Duchy (Landgraviate) of Thuringia Herzogtum (Landgrafschaft) Thüringen | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 631/32–1440 | |||||||||||
 TheLudowingian lion barry (presumedbanner of arms) .svg) Coat of arms of Landgrave Albert II, 1265 | |||||||||||
| Status | Frankishduchy, thenState of theHoly Roman Empire | ||||||||||
| Capital | Erfurt | ||||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||||||||
| Government | Feudal Duchy | ||||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||||
• Frankish invasion | c. 531 | ||||||||||
• Duchy established | 631/32 | ||||||||||
• Re-established asLandgraviate | 1111/12 | ||||||||||
| 1247 | |||||||||||
• Split offHesse | 1264 | ||||||||||
• ToSaxony | 1440 | ||||||||||
| 1445 | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
TheDuchy of Thuringia, also known as theLandgraviate of Thuringia, was apolity inmedieval Thuringia, initially aduchy, and then alandgraviate. It was centered in the homeland ofThuringians, encompassing territories previously ruled by independentKings of Thuringia. During the first half of the 6th century, Thuringia came under the supreme rule ofFrankish kings, and was organized as an easternfrontier region of theMerovingian kingdom ofAustrasia.[1] It was established as a duchy about 631, by KingDagobert I, who appointed a local Thuringian nobleRadulf as the firstDuke of Thuringia. It was recreated within theCarolingian Empire, and its dukes were appointed by kings ofEast Francia until it was absorbed by theDukes of Saxony in 908, and later ruled by theMargraves of Meissen. Since the beginning of the 12th century, the territory was ruled by theLandgraves of Thuringia asPrinces of the Holy Roman Empire. WhenFrederick IV, the last independent Landgrave of Thuringia died in 1440, the territory passed to his nephew, the Saxon electorFrederick II.
The former kingdom of theThuringi arose during theMigration Period after the decline of theHunnic Empire inCentral Europe in the mid 5th century, culminating in their defeat in the 454Battle of Nedao. WithBisinus a firstThuringian king is documented about 500, who ruled over extended estates that stretched beyond theMain River in the south. His son and successorHermanafrid marriedAmalaberga, a niece of theOstrogoth kingTheoderic the Great, thereby hedging the threat of incursions by the Merovingian Franks in the west. However, when King Theoderic died in 526, they took the occasion to invade the Thuringian lands and finally carried off the victory in a 531 battle on theUnstrut River. KingTheuderic of Rheims had Hermanafrid trapped inZülpich (Tolbiacum) where the last Thuringian king was killed. His niece PrincessRadegund was kidnapped by KingChlothar I and died in exile in 586.
The Thuringian realm was shattered: the territory north of theHarz mountain range was settled bySaxon tribes, while the Franks moved into the southern parts on the Main River. The estates east of theSaale River were beyond Frankish control and taken over byPolabian Slavs.[2]
The first documented duke (dux) of remainingThuringia was a local noble namedRadulf, installed by King Dagobert in the early 630s, while Franks were in conflict with theSlavic tribal alliance of Samo, that was also joined by Thuringian neighborDervan, duke of theSorbs. Radulf was able to secure the Frankish border along the Saale River in the east from Slavic incursions. However, according to theChronicle of Fredegar, in 641/2 his victories "turned his head" (i.e., made him proud) and he rebelled against Dagobert's successor, KingSigebert III. A punitive expedition led by the king and the Frankish Mayor of the PalaceGrimoald ultimately failed and Radulf was able to maintain his semi-autonomous position, even going so far as declaring himself king (rex) of Thuringia and concluding treaties with Slavs and other peoples.[3][4][5][6]
His successors of the local ducal dynasty, theHedenen, supported missionary activity within the duchy, but seem to have lost their hold on Thuringia after the rise of thePippinids in the early eighth century. A conflict withCharles Martel around 717–19 brought an end to autonomy.[7]
In 849, the eastern part of Thuringia was organised as thelimes Sorabicus, orSorbian March, and placed under a duke namedThachulf.[8] In theAnnals of Fulda his title isdux Sorabici limitis, "duke of the Sorbian frontier", but he and his successors were commonly known asduces Thuringorum, "dukes of the Thuringians", as they set about establishing their power over the old duchy.[9] After Thachulf's death in 873, the Sorbs rose in revolt and he was succeeded by his sonRadulf. In 880,King Louis replaced Radulf withPoppo, perhaps a kinsman. Poppo instigated a war with Saxony in 882 and in 883 he and his brotherEgino fought a civil war for control of Thuringia, in which the latter was victorious.[9] Egino died in 886 and Poppo resumed command. In 892,King Arnulf replaced Poppo withConrad. This was an act of patronage by the king, for Conrad's house, theConradines, were soon feuding with Poppo's, theBabenbergs. But Conrad's rule was short, perhaps because he had a lack of local support.[10] He was replaced byBurchard, whose title in 903 wasmarchio Thuringionum, "margrave of the Thuringians". Burchard had to defend Thuringia from the incursions of theMagyars and was defeated and killed in battle, along with the former duke Egino, on 3 August 908.[11][12] 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,[13] when Burchard's sons were finally expelled by DukeHenry the Fowler in 913.
The Thuringians remained a distinct people, and in the 12th century, Thuringia was understood to be the landscape south of the Harz Mountains, along the river Saale, north of the Thuringian Forest, along the Werra between the Rhön Mountains and the mouth of the river Fulda, as well as the region of Eichsfeld. The Thuringian Basin formed the core of Thuringia. The once Thuringian areas east of the river Helme and north of the river Unstrut were considered Saxon territory, as were the once Thuringian marches of Merseburg, Zeitz and Meissen, which were almost exclusively inhabited by Slavs. The Saxon counties belonged to the Archbishopric of Magdeburg under canon law, while Thuringia belonged to the Archbishopric of Mainz. From the 12th century the territory was organised as the Landgraviate of Thuringia.[14][15]
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A separate Thuringian stem duchy did not exist during the emergence of theGerman kingdom fromEast Francia in the 10th century. Large parts of the Thuringian estates were controlled by the Counts ofWeimar and theMargraves of Meissen. According to the medieval chroniclerThietmar of Merseburg, MargraveEckard I (d. 1002) was appointed Thuringian duke. After his assassination 1002, CountWilliam II of Weimar acted as Thuringian spokesman with KingHenry II of Germany. In 1111/12 CountHerman I of Winzenburg is documented as a Thuringian landgrave, the first mention of a secession from Saxony, however, he later had to yield as he sided with thePapacy during theInvestiture Controversy.
Meanwhile, theFranconian aristocratLouis the Springer (1042–1123) laid the foundations for the erection ofWartburg Castle, which became the residence of his descendants who, beginning with his sonLouis I, served as Thuringian landgraves. Louis I had married theRhenish Franconian countessHedwig of Gudensberg and became the heir of extended estates in Thuringia andHesse. A close ally of KingLothair II of Germany against the risingHohenstaufen dynasty, he was appointed Landgrave of Thuringia in 1131. The dynasty maintained the landgraviate throughout the fierce struggle of the Hohenstaufen andWelf royal families, occasionally switching sides according to the circumstances.
Beside the Wartburg, the Ludowingian landgraves had further lavish residences erected, likeNeuenburg Castle ("New Castle") nearFreyburg, andMarburg Castle in their Hessian estates. In the "Golden Age" under Hohenstaufen rule, Thuringia became a centre ofMiddle High German culture, epitomized by the legendarySängerkrieg at the Wartburg, or the ministry of SaintElizabeth, the daughter of KingAndrew II of Hungary. When LandgraveLouis IV married her in 1221, the Ludowingian dynasty had accomplished the advancement to one of the mightiest princely houses of the Holy Roman Empire. Under the rule of the landgravestown privileges were conferred toMühlhausen andNordhausen which becameFree imperial cities, while the largest cityErfurt remained a possession of thePrince-Archbishops of Mainz. The landgraves maintained close ties with theTeutonic Knights, the order established severalcommandries east of the Saale, as inAltenburg andSchleiz, with the administrative seat of the Thuringian bailiwick in Zwätzen nearJena.
The last Thuringian landgraveHenry Raspe reached his appointment as German governor by the Hohenstaufen emperorFrederick II in 1242. However, when Frederick was declared deposed byPope Innocent IV in 1246, he secured the support by the archbishopsSiegfried III of Mainz andConrad of Cologne and had himselfelected Germananti-king. Mocked asrex clericorum his rule remained disputed, though he was able to defeat the troops of Frederick's sonConrad IV he died one year later. His heritage was claimed by both theWettin margraveHenry III of Meissen, son ofJudith of Thuringia, and DuchessSophie of Brabant, daughter of late Landgrave Louis IV - a conflict that led to theWar of the Thuringian Succession.
As a result, Henry of Meissen gained the bulk of Thuringia in 1264, while the Hessian possessions of the landgraves were separated as theLandgraviate of Hesse under the rule of Sophie's sonHenry I. The Meissen margraves of the Wettin dynasty retained the landgravial title. Upon the death of MargraveFrederick III of Meissen his younger brothers divided their heritage in the 1382Division of Chemnitz, whereby Thuringia passed toBalthasar. Upon the death of LandgraveFrederick IV in 1440, Thuringia fell to his nephew ElectorFrederick II of Saxony. The inheritance conflict with his brotherWilliam III led to the 1445Division of Altenburg and theSaxon Fratricidal War over the Wettin lands. The Thuringian lands fell to William III when he died childless in 1482. ElectorErnest inherited the landgraviate, uniting the Wettin lands under his rule. After the 1485Treaty of Leipzig, Thuringia split into the SaxonErnestine and Albertine duchies.
purchased by KingAdolph of Germany 1294–1298
