List of medieval Gaue

The following is a list of German Gaue which existed during the Middle Ages.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
A map showing the Gaue of the Kingdom of Germany around the beginning of the 11th century
A map showing the Gaue/pagi of the Duchy of Swabia and Upper Burgundy around the beginning of the 11th century

It lists the names of the Frankish or German Gaue, many of which are still used today regionally, primarily in local traditions. Their locations are often no longer widely known, but are known from publications.

A

B
  • Bachgau
  • Badanachgau
  • Balsamgau or Gau Balcsem, modern Saxony-Anhalt
  • Baringau[3] between Tullifeld and Grabfeld in the central Rhöns, south-west Meiningen
  • Balvengau: territory unidentified as it is not associated with a place name
  • Betuwe in Gelderland, Netherlands
  • Bardengau: the territory around Lüneburg
  • Bargengau around Biel and Bern in Switzerland
  • Berchtoldsbaar or Berchtoldsbaar (around 740): from Nagold to Schwenningen
  • Bidgau or Bitgau:[2] South Eifel around Bitburg; named for the Vicus of Beda (modern Bitburg)
  • Binagau or Bunnahagau: on the Vils and Isar
  • Bliesgau[2] on the Blies (right tributary of the Saar)
  • Bornegoa (Dutch: Bornego) in Friesland, Netherlands
  • Bonngau (around Bonn)
  • Borgelngau: territory unidentified as it is not associated with a place name
  • Brabantgau (later the Duchy of Brabant)
  • Gau Bracbanti[3] in Westphalia
  • Breisgau, Southern Baden
  • Brettachgau: the Landkreis of Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg
  • Gau Brokmerland
  • Brukterergau[3]
  • Buchonia[3] in the area of Rhön, Spessart and Vogelsberg
  • Buchsgau: north-western Switzerland between the Juras and Aare
  • Gau Budissin (Bautzen)
  • Bukkigau: the Kreis of Schaumburg, Lower Saxony (Bukki being an old form of Buche)
  • Bunnahagau: see Binagau
  • Bulderngau: territory unidentified as it is not associated with a place name
  • Burichingagau: in the Swabian Alps, southern part of Landkreis Reutlingen, northern part of Landkreis Sigmaringen
  • Bursibant: around Rheine in the Münster region

C

D
  • Gau Daleminzi around Meissen
  • Derlingau or Darlingau, east of Brunswick
  • Dersagau or Dersigau, between Vechta and Damme
  • Gau Desseri or Dasseri, on the Dosse
  • Deutzgau: territory around Cologne (German: Köln) on the right bank of the Rhine; Kölngau (see below) lay on the opposite bank
  • Dithmarschen (gau), Schleswig-Holstein
  • Dobnagau in Vogtland
  • Danubegau: the area around Straubing and Deggendorf in Bavaria
  • Drachgau around Schwäbisch Gmünd
  • Dreingau in the Münster region, between Greven, Lippstadt and Lünen
  • Dreinigau[3] in Saxony
  • Drentgau in Westphalia
  • Gau Ducharin (also Thucharin or Tucherini), around Teuchern in Saxony-Anhalt
  • Düffelgau: in the area around Cleves; attested in the donation of Willibrord, stretching up to Betuwe or Hattuariergau
  • Duisburggau or Diuspurggau: see: Ruhrgau
  • Durgouwes - see: Mürztalgau
  • Duriagau in Swabia

E

F

G
  • Gandesemigau
  • Gartachgau in Northern Württemberg on the Gartach/Leinbach
  • Gau Jom: controversial historical territory settled by and subject to the Jomsvikings as well as a Danish exclave on the Pomeranian coast
  • Gäu, Baden-Württemberg
  • Gäu in the Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland
  • Genfer Gau, Switzerland
  • Gerbercensis:[2] name only preserved in its Latin form; northwest of Metz on the Orne
  • Germar-Mark or Germara-Mark in East Hesse and Thuringia
  • Gau Geraha in East Thuringia
  • Gillgau: on the Lower Rhine region north-west of Cologne; known at the time as Kölngau ('Cologne Gau')
  • Glehuntare in Swabia
  • Glemsgau in Northern Württemberg on the Glems
  • Godobi in Upper Lusatia: Early Medieval castle or Gau, first documented in 1007; probably the same as Göda
  • Goe auf der Hamel, north of Hamelin
  • Gollachgau
  • Goßfeld[3] in Franconia
  • Gotzfeldgau, probably in Southern Hesse
  • Grabfeld[3] or Grabfeldgau: situated on the border between Bavaria and Thuringia; Schweinfurt lies just within the southern part of this Gau.
  • Grönegau around Osnabrück
  • Gudingau or Gud(d)ingo, around Elze in the Saale valley up to the Leine
  • Gau Gunzwiti, west of the Traisen in Lower Austria

H

I
  • Iffgau: territory south of the Steigerwald, Franconia
  • Undrimagau or Ingeringgau: territory around Knittelfeld and Judenburg, Upper Mur Valley (Murtal)
  • Illergau in south-eastern of Baden-Württemberg and south-western Bavaria
  • Isengau on the Isen in south-eastern Upper Bavaria
  • Itongau[2] on the upper Nied (left tributary of the Saar)
  • Ittergau[3] (Nithersi) on the middle Eder

J
  • Jagstgau on the lower Jagst
  • Jaun: Jauntal, Carinthia, in the south-east up to Windischgraz/Slovenj Gradec and down the Drava (German: Drau) until it reaches the Wölka/Velka- and Tschermenitzen/Crmenica-Graben. Note that while Jauntal translates as 'Jaun valley', its name is derived from the Roman settlement of Juenna near modern Globasnitz rather than a river named Jaun.
  • Jülichgau around Jülich, southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia

K
  • Karosgau:[2] Eifel around Prüm
  • Keldachgau: Düsseldorf, Mettmann and part of Solingen; later the County of Berg
  • Kelsgau: territory in the area of the district of Kelheim
  • Kennemerland (a.k.a. Kinhem, Kinnin, Kemmenerland, Kimmen), in Frisia; part of modern North Holland, Netherlands
  • Kinziggau: the territory of Kinzig in Hesse
  • Klettgau: southern Baden and Northern Switzerland
  • Knetzgau
  • Kochergau or Cochengowe: the territory of the Kocher valley in the north of modern Baden-Württemberg
  • Kölngau: territory around Cologne on the left bank of the Rhine; the territory on the right bank was Deutzgau
  • Königssondergau, Königssandragau or Königssandern,[3] i.e. the Königs besonderer Gau ('King's special Gau'), around Wiesbaden
  • Kraichgau, northern Baden
  • Kroatengau or Gau Chrowati (literally 'Gau of the Croats'): the Glan/Glina valley around Sankt Veit an der Glan and the Krappfeld north-east of Sankt Veit (Carinthia)
  • Künziggau (a.k.a. Künzinggau, Quinzinggau, Chunzengau): territory on the Vils and Rott, south-west of Passau (Landgericht Landau-Osterhofen)
  • Kützgau: partitioned from the Zülpichgau; only one documented mention in the year 898

L

M

N

O
  • Oberaargau (Latin: superior pagus Aragauginsis), the western part of the Aargau
  • Oberlahngau: see Lahngau
  • Oberrheingau ('Upper Rhine Gau'), southern Hesse; not to be confused with the upper Rheingau around Eltville
  • Ochsenfurter Gau around Ochsenfurt in Lower Franconia
  • Odangau around Villip, Werthhoven, Oedingen and Unkel. It was situated on both sides of the Rhine in the 9th century; after that it was divided into the Bonngau, Ahrgau and Auelgau
  • Östringen around Jever in eastern Frisia
  • Orlagau around Saalfeld in Thuringia
  • Ortenau or Mortenau, central Baden
  • Gau Osterwalde (Altmark)
  • Osterburg-Gau in the Weserbergland
  • Ostergau or Eastergoa in Friesland
  • Ostergau in Thuringia
  • Ostrusna in Upper Lusatia: early medieval castle or Gau documented from 1007; probably the same as Ostritz
  • Gau Overledingerland in East Frisia

P

Q
  • Gau Quesizi around Burg Eilenburg in the Landkreis of Delitzsch, Saxony)
  • Quinzinggau, see Künzinggau

R

S

T
  • Taubergau approximately the Main-Tauber-Kreis, excluding Wertheim
  • Tennengau, part of the Salzburg lands: arose in the 19th century as a result of the division of the Salzburggau (the other part becoming Flachgau); not a medieval Gau.
  • Gau Threcwiti, east of the Großes Heiliges Meer in North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Thurgau; not coextensive with the modern Swiss Canton of Thurgau
  • Tilithigau around Bad Pyrmont, southern Lower Saxony
  • Traungau: territory between Hausruck and Enns, Upper Austria
  • Trebista in Upper Lusatia; early medieval castle or Gau first attested from 1007
  • Trechirgau, situated south of the Lower Mosel and west of the Rhine from the beginning of the 10th century. Lay between the Mayenfeldgau and the northern foothills of the Nahegau
  • Triergau[2] on the right banks of the Saar and Mosel, from Merzig to Wintrich and from there to the Schwarzwalder Hochwald)
  • Tullifeld[3] in western Thuringia north-east of the Wasserkuppe

U
  • Ufgau, Central Baden
  • Undrimagau or Ingeringgau: territory around Knittelfeld and Judenburg, Upper Mur Valley
  • Utisigau: see Husitingau

V
  • Valingau with Gut Kemme in Schellerten, Burg Poppenburg in Burgstemmen; from 1049 part of the County of Bruno II of Brunswick
  • Valothungo
  • Varngau
  • Gau Veluwe in the Netherlands
  • Venkigau or Fenkiongau: lay to the east of Gau Bursibant
  • Venzigau
  • Verdungau[2] around Verdun on the Maas
  • Viehbachgau on the Lower Isar, in the Landshut area
  • Vinschgau or Vintschgau; known in the Middle Ageas as Finsgowe; located in South Tirol
  • Volkfeld: see Folkfeld

W
  • Wachau, Lower Austria
  • Walchgau
  • Waldgau or the Waldenser Gau: comprised the modern Canton of Waadt and other territories in Switzerland
  • Waldsassengau[3] in Lower Franconia: the eastern part of Spessart and the territory between Mainviereck and Maindreieck
  • Waldsati between Bremen and Zeven
  • Walgau, Vorarlberg
  • Wallis, Switzerland
  • Walderfinga[2] on the Middle Saar
  • Gau Wangerland
  • Gau Warnabi
  • Wasgau in the Palatinate Forest: northern part of the Voges region
  • Watergau in Thuringia
  • Wavergau (a.k.a. Wabergau, Woëvregau):[2] part of the Wabr(i)a (Woëvre) region between the Maas and the Mosel
  • Wehsigau
  • Weitagau in Westphalia
  • Werinofeld in Thuringia
  • Werngau[3] in Hesse
  • Westergau, meaning Western Gau was the name of several separate Gaue:
    • Bavarian Westergau: the Freising area in Bavaria
    • Frisian Westergau or Westergoa in the modern Dutch province of Friesland
    • Thuringian Westergau
  • Westphaliagau in the Ruhr and Lippe area, roughly corresponding with the eastern (Westphalian) part of the modern Ruhrgebiet
  • Wetagau in Thuringia
  • Wetigau the Schwalenberg area in the district of Lippe
  • Wetterau (earlier Wettergau or Wettereiba)[3]
  • Gau Wigmodi (Wigmodia, Wigmodien) north of Bremen
  • Wingarteiba[3] in the Neckar-Odenwald-Kreis
  • Wiehegau: a sub-Gau of Gau Englin around Wiehe in Thuringia
  • Wippergau in Thuringia
  • Wittingau
  • Wonnegau around Worms
  • Wormsgau[3] (also Wormsfeld, Wormsfeldgau):[2] west of Worms
  • Würmgau in Württemberg on the Würm river

Z
  • Zabergäu in northern Württemberg on the Zaber
  • Gau Zemzizi
  • Zirzipanien, around the Teterower See in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
  • Gau Zistanesfeld (or Zitilinesfeld) in Lower Styria (modern Slovenia): the territory of Maribor (German: Marburg an der Drau) on the Drava (German: Drau) up to Pettau. Formed the basis of the Mark an der Drau.
  • Gau Zitizi (Zizizi): probably the same as Gau Ciervisti around what is now Zerbst in Saxony-Anhalt
  • Gau Zwikowe in western Saxony
  • Zülpichgau around Zülpich, southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Zürichgau around Zürich

See also

Sources
  • August von Wersebe: Beschreibung der Gaue between Elbe, Saale und Unstrut, Weser und Werra, insofern solche zu Eastphalia mit Nord-Thuringia und zu Ost-Engern gehört haben, und wie sie im 10ten und 11ten Jahrhundert befunden sind. Hahn, Hannover 1829, Digitalisat.
  • Wachter, Ferdinand (1852). "1: A – G. Theil 54: Gargano – Gauhe.". In Ersch, Johann S.; Gruber, Johann G. (eds.). Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste [General Encyclopedia of the Sciences and Arts] (in German). Leipzig: Brockhaus. pp. 405–449.
  • Boettger, Heinrich. Diöcesan- and Gau-Grenzen Norddeutschlands zwischen Oder, Main, jenseits des Rheins, der Nord- und Ostsee. Von Ort zu Ort schreitend festgestellt [Diocese and Gau borders of northern Germany between the Oder, Main, beyond the Rhine, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea] (in German). Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses u. a., Halle u. a. 1875–1876:
    • Volume 1: Von Ort zu Ort schreitende Begrenzung von 31 Gauen und 10 Untergauen in 7 Bisthümern und 108 geistlichen Bezirken in Franken, nebst einer Gau- und einer dieselbe begründenden Diöcesankarte [From place to place progressing boundaries of 31 Gaue and 10 sub-Gaue in 7 bishoprics and 108 ecclesiastical districts in Franconia, in addition to a Gau map and a corresponding diocese map], 1875
    • Volume 2: Von Ort zu Ort schreitende Begrenzung von 40 Gauen und 39 Untergauen in 6 Bisthümern und 130 geistlichen Bezirken im Umfange der Provinz Hannover, nebst einer Gau- und einer dieselbe begründenden Diöcesankarte. [From place to place progressing boundaries of 40 Gaue and 39 sub-Gaue in 6 bishoprics and 130 ecclesiastical districts in the province of Hanover, in addition to a Gau map and a corresponding diocese map], 1874
    • Volume 3: Von Ort zu Ort schreitende Begrenzung von 43 Gauen und 24 Untergauen in 6 Bisthümern und 110 geistlichen Bezirken in Altsachsen und Friesland, nebst einer Gau- und einer dieselbe begründenden Diöcesankarte. [From place to place progressing boundaries of 43 Gaue and 24 sub-Gaue in 6 bishoprics and 110 ecclesiastical districts in Old Saxony and Frisia, in addition to a Gau map and a corresponding diocese map], 1875
    • Volume 4: Von Ort zu Ort schreitende Begrenzung von 60 Gauen and 11 Untergauen in 7 Bisthümern und 148 geistlichen Bezirken im Umfange des Slavenlandes, nebst einer Gau- und einer dieselbe begründenden Diöcesankarte. [From place to place progressing boundaries of 60 Gaue and 11 sub-Gaue in 7 bishoprics and 148 ecclesiastical districts in the lands of the Slavs, in addition to a Gau map and a corresponding diocese map], 1876
    • Gaukarte und eine dieselbe begründende Diöcesankarte zu den Diöcesan- und Gaugrenzen Norddeutschlands. [Gau map and a corresponding diocese map of the diocese and Gau borders of northern Germany], 1876
  • Schultze, Walther (1896). Die fränkischen Gaue Badens [The Frankish Gaue of Baden] (in German). Stuttgart: Strecker & Moser.

References
  1. Beschreibung des Oberamts Ehingen § Geschichtliche Denkwürdigkeiten (on Wikisource in German: 'Description of the Oberamt of Ehingen § Historically Notabilities')
  2. Puhl, Roland W. L. Die Gaue and Grafschaften des frühen Mittelalters im Saar-Mosel-Raum: Philologisch-onomastische Studien zur frühmittelalterlichen Raumorganisation anhand der Raumnamen and der mit ihnen spezifizierten Ortsnamen [The Gaue and Counties of the early middle ages in the Saar-Mosel area: Philological-onomastic studies of early medieval territorial organisation based on the territory names and their broken-down place names] (in German). 13. Beiträge zur Sprache im Saar-Mosel-Raum. Saarbrücker Druck und Verlag, Saarbrücken, 1999 -and- Saarbrücken Universität, Dissertation, 1996. ISBN 3-930843-48-X.
  3. "Geschichtlicher Atlas von Hessen: Die Gaue vor 900" [Historical Atlas of Hesse: The Gaue before 900]. Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (in German). 2006.
  4. Marie-Claire Gérard-Zai / GL: Ogoz in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
  5. Norbert Herler (Red.): Laibstadt – Ein Dorf verändert sich. Zum 25-jährigen Bestehen des Heimat- and Verschönerungsvereins Laibstadt 1976–2001. Heimat- and Verschönerungsverein Laibstadt, Laibstadt 2001, S. 19.
  6. Heimatkalender für den Landkreis Verden. Bd. 31, 1988, ISSN 0948-9584, S. 158.
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