margraviate · Germany and Central Europe
Margraviate of Meissen
Origins
After the death of Margrave Gero in 965, Otto I created a march around the stronghold of Meissen, founded by Henry the Fowler in 929 among the Sorbs. A bishopric followed in 968. From 1089 the march was held by the Wettin family, who kept it for more than eight centuries in its successor states.
Rule and society
The Wettins promoted German settlement among the Sorbs and founded towns such as Leipzig and Dresden. The discovery of silver at Freiberg around 1168 made the margraves wealthy; Otto the Rich used it to fortify his lands. Henry the Illustrious added the Landgraviate of Thuringia in 1264, making the Wettins a leading princely house.
Decline and legacy
In 1423 Emperor Sigismund granted Frederick the Warlike the Duchy of Saxe-Wittenberg with its electoral dignity, after the Ascanian line died out. The margraviate merged into the Electorate of Saxony, and the name Saxony moved up the Elbe to the old lands of Meissen.
Lineage
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Margraviate of Meissen was part of Holy Roman Empire965 CE – 1423 CE
- Landgraviate of Thuringia in personal union with Margraviate of Meissen1264 CE – 1423 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Margraviate of Meissen. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/margraviate-of-meissen
- MLA
- “Margraviate of Meissen.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/margraviate-of-meissen. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Margraviate of Meissen.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/margraviate-of-meissen.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Margraviate of Meissen’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/margraviate-of-meissen (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻