The Alsatian Nordgau was a medieval
Gau in an area roughly comparable to the present-day French
Bas-Rhin
Bas-Rhin (; Alsatian: ''Unterelsàss'', ' or '; traditional german: links=no, Niederrhein; en, Lower Rhine) is a department in Alsace which is a part of the Grand Est super-region of France. The name means 'Lower Rhine', referring to its low ...
department.
History
In the Middle Ages, what was then Alsace was divided into two districts, called Nordgau (“Nordgowe”, Unterelsass) and
Südgau (“Suntgowe”, Sundgau, Oberelsass). The border roughly corresponded to that which was established in 297, when the Roman province of
Germania Superior
Germania Superior ("Upper Germania") was an imperial province of the Roman Empire. It comprised an area of today's western Switzerland, the French Jura and Alsace regions, and southwestern Germany. Important cities were Besançon ('' Vesontio' ...
was divided into
Maxima Sequanorum
The Sequani were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the upper river basin of the Arar river (Saône), the valley of the Doubs and the Jura Mountains during the Iron Age and the Roman period.
Name
They are mentioned as ''Sequanos'' by Caesar (mid-1s ...
in the south and
Germania Prima
Germania Superior ("Upper Germania") was an imperial province of the Roman Empire. It comprised an area of today's western Switzerland, the French Jura mountains, Jura and Alsace regions, and southwestern Germany. Important cities were Besanço ...
in the north.
The Alsatian Nordgau is to be distinguished from the
Bavarian Nordgau
The Margraviate of the Nordgau (german: Markgrafschaft Nordgau) or Bavarian Nordgau () was a medieval administrative unit ('' Gau'') on the frontier of the German Duchy of Bavaria. It comprised the region north of the Danube and Regensburg (Ratisb ...
, that existed at the same time.
From the 9th to the end of the 11th century, the Alsatian Nordgau was almost entirely in the hands of the
Etichonids
The Etichonids were an important noble family, probably of Frankish, Burgundian or Visigothic origin, who ruled the Duchy of Alsace in the Early Middle Ages (7th–10th centuries). The dynasty is named for Eticho (also known as Aldarich), who ru ...
family. The family developed into the Counts of
Egisheim
Eguisheim (; german: Egisheim; Alsatian dialect, Alsatian: ''Egsa'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Haut-Rhin Departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It lies in the historical region of Alsace (german: Els ...
and
Dagsburg, whose possessions were however situated more in Upper Alsace.
The last Count was Hugues VII de Dabo who was dispossessed of Nordgau by
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV (german: Heinrich IV; 11 November 1050 – 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, King of Italy and Burgundy from 1056 to 1105, and Duke of Bavaria from 1052 to 1054. He was the son ...
, during the
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy, also called Investiture Contest (German: ''Investiturstreit''; ), was a conflict between the Church and the state in medieval Europe over the ability to choose and install bishops (investiture) and abbots of monast ...
, and killed in 1089 in an attempt of its recover.
The Nordgau was later largely merged into the
Prince-Bishopric of Strasbourg
The Prince-Bishopric of Strasburg (german: Fürstbistum Straßburg; gsw-FR, Fìrschtbischofsìtz Strossburi(g)) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from the 13th century until 1803. During the late 17th century, most of ...
, other parts came to the
Habsburgs
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
and the
Décapole
The Décapole (''Dekapolis'' or german: Zehnstädtebund) was an alliance formed in 1354 by ten Imperial cities of the Holy Roman Empire in the Alsace region to maintain their rights. It was disbanded in 1679.
In 1354 Emperor Charles IV of Luxemb ...
.
See also
*
Lower Alsace
Lower Alsace (northern Alsace) was a landgraviate of the Holy Roman Empire held ''ex officio'' by the Bishop of Strasbourg. Prior to is acquisition by the bishopric, it was held by the counts of Hüneburg.
In 1174 Count Gottfried of Hüneburg w ...
Sources
* Julius Cramer, ''Die Geschichte der Alamannen als Gaugeschichte - Siebentes Buch - Die neualamannischen Gaue des Elsass'', M. & H. Marcus, Breslau, 1899, onlin
Pag. 522-527
* Jean-Daniel Schoepflin, ''L'Alsace illustrée: ou recherches sur l'Alsace pendant la domination des Celtes, des Romains, des Francs, des Allemands et des Français Volume 3'', François Perrin Libraire-Èditeur, Mulhouse, 1851, Onlin
Pag. 269-271
* Charles Wastelain, ''Description de la Gaule-Belgique selon les trois ages de l'histoire, l'ancien, le moyen et le moderne'', Cramé, Lille, 1761, Onlin
Pag. 98-102
Geography of France
History of Alsace