Duchy of Saxony

Uncommon card · No. 168754

The Duchy of Saxony (German: Herzogtum Sachsen; Low German: Hartogdom Sassen) was a medieval duchy that encompassed Old Saxony, a historical region settled by the Saxons since the Migration Period. Initially independent, it came under the sphere of influence of the neighboring Frankish rulers as early as the Merovingian era. It was later subdued by Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars (772–804), and incorporated into the Carolingian Empire. From the Treaty of Verdun (843) onwards, it belonged to the East Frankish Kingdom, and thus became one of the five stem duchies of the emerging German realm. Saxon duke Henry the Fowler was elected German king in 919, thus founding the Saxon dynasty that ruled Germany and the Holy Roman Empire up to 1024. From the middle of the 10th century, the Duchy was administered and then ruled by the House of Billung, and later by the House of Welf. Dukes of Saxony were also counted among the prince-electors. Upon the deposition of duke Henry the Lion in 1180, the...

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