List of marches
Encyclopedia
Northeastern marches
At the beginning of his rule as king of GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Otto I
Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
tried to reorganize his realm to prepare an expansion to the East. At the beginning of the year 937, he created two marches: the March of the Billungen, given to Hermann Billung, later Duke of Saxony; and the Eastern march, given to Gero
Gero
Gero I , called the Great , ruled an initially modest march centred on Merseburg, which he expanded into a vast territory named after him: the marca Geronis. During the mid-10th century, he was the leader of the Saxon Drang nach Osten.-Succession and early conflicts:Gero was the son of Count...
. In 961, when Billung became Duke of Saxony, his March was merged with the duchy. In the case of Gero, Otto I, now emperor, decided the division of his territories, greatly expanded since 937.
- March of Billung (937-961): Carved from the Duchy of Saxony, then merged back.
- 937-961: Hermann Billung
- March of Gero, sometimes called Nordmark or Ostmark (937-965): Carved from the Duchy of Saxony, then divided in five marches.
- 937-965: Gero
- NordmarkNorthern MarchThe Northern March or North March was created out of the division of the vast Marca Geronis in 965. It initially comprised the northern third of the Marca and was part of the territorial organisation of areas conquered from the Wends...
, later known as March of Brandenburg (from 965): Carved from the March of Gero.- 965-985: Dietrich von Haldensleben
- 985-1003: Lothar I of Walbeck
- OstmarkSaxon Eastern MarchThe Saxon Eastern March or Ostmark was a march of the Holy Roman Empire from the 10th until the 12th century. The term "eastern march" or "ostmark" comes from the Latin term marchia Orientalis and originally could refer to either a march created on the eastern frontier of the Duchy of Saxony or...
, sometime confused with Nordmark, later known as Lusatia (from 965): Carved from the March of Gero.- 965-979: Thietmar I
- 979-993: Hodo I
- 993-1015: Gero II
- Meissen, also called March of Thuringia (from 965): Carved from the March of Gero.
- 965-979: WigbertWigbertSaint Wigbert, born in Wessex around 670, was an Anglo-Saxon Benedictine monk from the monastery of Glastonbury and a missionary and disciple of Saint Boniface who traveled with the latter in Frisia and northern and central Germany to convert the local tribes to Christianity...
- 979-985: RikdagRikdagRikdag, Ricdag, Riddag, or Rihdag was the Margrave of Meissen from 979 until his death. In 982, he acquired the marches of Merseburg and Zeitz. In 985, he was made count in the Schwabengau. He temporarily reunited all of the southern marca Geronis under his command...
- 985-1002: Ekkehard IEkkehard IEkkehard I , called Major , was a monk of the Abbey of Saint Gall. He was of noble birth, of the Jonschwyl family in Toggenburg, and was educated in the monastery of St. Gall; after joining the Benedictine Order, he was appointed director of the inner school there...
- 965-979: Wigbert
- Merseburg (965-982): Carved from the March of Gero, annexed to Meissen.
- 965-982: GüntherGüntherThe Germanic first name Günther, Günter, Gunther or Guenther, also Gunthar, refers to various medieval persons, including:*Blessed Gunther, Bohemian hermit*Gunther, semi-legendary 5th century king of the Burgundians...
- 965-982: Günther
- ZeitzMarch of ZeitzThe March of Zeitz was a frontier county of the Holy Roman Empire, created through the division of the marca Geronis in 965, when the Emperor Otto I, on the death of Gero the Great. Its capital was Zeitz. Its first and only margrave was Wigger...
(965-979): Carved from the March of Gero, annexed to Meissen.- 965-979: Wigger IWigger IWigger I was the father of a line of counts ruling from his new castle of Bilstein, west of Albungen to the Werra...
- 965-979: Wigger I
- March of MoraviaMarch of MoraviaThe March or Margraviate of Moravia, was a marcher state, sometimes de facto independent and varyingly within the power of the Duchy, later Kingdom of Bohemia...
(1182-1918): Created by Frederick I, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick I, Holy Roman EmperorFrederick I Barbarossa was a German Holy Roman Emperor. He was elected King of Germany at Frankfurt on 4 March 1152 and crowned in Aachen on 9 March, crowned King of Italy in Pavia in 1155, and finally crowned Roman Emperor by Pope Adrian IV, on 18 June 1155, and two years later in 1157 the term...
.
Northwestern marches
In 861, Charles the BaldCharles the Bald
Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
, king of France, created two marches to protect his realm from warriors coming from Brittany and Normandy. Both were named March of Neustria
March of Neustria
The marches of Neustria were creations of the Carolingian king of West Francia covering the ancient Merovingian kingdom of Neustria. Originally, there were two marches, one against the Bretons and one against the Norsemen created by Charles the Bald in 861. These two marches are often called the...
, but will be known as March of Brittany and March of Normandy. In 863, the king created the March of Flanders.
- March of Brittany (861-987): Annexed to the Kingdom of France.
- 861-866: Robert the StrongRobert the StrongRobert IV the Strong , also known as Rutpert, was Margrave in Neustria. His family is named after him and called Robertians. He was first nominated by Charles the Bald missus dominicus in 853. Robert was the father of the kings Odo and Robert I of France. Robert was the great-grandfather of Hugh...
- 861-866: Robert the Strong
- March of Normandy (861-987): Annexed to the Kingdom of France.
- 861-865: AdalhardAdalard the SeneschalAdalard, also known as Adalhard or Alard, and called the Seneschal, was a Frankish nobleman of the ninth century. He served as warden of the Norman march from 861 to 865....
, Udo of NeustriaUdo of NeustriaUdo was a 9th-century nobleman of East Francia, a son of Gebhard, Count of Lahngau, and older brother of Berengar I of Neustria. He and his brother were afforded their position in the March of Neustria both by kinship to Adalard the Seneschal and the favour of Charles the Bald.With his brothers,...
and Berengar I of NeustriaBerengar I of NeustriaBerengar I was a 9th-century nobleman of East Francia, a son of Gebhard, Count of Lahngau, and younger brother of Udo. He and his brother were created Margraves of Neustria by Charles the Bald in 861....
(jointly)
- 861-865: Adalhard
- March of FlandersCounty of FlandersThe County of Flanders was one of the territories constituting the Low Countries. The county existed from 862 to 1795. It was one of the original secular fiefs of France and for centuries was one of the most affluent regions in Europe....
(863-877): Downgraded to a County after.- 863-877: Baldwin IBaldwin I, Count of FlandersBaldwin I , also known as Baldwin Iron Arm , was the first count of Flanders....
- 863-877: Baldwin I
Southeastern marches
- OstmarkMarch of AustriaThe March of Austria was created in 976 out of the territory that probably formed the earlier March of Pannonia. It is also called the Margraviate of Austria or the Bavarian Eastern March. In contemporary Latin, it was the marchia Austriae, Austrie marchionibus, or the marcha Orientalis...
, later known as Austria. - CarinthiaMarch of CarinthiaThe March of Carinthia was a frontier district of the Carolingian Empire created in 889. Before it was a march, it had been a principality or duchy ruled by native-born Slavic princes at first independently and then under Bavarian and subsequently Frankish suzerainty...
(889-1012), later a Duchy. - FriuliMarch of FriuliThe March of Friuli was a Carolingian frontier march against the Slavs and Avars in the ninth and tenth centuries. It was a successor to the Lombard Duchy of Friuli....
(776-927) - CarniolaMarch of CarniolaThe March of Carniola was a southeastern state of the Holy Roman Empire in the High Middle Ages, the predecessor of the Duchy of Carniola. It corresponded roughly to the central Carniolan region of present-day Slovenia...
(927-1071): Carved from Friuli, annexed to the Patriarchy of Aquileia. - IstriaMarch of IstriaThe Margravate of Istria was originally a Carolingian frontier march covering the Istrian peninsula and surrounding territory conquered by Charlemagne's son Pepin of Italy in 789...
(1062-1209): Carved from Carinthia, annexed to the Patriarchy of Aquileia. - VeronaMarch of VeronaThe March of Verona and Aquileia was a vast march in northeastern Italy during the Middle Ages, centered on the cities of Verona and Aquileia. Except for Venice, it included the territories of the modern-day regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia as well as Istria and Trentino up to the Adige...
(1061-1250): Created by the Emperor as a gift, annexed to Austria. - TuscanyMarch of TuscanyThe March of Tuscany or Tuscia was a frontier march in central Italy, bordering the Papal States to the south and east, the Ligurian Sea to the west, and the rest of the Kingdom of Italy to the north. It was a Carolingian creation, a successor of the Lombard Duchy of Tuscia...
(931-1173): Created by the Italian king Hugh of Arles for his brother, then annexed to the Empire.- 931-936: Boso of TuscanyBoso of TuscanyBoso was the count of Arles and Avignon , and margrave of Tuscany . He was the younger son of Theobald of Arles and Bertha, illegitimate daughter of Lothair II of Lotharingia. His elder brother was Hugh, king of Italy.Boso supported his brother's Italian designs...
- 931-936: Boso of Tuscany
- IvreaMarch of IvreaThe March of Ivrea was a large frontier county in the northwest of the medieval Italian kingdom from the late 9th to the early 11th century. Its capital was Ivrea in present-day Piedmont, and it was held by a Burgundian family of margraves called the Anscarids...
(888888Year 888 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* January 13 – With the death of Charles the Fat, the Frankish kingdom is split again, and this time permanently...
-1015): Created by Guy III of SpoletoGuy III of SpoletoGuy of Spoleto , sometimes known by the Italian version of his name, Guido, or by the German version, Wido, was the Margrave of Camerino from 880 and then Duke of Spoleto and Camerino from 883. He was crowned King of Italy in 889 and Holy Roman Emperor in 891...
Southwestern marches
- Spanish MarchMarca HispanicaThe Marca Hispanica , also known as Spanish March or March of Barcelona was a buffer zone beyond the province of Septimania, created by Charlemagne in 795 as a defensive barrier between the Umayyad Moors of Al-Andalus and the Frankish Kingdom....
, also named Gothia and Septimania (806-885): Created to protect Frankish heartland from Al-AndalusAl-AndalusAl-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
invasions, merged into Aquitaine.- 806-816: Beggo of ParisBeggo of ParisBeggo was the son of Gerard I of Paris and Rotrude, daughter of Carloman, son of Charles Martel. He was appointed Count of Toulouse, Duke of Septimania, Duke of Aquitaine, and Margrave of the Hispanic March in 806 and followed his father as Count of Paris in 815.In 806, William of Gellone...
- 820-825: Rampon, Count of Barcelona
- 826-832: Bernard of Septimania
- 832-835: Berengar von Toulouse
- 835-844: Bernard of Septimania
- 806-816: Beggo of Paris
- Upper March (al-Tagr al-A'la al-Andalusi), centered on ZaragozaZaragozaZaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
: created to protect the Emirate of CordobaCaliphate of CórdobaThe Caliphate of Córdoba ruled the Iberian peninsula and part of North Africa, from the city of Córdoba, from 929 to 1031. This period was characterized by remarkable success in trade and culture; many of the masterpieces of Islamic Iberia were constructed in this period, including the famous...
from Frankish coastal and east-Pyrenees invasions. - Middle March (al-Tagr al-Awsat), centered on ToledoToledo, SpainToledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
and later MedinaceliMedinaceliMedinaceli is a municipality and town in the province of Soria . Its name derives from the Arabic toponym madīnat sālim . The town is named after one Salim bin Waral, head of a Masmuda Berber family which settled there in the 8th century....
: created to protect the Emirate of Cordoba from invasions from the west-Pyrenees and AsturiasKingdom of AsturiasThe Kingdom of Asturias was a Kingdom in the Iberian peninsula founded in 718 by Visigothic nobles under the leadership of Pelagius of Asturias. It was the first Christian political entity established following the collapse of the Visigothic kingdom after Islamic conquest of Hispania...
. - Lower March (al-Tagr al-Adna) or Distant March (al-Tagr al-Aqsa), centered on MéridaMérida, SpainMérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
: created to protect the Emirate of Cordoba from Asturian incursions. - CastileKingdom of CastileKingdom of Castile was one of the medieval kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula. It emerged as a political autonomous entity in the 9th century. It was called County of Castile and was held in vassalage from the Kingdom of León. Its name comes from the host of castles constructed in the region...
, named for the fortifications typical of a march: created to protect the Asturian kingdom from Cordoban invasions. It developed into a county, then a kingdom. - Provence (905-1105): From 975 it became a family title, the eldest bearing it. It disappeared after the death of Raymond IV of Toulouse.
- 905-936: Hugh of ItalyHugh of ItalyHugh of Arles was King of Italy from 924 until his death. He was a Bosonid. During his reign, he empowered his relatives at the expense of the aristocracy and tried to establish a relationship with the Byzantine-Roman Empire...
- 936-948: Hugh, Duke of Burgundy
- 948-975: Conrad of BurgundyConrad of BurgundyConrad the Peaceful was the king of Burgundy from 937 until his death. He was the son of King Rudolph II, the first king of a united Burgundy and Bertha of Swabia...
- 975-993: William I of ProvenceWilliam I of ProvenceWilliam I , called the Liberator, was Count of Provence from 968 to his abdication. In 975 or 979, he took the title of marchio or margrave. He is often considered the founder of the county of Provence...
- 993-1005: Rotbold II of ProvenceRotbold II of ProvenceRotbold II was the Count of Provence from 968 to his death and margrave from 993. He was the elder of two sons of Boso II of Arles and Constance, the younger being William I, who took up the title of marchio in 979 and that of dux later...
- 1005-1014: Rotbold III of ProvenceRotbold III of ProvenceRotbold III was the Count and Margrave of Provence from 1005 to his death. He was the only son of Rotbold II and Emilde, daughter of Stephen, Viscount of Gévaudan. He inherited all his father's titles on his death in 1008...
- 1014-1037: William III of ProvenceWilliam III of ProvenceWilliam III was the Count and Margrave of Provence from 1014 to his death. He inherited his titles from his father Rotbold III....
- 1037-1051: Fulk Bertrand of ProvenceFulk Bertrand of ProvenceFulk Bertrand I was the joint Count of Provence with his elder brother William IV from 1018 and with his younger brother Geoffrey I from at least 1032 if not earlier. After William's death, Fulk assumed the title of margrave, indicating headship of the dynasty...
- 1051-1061: Geoffrey I of ProvenceGeoffrey I of ProvenceGeoffrey I or Josfred was the joint Count of Provence with his elder brothers William IV and Fulk from 1018 to his death. He was the third son of William II of Provence and Gerberga of Mâcon and a scion of the younger line of the family...
- 1061-1094: William Bertrand of ProvenceWilliam Bertrand of ProvenceWilliam Bertrand , known as William V or Bertrand I or II, was the count and margrave of Provence from 1051 to his death...
- 1094-1105: Raymond IV of ToulouseRaymond IV of ToulouseRaymond IV of Toulouse , sometimes called Raymond of St Gilles, was Count of Toulouse, Duke of Narbonne, and Margrave of Provence and one of the leaders of the First Crusade. He was a son of Pons of Toulouse and Almodis de La Marche...
- 905-936: Hugh of Italy
- Aquitaine (885-886): Successor to the Spanish March, became a Duchy.
- Bernard PlantapilosaBernard PlantapilosaBernard Plantapilosa , or Plantevelue, son of Bernard of Septimania and Dhuoda, was the Count of Auvergne from 872 to his death. The Emperor Charles the Fat granted him the title of Margrave of Aquitaine in 885....
- Bernard Plantapilosa
March as modern-era regional toponym
- Altmark (Old March)AltmarkThe Altmark is a historic region in Germany, comprising the northern third of Saxony-Anhalt. As the initial territory of the Brandenburg margraves, it is sometimes referred to as the "Cradle of Prussia", as by Otto von Bismarck, a native from Schönhausen near Stendal.- Geography :The Altmark is...
, region in northern Saxony-Anhalt - Altmarkkreis SalzwedelAltmarkkreis SalzwedelAltmarkkreis Salzwedel is a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is bounded by the districts Gifhorn, Uelzen, Lüchow-Dannenberg in Lower Saxony, and the districts of Stendal and Ohrekreis.- History :...
, district of Saxony-Anhalt - DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, a sovereign state - FinnmarkFinnmarkor Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
, a county of NorwayCounties of NorwayNorway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities... - Grenzmark Posen-West Prussia, province of PrussiaProvinces of PrussiaThe Provinces of Prussia constituted the main administrative divisions of Prussia. Following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 and the Congress of Vienna in 1815 the various princely states in Germany gained their nominal sovereignty, but the reunification process that culminated in...
(1922–1938) - HedmarkHedmarkis a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...
, a county of NorwayCounties of NorwayNorway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities... - Kurmark (Electoral March)KurmarkKurmark is a German term meaning "Electoral March", referring to territory of the former Electorate of Brandenburg. The Kurmark included the Altmark, the Mittelmark, the Uckermark, the Prignitz, and the lordships of Beeskow and Storkow...
, former expression for a region in today's western Brandenburg - LappmarkenLappmarkenLappmarken was an earlier Swedish name for the northern part of the old Kingdom of Sweden specifically inhabited by the Sami people. In addition to the present-day Swedish Lapland, it also covered Västerbotten, Jämtland and Härjedalen, as well as the Finnish Lapland. As a name, it is related to...
, a region and former governorate in northern Sweden - March of BrandenburgBrandenburgBrandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
(colloquial, but not official), state of GermanyStates of GermanyGermany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries... - MarcheMarcheThe population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, region of Italy - Mittelmark (Middle March)MittelmarkMittelmark is a historical region in present-day eastern Germany that was the core territory of the Margraviate of Brandenburg between the Oder and Elbe rivers....
, region in central Brandenburg - Potsdam-MittelmarkPotsdam-MittelmarkPotsdam-Mittelmark is a Kreis in the western part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring are the district Havelland, the district free cities Brandenburg and Potsdam, the Bundesland Berlin, the district Teltow-Fläming, and the districts Wittenberg, Anhalt-Bitterfeld and Jerichower Land in...
, district of Brandenburg - New March, former expression for a region in western Poland
- TelemarkTelemarkis a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
, a county of NorwayCounties of NorwayNorway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities... - UckermarkUckermarkUckermark is a Kreis in the northeastern part of Brandenburg, Germany. Neighboring districts are Barnim and Oberhavel, the districts Mecklenburgische Seenplatte and Vorpommern-Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and to the east Poland . It is the largest district of Germany areawise...
, a region in northeastern Brandenburg and southern Vorpommern - Uckermark (district), a district of Brandenburg