thüringen Historischer Überblick englisch 02.02.2009 10:40 Uhr Seite 1 THÜRINGEN BLÄTTER ZUR LANDESKUNDE he ‘Land’ Thu- to the formation of a ringia received nation, yet simulta- Tnumerous attri- neously to castigate the butes in view of its cataclysmic fragmen- history, such as “heart- tation: “Our culture land of German cultu- owes Thuringia a lot, re”, “centre of Refor- but our state does not mation”, “home of the owe anything” (Hein- Bach family” and “land rich von Treitschke). of classicism”. The more recent his- The landscape, steep- toriography reversed ed in culture and tra- this verdict as it unco- dition, around the Wart- vered significant politi- burg castle and the cal, social, and econo- town Weimar had not mic forces of innova- been unified territory tion that originated until the 20th century, from Thuringia. but instead a prime ex- Considering the step- ample of German par- by-step unification be- ticularism. This provo- tween 1920 and 1990, ked the historiography Wartburg Eisenach the positive develop- of the 19th century to (Thoma Babovic, ments prevail: the emphasize the cultural Thüringer Tourismus GmbH) princely spirit of re- impulses that derived presentation bestowed from Thuringia leading splendid castles, parks, Thuringia An Historical Overview museums, libraries and theatres in a ny, despite changing views on this mat- unique density upon the “Land of Re- ter. sidencies” and made it synonymous The Mediaeval Empire was gradually with the ‘Land’ of writers and think- weakened for the benefit of the regional ers. Thuringia, however, continues to powers to the point of their de facto be regarded as a leading example of independence after the Thirty Years’ the longlasting, territorial fragmenta- War (1618–48). These events bestowed tion that is characteristic of Germa- some petty princes, particularly in south- thüringen Historischer Überblick englisch 02.02.2009 10:40 Uhr Seite 2 west and central Germany, several were two distinctive historic reference secular and ecclesiastical estates on a points that anchored Thuringia deeply relatively small territory. The territorial in the collective memory; despite the splintering was in Thuringia most century-old particularism: the Early prominent, at times there were 30 state- Mediaeval Kingdom of Thuringia and entities and nowhere else it lasted for the Landgraviate of the Ludowingian such a long period. Nevertheless, there dynasty. From the Thuringian Kingdom to the Landgraviate of Thuringia he “Thoringi” tribe emerged from ring dynasty of the Carolings, who were the Germanic tribes of the Her- rulers of the Frankish kingdom since Tmunduren, the Anglii and the 751. The Christianisation movement Warnii in the course of the early migra- met its first completion with the found- tion period and was for the first time ing of the diocese of Erfurt (which referred to by the Roman author Vege- should soon belong to Mainz) by the tius Renatus. In the 5th century, the missionary Bonifatius in 742. Thoringi were able to establish a pow- Since the 9th century, the German erful kingdom. It extended across a Empire had grown gradually from the small central settlement, situated at the eastern part of the Frankish Empire. area of ‘Altmark’ and the river ‘Elbe’ up Under the rule of the Ottonian-Saxon to the rivers ‘Werra’ and Danube. kings (919–1024), it constituted one of Signifying an important aspect of power the most important pillars of the central in the late ancient Germanic Europe, power. The close relations to the king the kingdom was allied with the Ot- diminished with the takeover by the Sa- rogoth kingdom of Theoderic the Great. lian dynasty. This was the beginning of Family bonds led to the marriage be- the rise of a local lineage that bred the tween Theodoric’s niece Amalaberga Landgraves of Thuringia (1131–1247) and the Thuringian King Herminafrid and gained great significance during in 510. Yet, after Theoderic’s death the Hohenstaufen period (1138–1254). (526), the Thuringians were defeated in The Ludowingian dynasty emanated a crushing battle at the river ‘Unstrut’ from Franconia and was named after its by the armies of the Franks and the first-born male dignitaries. Guided by Saxons. In 534, Herminafrid was assas- Louis the Bearded (Ludwig der Bär- sinated. At this point, Thuringia ceased tige), they settled in the area of Fried- to be an independent actor on the politi- richroda around 1040. His son Louis cal stage. the Jumper (Ludwig der Springer, 1080– Thuringia became an integral part of 1123), who was the legendary founder the Frankish Empire, ruled by the Me- of the castles Wartburg, Neuenburg and rovingian kings. The Christianisation the monastery Reinhardsbrunn, suc- process, which begun in the 6th cen- ceeded with the expansion of manors, tury, was accelerated under the aspi- fiefs and dominions inside Thuringia. thüringen Historischer Überblick englisch 02.02.2009 10:40 Uhr Seite 3 His son Louis, in turn, successfully ex- minstrel’s contest (Sängerkrieg) at the tended the Ludowingian dominion by Wartburg (1206/07), which was symbol accumulating property on the territory for the chivalric-courtly noble culture of Hesse. that was practiced at the court of the In 1131, Louis I (1131–1140) was en- landgraviate (initiated and influenced feoffed with the newly established hon- by Walther von der Vogelweide, Wolf- ors of a Thuringian landgrave by the ram von Eschenbach and Heinrich Vel- Holy Roman Emperor Lothar of Sup- decke). Louis IV the Godly (1217–1227) plinburg. The Ludowingians, who were is known as the husband of the Holy supposed to consolidate the peace and Elizabeth of Thuringia until today. The ensure sovereignty, soon counted to coronation of Louis’ successor Henry the most powerful rulers amongst the Raspe to become regent in 1246, how- imperial princes. Louis II (1140–1172) ever, did not represent a worthy height reenforced the bonds with the Hohen- of the Ludowingian reign. Not only was staufen emperor through the marriage Henry unable to enforce his ‘anti-king- with a half-sister of Frederick I Barba- dom’ against Frederick II of the Hohen- rossa. Under the rule of Louis III (1172– staufen dynasty, but also with his death 1190), the landgraviate increased sig- the Ludowingian lineage was extin- nificantly its influence in the course of guished as there were no male heirs to the disempowerment of Duke Henry the throne by 1247. A bloody war of suc- the Lion (Heinrich der Löwe, 1180/81) cession ended with the separation of of the Guelph dynasty. the landgraviate in a Thuringian and a The reign of Hermann I (1190–1217) Hessian part in 1264. The Thuringian represented a glamorous peak, because landgraviate fell to the margraves of he was affiliated with the legendary Meissen of the Wettin family. The Land of Particularism uring the Late Middle Ages, the Wettin family was divided by the repeat- house of Wettin possessed far- ed distribution of the estate among Dreaching land, extending beyond heirs and coheirs and finally separated the territories of today’s Saxony, Thu- into two ruling branches – an Ernestine ringia, and the southern Saxony-Anhalt. branch (Thuringian) and an Albertine In 1423, they were invested with the branch (Ducal Saxony) in 1485, ruled Duchy of Saxony, centred at Witten- by the brother Ernest and Albert re- berg, thus becoming one of the prince- spectively. Initially, the Ernestine branch electors of the Holy Roman Empire. held with the possession of Wittenberg Also in Thuringia, they were able to ex- also the electoral title. Wittenberg and tend their possessions (Altenburg, Co- the title, however, were lost to the Al- burg, Weimar) as well as to establish bertine branch with the defeat by the themselves as the most powerful force Emperor and Duke Moritz at the Battle after the ‘War of Thuringian Counts’ of Mühlberg during the Schmalkaldic (1342–46). The entire property of the War in 1547. The Albertines drove the thüringen Historischer Überblick englisch 02.02.2009 10:40 Uhr Seite 4 development of the electorate (from to the development of the ‘bylines’ Arn- 1806 kingdom) Saxony into a unitary stadt and Ebeleben. Apart from Henry territorial state forward and made Dres- Raspe, Günther von Schwarzburg obtain- den its capital. ed royal dignity, which he held for an The, in Weimar residing, Ernestine equally short time and with no note- dukes proceeded quite differently: be- worthy effects. ginning with the ‘Erfurt division’ (Er- Therefore, Thuringia was in large furter Teilung) of 1572, the Ernestine part dominated by three dynasties across territory was repeatedly subdivided the centuries, yet further constituent into as many as ten single duchies and parts have to be added: the imperial counties in Thuringia (Eisenach, Jena, towns of Mühlhausen and Nordhausen, Hildburghausen, Eisenberg, Saalfeld, the Hessian territory of Schmalkalden, Römhild). After a final restructuring in the electorates of Mainz (Erfurt, Eichs- 1826, the duchies Saxe-Weimar-Eise- feld) and the Albertine territories be- nach (since 1815 grand duchy), Saxe- tween Langensalza and Naumburg and Coburg and Gotha, Saxe-Meiningen around Suhl, Schleusingen and Ziegen- and Saxe-Altenburg remained in ex- rück. istence until 1918. The old Thuringian Erfurt was prom- Alongside the Wettin family, two inent as a cultural and commercial hub other noble dynasties were able to es- and as one of the biggest German urban tablish themselves as territorial rulers; centres of mediaeval times. Erfurt had the members of the Reußen lineage of gained farreaching autonomy, similar eastern Thuringia, first accounted of in to a free imperial city and was a sub- the 12th century, whose title of count stantial power centre with its adjacent was confirmed by the Holy Roman Em- territory since the middle of the 13th peror (Count of the Holy Roman Em- century. After its subjection through the pire) in 1673 and who received the title ruler of Mainz, it remained the seat of a of ‘Princely Counts’ (Reichsfürst) in 1778.