Dagobert I, who appointed him as dux in the former Thuringian kingdom which Francia...
. According to the Chronicle of Fredegar
Chronicle of Fredegar
The Chronicle of Fredegar is a chronicle that is a primary source of events in Frankish Gaul from 584 to around 641. Later authors continued the history to the coronation of Charlemagne and his brother Carloman on 9 October 768....
, in 641/2 his victories "turned his head" (i.e., made him proud) and he allied with Samo and rebelled against Dagobert's successor, Sigebert III
Sigebert III
Sigebert III was the king of Austrasia from 634 to his death; probably on 1 February 656, or maybe as late as 660. He was the eldest son of Dagobert I....
, even going so far as to declare himself king (rex) of Thuringia. The local ducal dynasty, the Hedenen, supported missionary activity within the duchy, but seems to have lost its hold on Thuringia after the rise of the Pippinids in the early eighth century. A conflict with Charles Martel
Charles Martel
Charles Martel , also known as Charles the Hammer, was a Frankish military and political leader, who served as Mayor of the Palace under the Merovingian kings and ruled de facto during an interregnum at the end of his life, using the title Duke and Prince of the Franks. In 739 he was offered the...
around 717–19 brought an end to autonomy.
In 849, the eastern part of Thuringia was organised as the limes Sorabicus, or Sorbian march, and placed under a duke named Thachulf
Thachulf, Duke of Thuringia
Thacholf, Thachulf, Thaculf, or Thakulf was the Duke of Thuringia from 849 until his death. He held the titles of comes and dux and he ruled over a marca...
. In the Annals of Fulda his title is dux Sorabici limitis, "duke of the Sorbian frontier", but he and his successors were commonly known as duces Thuringorum, "dukes of the Thuringians", as they set about establishing their power over the old duchy. After Thachulf's death in 873, the Sorbs
Sorbs
Sorbs are a Western Slavic people of Central Europe living predominantly in Lusatia, a region on the territory of Germany and Poland. In Germany they live in the states of Brandenburg and Saxony. They speak the Sorbian languages - closely related to Polish and Czech - officially recognized and...
rose in revolt and he was succeeded by his son Radulf
Radulf II, Duke of Thuringia
Radulf or Ratolf was the Duke of Thuringia from 874 until his death. Radulf was the successor and possibly son of Thachulf.On Thachulf's death in August 873, the Sorbs, Siusli, and their neighbours revolted...
. In 880, King Louis
Louis the Younger
Louis the Younger , sometimes Louis III, was the second eldest of the three sons of Louis the German and Emma. He succeeded his father as the King of Saxony on 28 August 876 and his elder brother Carloman as King of Bavaria from 880...
replaced Radulf with Poppo
Poppo, Duke of Thuringia
Poppo II or Boppo II was the Duke of Thuringia from 880 until his deposition in 892. His title was dux Sorabici or dux Thuringorum, sometimes marchio . Before that his title was comes ....
, perhaps a kinsman. Poppo instigated a war with Saxony in 882 and in 883 he and his brother Egino
Egino, Duke of Thuringia
Egino was a count in East Franconia and Duke of Thuringia in the late 9th century. He was a Babenberg, the younger brother of Henry of Franconia and Poppo of Thuringia. All three may have been the sons or grandsons of Poppo of Grapfeld....
fought a civil war for control of Thuringia, in which the latter was victorious. Egino died in 886 and Poppo resumed command. In 892, King Arnulf
Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of East Francia from 887, the disputed King of Italy from 894 and the disputed Holy Roman Emperor from February 22, 896 until his death.-Birth and Illegitimacy:...
replaced Poppo with Conrad
Conrad, Duke of Thuringia
Conrad , called the Old or the Elder, was the Duke of Thuringia from 892 until his death. He was the namesake of the Conradiner family and son of Udo of Neustria. His mother was a daughter of Conrad I of Logenahe . He was the count of the Oberlahngau , Hessengau , Gotzfeldgau , Wetterau , and...
. This was an act of patronage by the king, for Conrad's house, the Conradines, were soon feuding with Poppo's, the Babenbergs. But Conrad's rule was short, perhaps because he had a lack of local support. He was replaced by Burchard
Burchard, Duke of Thuringia
Burchard was the Duke of Thuringia from shortly after 892 until his death. He replaced Poppo as duke shortly after his appointment in 892, but the reasons for Poppo's leaving office are unknown. Burchard may have been a Swabian.In 908 he led a large army in battle against the Magyars...
, whose title in 903 was marchio Thuringionum, "margrave of the Thuringians". Burchard had to defend Thuringia from the incursions of the Magyars and was defeated and killed in battle, along with the former duke Egino, on 3 August 908. He was the last recorded duke of Thuringia. The duchy was the smallest of the so-called "younger stem duchies
Stem duchy
Stem duchies were essentially the domains of the old German tribes of the area, associated with the Frankish Kingdom, especially the East, in the Early Middle Ages. These tribes were originally the Franks, the Saxons, the Alamanni, the Burgundians, the Thuringii, and the Rugii...
", and was absorbed by Saxony after Burchard's death. The Thuringians remained a distinct people, and in the Middle Ages their land was organised as a landgraviate.
List of dukes
"Older" stem duchy- 632–642 Radulf (I)Radulf, King of ThuringiaRadulf was the Duke of Thuringia from 632 or 633 until his death after 642.According to the Chronicle of Fredegar, he was a son of one Chamar, a Frankish aristocrat, and rose to power under the Merovingian king Dagobert I, who appointed him as dux in the former Thuringian kingdom which Francia...
- 642–687 Heden I
- 687–689 Gozbert
- 689–719 Heden II
"Younger" stem duchy
- 849–873 ThachulfThachulf, Duke of ThuringiaThacholf, Thachulf, Thaculf, or Thakulf was the Duke of Thuringia from 849 until his death. He held the titles of comes and dux and he ruled over a marca...
- 874–880 Radulf (II)Radulf II, Duke of ThuringiaRadulf or Ratolf was the Duke of Thuringia from 874 until his death. Radulf was the successor and possibly son of Thachulf.On Thachulf's death in August 873, the Sorbs, Siusli, and their neighbours revolted...
- 880–892 PoppoPoppo, Duke of ThuringiaPoppo II or Boppo II was the Duke of Thuringia from 880 until his deposition in 892. His title was dux Sorabici or dux Thuringorum, sometimes marchio . Before that his title was comes ....
- 882–886 EginoEgino, Duke of ThuringiaEgino was a count in East Franconia and Duke of Thuringia in the late 9th century. He was a Babenberg, the younger brother of Henry of Franconia and Poppo of Thuringia. All three may have been the sons or grandsons of Poppo of Grapfeld....
(in opposition) - 892–906 ConradConrad, Duke of ThuringiaConrad , called the Old or the Elder, was the Duke of Thuringia from 892 until his death. He was the namesake of the Conradiner family and son of Udo of Neustria. His mother was a daughter of Conrad I of Logenahe . He was the count of the Oberlahngau , Hessengau , Gotzfeldgau , Wetterau , and...
- 907–908 BurchardBurchard, Duke of ThuringiaBurchard was the Duke of Thuringia from shortly after 892 until his death. He replaced Poppo as duke shortly after his appointment in 892, but the reasons for Poppo's leaving office are unknown. Burchard may have been a Swabian.In 908 he led a large army in battle against the Magyars...
Further reading
- Gerd Tellenbach. Königtum und Stämme in der Werdezeit des Deutschen Reiches. Quellen und Studien zur Verfassungsgeschichte des Deutschen Reiches in Mittelalter und Neuzeit, vol. 7, pt. 4. Weimar, 1939.