The Nethegau (also called the Netgau in many sources) is a region in central
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
named after the river
Nethe and covers, in the main, the
Brakel Upland
Brakel () is a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek and the Flemish Ardennes. The name is derived from a Carolingian villa ''Braglo'' first mentioned in 866 and located in the center of Opbrakel. Since 1970, t ...
between the River
Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports of Bre ...
and the
Egge ridge around the towns of
Brakel
Brakel () is a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek and the Flemish Ardennes. The name is derived from a Carolingian villa ''Braglo'' first mentioned in 866 and located in the center of Opbrakel. Since 1970, t ...
and
Bad Driburg
Bad Driburg () is a town and spa in Höxter (district), Höxter district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, situated on the river Aa (Nethe), Aa and the Altenbeken–Kreiensen railway.
Geography
Bad Driburg lies on the eastern slopes of the Egge ...
in the district of
Höxter
Höxter () is a town in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the left bank of the river Weser, 52 km north of Kassel in the centre of the Weser Uplands. The main town's population is around 15,000, and with outlying centres, about 30,0 ...
in
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
.
The region was formerly a Saxon ''
Gau'' and was administered by Gau counts following the
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
conquest of
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
. Parts of the area also transferred into the ownership of
Corvey Abbey
The Princely Abbey of Corvey (german: link=no, Fürststift Corvey or Fürstabtei Corvey) is a former Benedictine abbey and ecclesiastical principality now in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was one of the half-dozen self-ruling '' princely ...
over the course of time.
Sources
* Ludwig Massjost: ''Das Brakeler Bergland – Der Nethegau''. 2. verbesserte Auflage, bearbeitet von Lothar Hamelmann. Landschaftsführer des Westfälischen Heimatbunds, Heft 6, Aschendorf Verlag, Münster 1981,
Regions of North Rhine-Westphalia
{{NorthRhineWestphalia-geo-stub