JerseyPerson14

So what was going on in Germany during the dark ages? Everyone always talks about how germanic tribes were moving into roman lands, so we all know what happened in italy, spain, france, and britain. But what was going on in Germany? With all those migrating tribes germany must have been pretty empty huh

Lucius

Well, they didn't all leave. What was going on there? The usual - farming, herding, fishing, hunting.

After the fall of the Roman Empire in the west, Germany can be understood to have been comprised of five peoples. From north-west to south-east these were: the Saxons, the Franks (another bunch of whom were ruling over what we call France today), the Thuringians, the Alemmanni, and the Bavarians. Here's a map -

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/histo...ngdoms_526.jpg

There were no real cities, unless one counts the ex-Roman camp-town of Cologne on the left bank of the Rhine.

For the most part, the Germans were Christianized by the time the Frankish king Charlemagne conquered them all (and a good deal more, in modern-day Italy, Spain, Austria) in 800.

Donal Og

I am very intersted in learning more about conditions in the middle/lower Mosel vallley at the time of the Frankish King Clovis who died in 511 CE. The area was being 'Christianised'. An Irish missionary St Fridolin came to my village Eller, or Ellera as it was then known as in about 500 CE and founded a monastery, now alas long gone.

I am writing a book about him and his travels and even though I have done a lot of research you can never have too much info!

As to cities there, do not forget Trier which would have been more important than Cologne and Koblenz too was quite large for the time as it dealt with briver ntraffic from both the Rhine and Mosel

Mosquito

Some territories of Germanic tribes we by 6th century occupied by Slavic invaders. It was mostly territory of former East Germany.

Belloc

They converted to Christianity for one thing.

Fantasus

They could have come from places far from modern day Germany as well, especially places more to the east, like the Goths. And they may have been a small minority compared to the former residents.

Zeno

Well mostly the migrating troops weren't humoungously large. More often bands of men would be migrating then entire tribes or peoples, women and children included. They seem large due to the ineffectiveness of the Roman armies of the day, but Rome was a shadow of its former self. Its legions were small compared to those of previous centuries.

One thing that was happening in Germany during the fifth century ad was the Huns. The Huns were happening all over the place.

beorna

Germanic tribes had very different sizes. The most had probably between 40,000 and 80,000, perhaps sometimes 100,000 people. Allthough ancient scholars often tell it, usually just parts of a tribe migrated or just some groups of warriors (with their families). There was very often a remaining population. But sometimes as well regions became depopulated and then it depends whether another nations migrated to these area or whether these area stay depopulated for decades.

The dark ages were very important for the history of germany, because the ancient tribes from the imperial era transformed into the medieval tribes. In the west several North Sea- and Rhein-Weser-germanics formed the later Franks. In the south Elbe-Germanics together with Suebians from Slowakia formed the Alamanni/Suebians, as well around the Donau Elbe-germanics from Bohemia, together with splinter groups of eastern germanics formed the Baiuvarians and in Middle germany groups from North germany and Scandinavia formed the thuringians, while in North germany outside the christianized area north Sea and Elbe germanics evolved into the so-called saxons. While north-eastern germany was already depopulated, the most parts of east germany and recent Poland remained at least till 400-450 Germanic. The great migration at 400 led finally to the decline there. Slowly migrated from the east slavic groups into these area. In the 2nd half of the 6th century they came to Bohemia and since around the 7th century they moved into Middle germany.
Meanwhile in the west the Merovingians managed to create a strong reign and were able to conquer all other frankish and Lower-Rhine tribes as well. With this the conquest of the territories east of Rhine started. The Alamanni, Bavarians and especially the dominating Thuringians were beaten. As well they started to incorporate the saxons.
With the defeat of the gepids against Langobards and Avars and the migration of the Langobards to Italy, the history of germanics in the eastern half of europe ended.