When did the Burgundian Kingdom exist?

The Burgundian Kingdom existed 411/443–534. On this map it is drawn AD 414–438, 443–533, 602–616, 644–660.

How large was the Burgundian Kingdom?

At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Burgundian Kingdom covered about 577,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.

Europe · The migration period

Burgundian Kingdom

411/443–534

See it on the map → Wikipedia ↗

Existed: 411/443–534
Shown on the map: AD 414–438, 443–533, 602–616, 644–660 (4 periods)
Peak area: 577k km²
Region: Europe

Overview

The second Kingdom of the Burgundians grew from the survivors of the Rhineland catastrophe of 436, resettled by Aetius in Sapaudia (Savoy) around 443. (The 411 date marks Gundahar's original Rhine settlement; the kingdom proper is often dated from the 443 resettlement.) Its capitals moved from Geneva (Genava) to Lyon (Lugdunum) by 461, and it expanded across the Rhône valley and Alpine region — modern eastern France and western Switzerland.

History

Its greatest king was Gundobad (r. c. 473–516), who issued the Lex Burgundionum (Liber Constitutionum / Lex Gundobada), a sophisticated law code governing both Burgundians and their Gallo-Roman subjects and naming his royal predecessors (Gibica, Gundomar, Gislahar, Gundahar) — the Gibichung dynasty. The Burgundians began as Arians but the kingdom moved toward Catholic (Chalcedonian) Christianity, formally its official faith after conversion (Gundobad's son Sigismund converted to Catholicism). The kingdom produced notable churchmen and maintained a relatively Romanised administration.

Decline and legacy

Caught between the expanding Franks and Ostrogoths, the kingdom's independence ended when the sons of Clovis invaded: after the capture and death of Sigismund and the resistance of Godomar II, the Franks under Childebert I and Chlothar I defeated Godomar at the Battle of Autun in 534, annexing Burgundy into the Frankish realm — though "Burgundy" survived as a Frankish subkingdom and a lasting regional name.

Common questions

What was the Burgundian Kingdom?: The second Kingdom of the Burgundians grew from the survivors of the Rhineland catastrophe of 436, resettled by Aetius in Sapaudia (Savoy) around 443. (The 411 date marks Gundahar's original Rhine settlement; the kingdom proper is often dated from the 443 resettlement.)
When did the Burgundian Kingdom exist?: The Burgundian Kingdom existed 411/443–534. On this map it is drawn AD 414–438, 443–533, 602–616, 644–660.
How large was the Burgundian Kingdom?: At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Burgundian Kingdom covered about 577,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
Who ruled the Burgundian Kingdom?: Its greatest king was Gundobad (r. c. 473–516), who issued the Lex Burgundionum (Liber Constitutionum / Lex Gundobada), a sophisticated law code governing both Burgundians and their Gallo-Roman subjects and naming his royal predecessors (Gibica, Gundomar, Gislahar, Gundahar) — the Gibichung dynasty.
How did the Burgundian Kingdom end?: Caught between the expanding Franks and Ostrogoths, the kingdom's independence ended when the sons of Clovis invaded: after the capture and death of Sigismund and the resistance of Godomar II, the Franks under Childebert I and Chlothar I defeated Godomar at the Battle of Autun in 534, annexing Burgundy into the Frankish realm — though "Burgundy" survived as a Frankish subkingdom and a lasting regional name.

Sources

This compendium cites its sources once for the whole document rather than per territory. Its bibliography names the English Wikipedia articles for each territory and its key figures as the primary basis, with Encyclopædia Britannica, the World History Encyclopedia, and academic and primary sources — Jordanes, Procopius, Gregory of Tours, Bede, Ammianus and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, read through the secondary literature. The article this entry is anchored on:

Wikipedia — Kingdom of the Burgundians en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_the_Burgundians

This entry was last updated 27 September 2026.

This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made

Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.

Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).

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