Schwabengau
Encyclopedia
The Schwabengau was an early medieval shire (Gau) in the Eastphalia
region of the Duchy of Saxony
. It is located in present-day Saxony-Anhalt
.
The Schwabengau is bordered by the River Bode in the north and west and by the River Saale
in the east. The southern border is somewhat south of the River Wipper
. Adjacent shires are (from north, clockwise): Nordthüringgau
, Serimunt, Hassegau
, Helmegau, Harzgau
. Towns include Aderstedt, Ballenstedt
, Hadmersleben
, Gröningen
. It belonged to the diocese of the Bishop of Halberstadt.
The Schwabengau belonged to the Kingdom of the Thuringii
which was conquered by the Frankish Empire
in 532. By the year 1200, the Schwabengau had been replaced by the County of Aschersleben, the County of Anhalt
, and the County of Falkenstein, all of which were ruled by the Ascanian House, which originated in Aschersleben, soon thereafter. When the Ascanians divided their territories in 1212, the former Schwabengau became the western part of the newly-founded state of Anhalt. The rough outline of the Schwabengau can still be seen in the borders of Anhalt in the early 20th century.
The origin of the name of the Schwabengau is somewhat mysterious. It without doubt refers to the tribe of the Suebi
; however it is located far away from the main territory of the Suebi, the Duchy of Swabia
. There are two explanations for the name: first, since Suebi were located in the Elbe
area in the 1st century according to Tacitus
, some of them must have stayed there, and the Schwabengau is their last remainder; second, that people from the Duchy of Swabia colonized the area in the 6th century, after the Frankish conquest. Other nearby shires (Friesenfeld and Engelin) are also named after distant Germanic tribes.
Known counts of the Schwabengau include:
Eastphalia
Eastphalia is a historical region in northern Germany, encompassing the eastern part of the historic Duchy of Saxony, between the Elbe, Leine, Saale and Unstrut rivers. Today, it covers the southeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony and the western part of Saxony-Anhalt.-Etymology:The name...
region of the Duchy of 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...
. It is located in present-day Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
.
The Schwabengau is bordered by the River Bode in the north and west and by the River 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...
in the east. The southern border is somewhat south of the River Wipper
Wipper (Saale)
The Wipper is a river in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, left tributary of the Saale and has a length of 85 km. The name is coming from the old German word "Uipparaha" which means "singing, springing river".-River course:...
. Adjacent shires are (from north, clockwise): Nordthüringgau
Nordthüringgau
The Nordthüringgau was an early medieval county in the Eastphalia region of the Duchy of Saxony. It was bounded by the River Elbe in the east, by the River Bode in the southwest, the Lappwald in the west, and the Drömling forest in the northwest...
, Serimunt, Hassegau
Hassegau
The Hassegau was an early medieval shire in the Eastphalia region of the Duchy of Saxony. It was located in the corner between the Saale , Unstrut , and Wipper rivers; its most important town was Merseburg...
, Helmegau, Harzgau
Harzgau
The Harzgau was a medieval 'gau' county near the northeastern Harz mountains in the Eastphalia region of the Duchy of Saxony. It included the towns of Halberstadt, Quedlinburg, and Osterwieck, and was bounded by the Oker in the west, by the Großer Graben in the north, the Bode in the east, and the...
. Towns include Aderstedt, Ballenstedt
Ballenstedt
Ballenstedt is a town in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is situated at the northern rim of the Harz mountain range, about 10 km southeast of Quedlinburg. The municipality includes the villages of Badeborn and Oppenrode...
, Hadmersleben
Hadmersleben
Hadmersleben is a town and a former municipality in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 September 2010, it is part of the town Oschersleben....
, Gröningen
Gröningen
Gröningen is a town in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It lies approx. 40 km south-west of Magdeburg, and 10 km east of Halberstadt. It has 4,180 inhabitants . Gröningen is part of the Verbandsgemeinde Westliche Börde....
. It belonged to the diocese of the Bishop of Halberstadt.
The Schwabengau belonged to the Kingdom 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...
which was conquered by the Frankish Empire
Frankish Empire
Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
in 532. By the year 1200, the Schwabengau had been replaced by the County of Aschersleben, the County of Anhalt
Anhalt
Anhalt was a sovereign county in Germany, located between the Harz Mountains and the river Elbe in Middle Germany. It now forms part of the state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Dukes of Anhalt :...
, and the County of Falkenstein, all of which were ruled by the Ascanian House, which originated in Aschersleben, soon thereafter. When the Ascanians divided their territories in 1212, the former Schwabengau became the western part of the newly-founded state of Anhalt. The rough outline of the Schwabengau can still be seen in the borders of Anhalt in the early 20th century.
The origin of the name of the Schwabengau is somewhat mysterious. It without doubt refers to the tribe of the Suebi
Suebi
The Suebi or Suevi were a group of Germanic peoples who were first mentioned by Julius Caesar in connection with Ariovistus' campaign, c...
; however it is located far away from the main territory of the Suebi, the Duchy of Swabia
Duchy of Swabia
Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany.-History:...
. There are two explanations for the name: first, since Suebi were located in the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
area in the 1st century according to Tacitus
Tacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
, some of them must have stayed there, and the Schwabengau is their last remainder; second, that people from the Duchy of Swabia colonized the area in the 6th century, after the Frankish conquest. Other nearby shires (Friesenfeld and Engelin) are also named after distant Germanic tribes.
Known counts of the Schwabengau include:
- Thietmar, Margrave of MeissenThietmar, Margrave of MeissenThietmar was the Margrave of Meissen from 970 until his death. Thietmar was the eldest of three brothers, all sons of Hidda, sister of Gero the Great, and Count Christian of Thuringia...
(died c. 978) - 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...
(died 985) - Odo I, Margrave of the Saxon OstmarkOdo I, Margrave of the Saxon OstmarkOdo I was the Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark from 965 until his death....
(died 993) - Gero II, Margrave of the Saxon OstmarkGero II, Margrave of the Saxon OstmarkGero II was the eldest son of Thietmar, Margrave of Meissen, and Schwanehilde , daughter of Herman, Duke of Saxony. He was therefore probably a grandson of Hidda and Christian of Thuringia and named for his great uncle Gero the Great...
(died 1015) - Thietmar, Margrave of the Saxon OstmarkThietmar, Margrave of the Saxon OstmarkThietmar was the Count of the Schwabengau and Nordthüringgau from 1010 and the Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark from 1015 until his death. He was the son and successor of Margrave Gero II. His mother was Adelaide....
(died 1030) - Esico of BallenstedtEsico of BallenstedtEsico of Ballenstedt is the top ancestor of the House of Ascania, i.e., he is the oldest member of the house known for certain. Little is known about him, but he is assumed to have been count of the Schwabengau and of the Harzgau with his seat at Ballenstedt...
(died c. 1060), member of the Ascanian House