The mediæval 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 Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein. Duke Henry the Lion occupied the area of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The Saxon people were one of the most robust groups in the late tribal culture of the times, and eventually bequeathed their tribe's name to a variety of more and more modern geo-political territories from Old Saxony near the mouth of the Elbe River, up the Elbe successively to eventually, the Kingdom of Saxony and the three Germany free states which bear the name today (see map at left). History Roman timesThe first references to the Saxons were in Roman times. About 200–400, the Saxons, until then living north of the Elbe river in Holstein, gradually expanded and also occupied the area south of the river, the future Westphalia and Eastfalia. This was a likely result of internecine tribal warfare coupled with defeats inflicted by Roman arms on the tribes hitherto that were stronger and located in the area. In the 5th century, the Saxons, together with the neighboring tribes of the Angles and Jutes (both from territories on Jutland), invaded and conquered much of the island of Britain in the Early Middle Ages after the Roman Empire had withdrawn from the isle. By the Early 6th century, the Saxons also expanded and settled territories on the banks of the Rhine, and possibly subsumed the Angles tribe north of Old Saxony. Early Middle AgesIn 531, the Saxons and Franks allied and destroyed the neighboring Kingdom of Thuringia. Saxons inhabited the Thuringia area down to the Unstrut river, thereby expanding both southerly and eastwards, an event which eventually bequeathed their names in the many German principalities containing the derivative " Saxe" within their names. The 7th century brought the beginning of the Stem Duchy with the election of the first dukes, but their office had force only in wartime. Carolingian subjugation- * 772: Charlemagne occupies the Eresburg castle near Paderborn, the central Saxon stronghold, and destroys the Irminsul, the main Saxon place of worship to their traditional Northern deities.
- * 773: Charlemagne goes to Italy. The Saxons take advantage of his absence and reoccupy the Eresburg.
- * 774/775: Charlemagne again marches against Saxony. The Franks reoccupy the Eresburg castle, and the Sigiburg castle as well. At Höxter the Franks cross the Weser river and ravage the Eastphalian part of the Duchy.
- * 776: Charles again in Italy. The Saxons reoccupy Eresburg and Sigiburg.
- * 777: Charlemagne establishes the Karlsburg of Paderborn. He calls for the Heerschau. Some Saxons come and convert to the Christian religion.
- * 779: The Saxon Duke Widukind of the House of the Bruons leads a new uprising and begins a war of attrition against the Franks. Charlemagne's army marches north to the Elbe river.
- * 782: Charlemagne conducts his Blutgericht ("bloody trial") at Verden on the Aller river, ordering more than 4,500 Saxon prisoners killed. Charlemagne becomes known as "Charles the Butcher" in Saxony.
- * 783: Battles near Detmold and at the Hasel river. The Saxons lose both. Duke Widukind retreats to the castle Widukindsburg near Osnabrück.
- * 785: The Franks capture Widukind. He is christened.
- * 792–795: The Saxons again rise against the Franks.
- * 796–799: Charlemagne orders a new campaign against the Saxons.
- * 804: The last resistance of the Saxons is broken by the Franks.
Replacement of the stem duchy- 804: The Duchy of Saxony, consisting of Engern, Westphalia, Eastphalia and Northalbingia (today Schleswig-Holstein) becomes part of the Franconian Empire.
- 953: Otto I elevates Hermann Billung to viceduke of Saxony.
- 1002: The death of Otto III marks the end of the Saxon emperors.
High Middle Ages- 1059: Ordulf Billung becomes Duke after the death of his father.
- 1106: Duke Magnus dies without heir, ending the Billung dynasty. The Billung territory becomes part of the Welf and Ascanian countries. Lothar of Supplinburg becomes Duke of Saxony.
- 1115: Victory of Lothar of Supplinburg in the battle of Welfesholz over King Henry V.
- 1125: Lothar of Supplinburg elected as German King and crowned Emperor, as Lothar II.
- 1137 Death of Lothar. The Welf Henry X the Proud, Duke of Bavaria since 1126, becomes Duke of Saxony, as Henry II.
- 1138: Henry X tries to become king, but without success. The Ascanian Albert the Bear becomes new Duke of Saxony.
- 1141: Albert the Bear resigns.
Territories seceded from Saxony following its break-up in 1180A number of seceded territories gaining even imperial immediacy, while others only changed their liege lord on the occasion. - Brunswick-Lüneburg, the Welfic allodial possessions, not remaining with the belittled younger Duchy of Saxony, but elevated to a Duchy of its own in 1235
See alsoNotes and referencesCategory:History of Lower SaxonyCategory:History of Schleswig-HolsteinCategory:History of North Rhine-WestphaliaCategory:History of Saxony-AnhaltCategory:1260 disestablishmentsCategory:States and territories established in the 7th centuryan:Ducato de Saxoniaca:Ducat de Saxòniacs:Saské vévodstvída:Sachsen (stammehertugdømme)de:Stammesherzogtum Sachsenfr:Duché de Saxenl:Hertogdom Saksennds-nl:Hertogdom Saksenja:ザクセン公国pt:Ducado da Saxôniaru:Саксония (герцогство)sk:Saské vojvodstvoth:อาณาจักรดยุคแห่งแซกโซนี
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