Duchy of Thuringia: Map & History
The Duchy of Thuringia, later known as the Landgraviate of Thuringia, was a polity in medieval Thuringia, initially a duchy, and then a landgraviate.
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The Duchy of Thuringia, later known as the Landgraviate of Thuringia, was a polity in medieval Thuringia, initially a duchy, and then a landgraviate. It was centered in the homeland of Thuringians, encompassing territories previously ruled by independent Kings of Thuringia. During the first half of the 6th century, Thuringia came under the supreme rule of Frankish kings, and was organized as an eastern frontier region of the Merovingian kingdom of Austrasia. It was established as a duchy about 631, by King Dagobert I, who appointed a local Thuringian noble Radulf as the first Duke of Thuringia. It was recreated within the Carolingian Empire, and then belonged to the East Frankish Realm.
Modern Countries Once Part of Duchy of Thuringia
At its mapped extent, Duchy of Thuringia covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Duchy of Thuringia's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Duchy of Thuringia in Depth
History
The former kingdom of the Thuringi arose during the Migration Period after the decline of the Hunnic Empire in Central Europe in the mid 5th century, culminating in their defeat in the 454 Battle of Nedao. With Bisinus a first Thuringian king is documented about 500, who ruled over extended estates that stretched beyond the Main River in the south. His son and successor Hermanafrid married Amalaberga, a niece of the Ostrogothic king Theoderic 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 the Unstrut River.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Duchy of Thuringia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Duchy of Thuringia Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Duchy of Thuringia appears, with the other states of the time.
Duchy of Thuringia Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 40,557 km² in 720 CE.
Duchy of Thuringia: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Duchy of Thuringia exist?
Duchy of Thuringia is dated to 567 CE – 723 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Duchy of Thuringia?
The capital of Duchy of Thuringia was Erfurt.
How large was Duchy of Thuringia at its peak?
At its peak in 720 AD Duchy of Thuringia covered about 40,557 km².
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