Saxon Eastern March

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The Saxon Eastern March (German: Sächsische Ostmark or Osterland; Latin: Marchia Orientalis) was a march of the Holy Roman Empire from the 10th until the 12th century. The term Osterland is still used today to describe a region in Thuringia.

The Eastern March was created out of the territory of Margrave Gero after his death in 965. It consisted of the territory between the Saale and Oder rivers, approximately corresponding to today's state of Saxony. After the Margraviate of Landsberg and the Margraviate of Lusatia were split off from it, the remaining areas were united with the Margraviate of Meissen in 1123. During the various divisions of the Wettin lands, the territory was split up several times; most of it belonged to the Ernestine duchies.

While the borders of the Eastern March changed frequently, in modern times the term is generally understood to mean the area between the rivers Saale and Mulde. As of the 18th century, the area belonged to the following states and contained the following cities and towns:

• Saxe-Gotha (including Saxe-Altenburg): Eisenberg, Camburg, Roda, Ronneburg, Altenburg
• Saxe-Weimar: Bürgel
• Electorate of Saxony: Neustadt an der Orla, Frauenprießnitz
• Saxe-Saalfeld: Pößneck

[edit] References

• At Meyers Konversationslexikon, 1888
• At Zeidlers Universal-Lexicon, vol. 25, p. 1163-1164