The Grönegau (also Graingau) is the historic regional name for one of the many Saxon Gaus that have survived to the present day. The region was first mentioned in the records in 852. The Grönegau is a region that, for the most part, covers the same area as that of the present borough of

Melle Melle may refer to: People * Basil Melle (1891–1966), South African cricketer * Gil Mellé (1931–2004), American artist, jazz musician and film composer * John van Melle (1887–1953), Dutch-born South African author * Melle Mel (born 19 ...

in the district of

Osnabrück Osnabrück (; wep, Ossenbrügge; archaic ''Osnaburg'') is a city in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is situated on the river Hase in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest. With a population ...

in the German state of

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...

. From around 800 to the 12th century the old southern Gau border probably ran from

Borgholzhausen Borgholzhausen is a town in the district of Gütersloh in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Teutoburg Forest, approx. 20 km north-west of Bielefeld. Borgholzhausen is a sister city to New Haven, Missouri in ...

and Halle to Bünde and Spenge in the east. The '' Amt'' of Grönenberg was first mentioned in 1360. Subsequently, it lost parts of the Grönegau of the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

, including Halle,

and Borgloh. From 1852 there are no longer any boundary changes, the extent of the ''Amt'' of Grönenberg is from this date identical with the later district of Melle and finally, from 1972, the borough of Melle.Fritz-Gerd Mittelstädt: ''Der Grönegau: Amt Grönenberg - Kreis Melle - Stadt Melle.'' Hrsg. Fritz-Gerd Mittelstädt, Ernst-Heinrich Noth. In: Der Grönegau. Meller Jahrbuch 1983. Band 1. Melle 1982, p. 10 ff. Several societies in the region still carry the name Grönegau. Even the motorway services near Melle on the A 30 motorway carry this ancient regional name.

References

Historical regions in Germany Geography of Lower Saxony Osnabrück (district) Carolingian counties Former states and territories of Lower Saxony {{Osnabrück-geo-stub