Rammachgau
Encyclopedia
The Rammachgau was a Gau in southern Germany
in present-day Baden-Württemberg
. The Rammachgau was located in northern Upper Swabia
.
After the resistance of the Alamannic
nobles to Frankish
rule had been overcome in 746, the Duchy of the Alamanni was administratively incorporated into the Frankish kingdom by implementing the Frankish units of administration there too. The Franks used the term Gau to denote a politico-geographical division within the Frankish kingdom. The term Gau was often suffixed to a distinctive geographical place name. One of these administrative units was the Rammachgau. The name of this administrative unit derived from the name of a river, or part thereof, called Rammach. The name of the river was later lost. Contemporary documents refer to this administrative unit as Rammackeuui (778), Rammekevve (894), Rammichgowe (ca. 1070) and Rammechgowe (1099).
It has been suggested that the Rammachgau, together with the Nibelgau and the Illergau, belonged to a larger administrative unit called pagus Duria during the period of Carolingian rule.
The fall of the Hohenstaufen
dynasty and the simultaneous dissolution of central authority in the 13th century gave the local nobility the opportunity to increase its independence from central authority. Consequently, various local rulers established territories in the Rammachgau over which they had authority, rendering the old administrative units, based on counts as being the representative of the central authority, obsolete.
, Langenschemmern and Ochsenhausen
to the north at Hüttisheim
and Dellmensingen, from the west at Ingerkingen to the east at Burgrieden
. The administrative centre of the Rammachgau was Laupheim
. The Rammachgau was bordered to the south by the Haistergau, to the east by the Illergau and to the west by the Ruadolteshuntare. To the north the Rammachgau bordered on the territory of the Illergau as well as the Ruadolteshuntare. The area of settlement of the Rammachgau was marked by natural borders except to the north. The populated areas were all in, or in close proximity to, the valleys of the rivers Riß
, Rottum and Rot
. The borders were marked by large forest
s on the hills surrounding the rivers or by swampy areas hostile to agriculture
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in present-day Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
. The Rammachgau was located in northern Upper Swabia
Upper Swabia
Upper Swabia is a region in Germany in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The name refers to the area between the Swabian Alb, Lake Constance and the Lech...
.
Origin and name
Alamannia
Alamannia or Alemannia was the territory inhabited by the Germanic Alamanni after they broke through the Roman limes in 213.The Alamanni expanded from the Main basin during the 3rd century, raiding the Roman provinces and settling on the left bank of the Rhine from the 4th century.Ruled by...
nobles to Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
rule had been overcome in 746, the Duchy of the Alamanni was administratively incorporated into the Frankish kingdom by implementing the Frankish units of administration there too. The Franks used the term Gau to denote a politico-geographical division within the Frankish kingdom. The term Gau was often suffixed to a distinctive geographical place name. One of these administrative units was the Rammachgau. The name of this administrative unit derived from the name of a river, or part thereof, called Rammach. The name of the river was later lost. Contemporary documents refer to this administrative unit as Rammackeuui (778), Rammekevve (894), Rammichgowe (ca. 1070) and Rammechgowe (1099).
It has been suggested that the Rammachgau, together with the Nibelgau and the Illergau, belonged to a larger administrative unit called pagus Duria during the period of Carolingian rule.
The fall of the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
dynasty and the simultaneous dissolution of central authority in the 13th century gave the local nobility the opportunity to increase its independence from central authority. Consequently, various local rulers established territories in the Rammachgau over which they had authority, rendering the old administrative units, based on counts as being the representative of the central authority, obsolete.
Expanse
The Rammachgau stretched from the south at AltheimSchemmerhofen
Schemmerhofen is a municipality in the district of Biberach in Upper Swabia.-Geography:Schemmerhofen is situated north of Biberach an der Riß. The formerly autonomous villages of Schemmerberg, Ingerkingen, Altheim, Aßmannshardt and Alberweiler are administratively part of Schemmerhofen...
, Langenschemmern and Ochsenhausen
Ochsenhausen
Ochsenhausen is a city in the district of Biberach, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located between the city of Biberach and Memmingen. it has a population of 8,916...
to the north at Hüttisheim
Hüttisheim
Hüttisheim is a town in the district of Alb-Donau in Baden-Württemberg in Germany.-References:...
and Dellmensingen, from the west at Ingerkingen to the east at Burgrieden
Burgrieden
Burgrieden is a municipality in the district of Biberach in Baden-Württemberg in Germany....
. The administrative centre of the Rammachgau was Laupheim
Laupheim
Laupheim is a city in southern Germany in the state of Baden Württemberg. Laupheim was first mentioned in 778 and gained its city rights in 1869. One of the main trading routes, from Ulm to Ravensburg and then on towards Lake Constance ran through Laupheim...
. The Rammachgau was bordered to the south by the Haistergau, to the east by the Illergau and to the west by the Ruadolteshuntare. To the north the Rammachgau bordered on the territory of the Illergau as well as the Ruadolteshuntare. The area of settlement of the Rammachgau was marked by natural borders except to the north. The populated areas were all in, or in close proximity to, the valleys of the rivers Riß
Riß
The Riss is a small river in Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, right tributary of the Danube. Its source is in Upper Swabia, between Bad Waldsee and Bad Schussenried. It flows north, through the town of Biberach an der Riss. It then flows into the Danube between Ehingen and Erbach,...
, Rottum and Rot
Rot (Danube)
The Rot is a southern tributary of the river Danube in the region of Upper Swabia in Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It has a length of 54 km.The Rot runs in a northerly direction parallel to the river Iller to the east, and Westernach to the west...
. The borders were marked by large forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s on the hills surrounding the rivers or by swampy areas hostile to agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
.