Sorbian March
Encyclopedia
The Sorb March was a frontier district
on the eastern border of East Francia in the 9th through 11th centuries. It was composed of several counties bordering the Sorbs
. The Sorbian march seems to have comprised the eastern part of Thuringia
.
The Sorbian march was sometimes referred to as the Thuringian March. The term "Sorbian march" appears only four times in the Annales Fuldenses
and only three rulers are recorded: Poppo
, Thachulf
, and Radulf
. The commanders of the Sorbian march bore the title dux Sorabici (limitis) in the Annales, but are also referred to elsewhere as counts (comites), margrave
s (marchiones), and dukes of Thuringia
(duces Thuringorum). The march was probably ruled primarily by the Babenberg family. The boundary between Thuringia and the Sorbs was defined as the Saale
river by Einhard
, writing in the 830s: ("the river Saale, which divides the Thuringii and the Sorbs"). Erfurt
was the chief economic centre of eastern Thuringia at the time. The Sorbian march probably (loosely) included the land east of the Saale as far as the Elster
and the Pleisse, which might have been controlled by castles. Whether the Sorbian march itself was only the area west of the Saale, east of it, or on both sides is impossible to tell.
The Sorbian march was frequently troubled in the 9th century by insurrection on the part of the Slavs, who were tributaries of the Germans. In the 10th century, however, the march formed part of the vast marca Geronis
from 937 until 965. During this period, the Sorbs were reduced to serf
dom and the march largely pacified. After 965, it formed a part of the March of Meissen.
Marches
A march or mark refers to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe....
on the eastern border of East Francia in the 9th through 11th centuries. It was composed of several counties bordering 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...
. The Sorbian march seems to have comprised the eastern part 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....
.
The Sorbian march was sometimes referred to as the Thuringian March. The term "Sorbian march" appears only four times in the Annales Fuldenses
Annales Fuldenses
The Annales Fuldenses or Annals of Fulda are East Frankish chronicles that cover independently the period from the last years of Louis the Pious to shortly after the end of effective Carolingian rule in East Francia with the accession of the child-king, Louis III, in 900...
and only three rulers are recorded: 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 ....
, 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...
, and 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...
. The commanders of the Sorbian march bore the title dux Sorabici (limitis) in the Annales, but are also referred to elsewhere as counts (comites), margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
s (marchiones), and dukes of Thuringia
Rulers of Thuringia
This is a list of the rulers of Thuringia, an historical and political region of Central Germany.-Kings of Thuringia:*450–500 Bisinus*500–530 Baderich*500–530 Berthachar*500–531 Herminafried*fl...
(duces Thuringorum). The march was probably ruled primarily by the Babenberg family. The boundary between Thuringia and the Sorbs was defined as the Saale
Saale
The Saale, also known as the Saxon Saale and Thuringian Saale , is a river in Germany and a left-bank tributary of the Elbe. It is not to be confused with the smaller Franconian Saale, a right-bank tributary of the Main, or the Saale in Lower Saxony, a tributary of the Leine.-Course:The Saale...
river by Einhard
Einhard
Einhard was a Frankish scholar and courtier. Einhard was a dedicated servant of Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious; his main work is a biography of Charlemagne, the Vita Karoli Magni, "one of the most precious literary bequests of the early Middle Ages."-Public life:Einhard was from the eastern...
, writing in the 830s: ("the river Saale, which divides the Thuringii and the Sorbs"). Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
was the chief economic centre of eastern Thuringia at the time. The Sorbian march probably (loosely) included the land east of the Saale as far as the Elster
Weiße Elster
The White Elster or Weisse Elster is a long river in central Europe, right tributary of the Saale. Its source is in the westernmost part of the Czech Republic, near Aš. After a few kilometres, it flows into eastern Germany...
and the Pleisse, which might have been controlled by castles. Whether the Sorbian march itself was only the area west of the Saale, east of it, or on both sides is impossible to tell.
The Sorbian march was frequently troubled in the 9th century by insurrection on the part of the Slavs, who were tributaries of the Germans. In the 10th century, however, the march formed part of the vast marca Geronis
Marca Geronis
The Marca Geronis was a vast super-march in the middle of the tenth century. It was created probably for Thietmar and passed to his two sons consecutively: Siegfried and Gero...
from 937 until 965. During this period, the Sorbs were reduced to serf
SERF
A spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
dom and the march largely pacified. After 965, it formed a part of the March of Meissen.
Sources
- Reuter, Timothy (trans.) The Annals of Fulda. (Manchester Medieval series, Ninth-Century Histories, Volume II.) Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1992.
- Thompson, James WestfallJames Westfall ThompsonJames Westfall Thompson was an American historian specializing in the history of medieval and early modern Europe, particularly of the Holy Roman Empire and France...
. Feudal Germany, Volume II. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1928. - Leyser, Karl (January 1968) "Henry I and the Beginnings of the Saxon Empire", The English Historical Review, 83(326):1–32.