Sorbian March

The Limes Sorabicus, also Sorbian Mark, Sorbenmark, called a boundary zone between the Frankish Empire and the east of it settled sorbent that had been created around the middle of the 9th century at the latest, and had lost its importance already at the end of the 9th century. It is mentioned only briefly at four locations in the Fulda annals. This area, which is apparently concerned about a borderland, was under the command of a prince ( dux Sorabici limitis ). Known are three incumbents: Thakulf ( 849, 858 and 873 ), Ratolf ( 874) and Poppo (880 ), which in other sources as Count ( comes ), Marquis ( marchio ) and even as a prince of Thuringia ( dux Thuringorum ) appear; Poppo was certainly the family of the elderly or Frankish Babenbergs Ratolf probably is.

The exact location and extent of the " Sorbenmark " is not mentioned in the sources, and is therefore in the research is still very controversial. Particular importance is attached to the information Einhard, in his written around 830 biography of Charlemagne, the Vita Caroli Magni, writes that have already taken over the Saale as the boundary between Thuringians and Sorbs of his fathers (ac Salam Fluvium, qui et Thuringos Sorabos dividit ). Already 805 the far west of this location, Erfurt had been diagnosed as Frankish Zollort for trade with the Slavs in Diedenhofener Kapitular. According to some archaeologists and historians such as Hans Jürgen Brachmann localized these " Sorbenmark " west of the Saale. However, both mentions are much older than the first mention of the Limes Sorabicus and therefore can not be directly connected to this. In addition, to ensure sound limit not have been identical with the politico-military border, especially as a comparable with Erfurt and the other trading venues administrative center of the territory east of Gera is not known.

The majority of researchers (including Rudolf Kötzschke, Hermann Aubin ) and went on the other hand starts from a position of rechtssaalischen Limes Sorabicus from. Walter Schlesinger wrote in 1963 commented: " It must have been to the area east of the Saale about to Elster and splices, perhaps even places to dump protrudable, one the kingdom of loosely affiliated zone, which had a firm support in the Thuringian countryside and perhaps was protected by individual advanced castles. "

In recent times, historical research has again reinforced assumed the problem of the border. Matthias Hardt assumes that at the time of Charlemagne on the Elbe and Saale, oriented towards antique models river border of the empire had been planned, which has been on developed as based on castles border organization to limit Sorabicus later in the ninth century, however, which is also the limit to be observed when Saxoniae development correspond. The question of whether the " Sorbenmark " both sides of the Saale recorded or whether it covered only a Western or Eastern River outskirts, however, can not be clearly answered it. Most of the local history literature for the Limes Sorabicus undrawn castles, however, were not founded until the early Middle Ages. Maybe early medieval castles emerged as the investments referred to in Hersfeld tithe directory between the lower Saale and Unstrut, including eg Seeburg at the sweet lake, castle and castle Schraplau cross- ford and castles comparable to the central hall on the Johannisberg at Jena -Lobeda or the Old Gleissberg at Biirgel in a temporal and substantive connection with the establishment of the Limes Sorabicus.

In general it must be stated that it is borders in the early and high Middle Ages almost always more or less broad settlement empty belts and zones acted and not to sharp lines in the sense of today's limits. In Orlagebiet at Saalfeld / Saale, the Frankish sphere of influence ranged proven far east beyond the Saale. Even for the middle Saale valley to Jena is assumed that both sides of the river formed a uniform settlement and economic space with the Saale as an important traffic and connection axis, so that the eastern boundary of the Mark to look more into the vast forests right of the Saale is. In the north area adjacent to the lower Saale - the open landscapes of about Naumburg, but at the latest of Weissenfels on the Saale river to the mouth - on the other hand no natural boundaries of the settlement chambers in the form of larger forest areas. Maybe here filled the hall at least at the end of the eighth and first in half of the 9th century actually the function of a border. However, a gradual expansion of the East Frankish power and sphere of influence before 928/929 to the dump and until shortly before the settlement areas of Daleminzier out is likely.