Nordalbingia

Nordalbingien ( Latinized for the inhabited areas of Saxony " north of the Elbe " ) was in the 8th century a part of the Saxon population area, which presumably lay outside the threefold order of Engern, Ostfalen and Westphalia. It coincided largely with the territory Holstein and Hamburg's north of the Elbe. Nordalbingien was divided into the three Saxon districts Dithmar, Holstein and Stormarn. Just north of the Eider was followed by a border area, which is referred to in the literature as Danish cord.

Charlemagne had started 772 with the conquest of Saxony. Of the three sub- tribes 775 to him for the first time revealed the East Saxons under Hassio and shortly thereafter the Engern under Bruno. 776 he defeated the Westphalia, but their dux Widukind fled to the Norsemen, which must remain open if so the Danes or the Nordalbingier were meant. The latter could be identical to the Nordleudi, of which 780 baptized many of the big ones to the same left after a successful campaign of Charlemagne.

Even after subjecting 785 Widukind, ended the resistance or the uprisings in the northern Saxony, especially in the Elbe -Weser Triangle ( Wigmodien ) and north of the Elbe, not. Charlemagne allied with the Slavic Abodrites whose prince Drasco and the Frankish legacy Eburis the Nordliudi 798 crushing hit. According to the annals of them were 4,000 men. Since the unrest did not stop, Charlemagne 804 moved again with an army against the Wigmodier and Nordalbingier and deported the vanquished with his wife and children to the Frankish Empire. His biographer Einhard speaks of 10,000 families.

The three districts of Nordalbingier left Charlemagne first his ally, the Abodrites. When they could against the Danish king not claim and pay tribute were, Charlemagne sent his son Charles the Younger 808 with a large army to the Elbe. On March 15, 809 Saxon legates and the Count began Esesfeld with the construction of the castle. Presumably now allowed to return to their homeland deported Nordalbingier.