The Bardengau was a medieval county ( Gau ) in the Duchy of Saxony . Its main town was Bardowick ; other important towns were Lüneburg and Oldenstadt (today Uelzen ).
4-971: Since the 10th century, members of the House of Billung have been recorded as counts of the Bardengau. Through their heirs, the House of Welf , the Bardengau eventually became part of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg . The Bardengau was bordered by the Limes Saxonicus , the Polabians , the Drewani , the Gau Osterwalde , the Derlingau , the Gau Gretinge , the Lohingau , the Gau Sturmi ,
8-634: A Billung in 811. Oda , the wife of Count Liudolf , oldest known member of the Liudolfing House, was also a Billung as was Matilda of Ringelheim . In the 10th century, the property of the family was centered in the Bardengau around Lüneburg and they controlled the march named after them . In the middle of the 10th century, when the Saxon dukes of the House of Liudolfing had also become German kings, King Otto
12-581: The Gau Mosde , and the Gau Stormarn . It was part of Eastphalia . The name of the Heaðobards ( Old English : Heaðubeardan , Old Low German : Headubarden , "war-beards") may be reflected in the toponym Bardengau. House of Billung The House of Billung was a dynasty of Saxon noblemen in the 9th through 12th centuries. The first known member of the house was Count Wichmann , mentioned as
16-568: The Great entrusted more and more of his ducal authority to Hermann Billung . For five generations, the House of Billung ruled the Duchy of Saxony . The house submerged into the Welf and Ascania dynasties when Duke Magnus died in 1106 without sons; the family's property was divided between his two daughters. His daughter Wulfhilde married Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria , a member of the House of Welf ; his daughter Eilika married Otto, Count of Ballenstedt ,
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