When did the Thuringian states exist?

The Thuringian states existed 5th century – 531. On this map they are drawn AD 469–475.

How large were the Thuringian states?

At their greatest extent drawn on this map, the Thuringian states covered about 40,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives them across the years they are drawn, not necessarily their greatest extent in history.

Europe · The migration period

Thuringian states

5th century – 531

The Kingdom of Thuringia was a Germanic kingdom in central Germany (roughly modern Thuringia and beyond, between the Harz and the Danube at its height), formed by the Thuringii in the 5th century as Hunnic power collapsed. At its peak in the early 6th century it was a significant power, allied by marriage with the Ostrogoths, Lombards, and Franks.

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Existed: 5th century – 531
Shown on the map: AD 469–475
Peak area: 40k km²
Region: Europe

Overview

History

Its known kings include Bisinus (Bisin) in the late 5th century — connected by marriage to the Frankish royal house — and his sons, among whom the kingdom was divided. The most prominent was Hermanafrid, who with his brothers Baderic and Berthachar contested the kingdom; Hermanafrid married Amalaberga, a niece of Theodoric the Great, tying Thuringia to the Ostrogoths. Fratricidal conflict weakened the kingdom.

Decline and legacy

The Frankish kings Theuderic I and Chlothar I invaded and destroyed the kingdom at the Battle of the Unstrut (River) in 531, killing Hermanafrid (who died c. 532/534, thrown — or fallen — from the walls of Zülpich). Thuringia was absorbed into the Frankish realm as a subordinate duchy. A figure named Basina of Thuringia (see entry 32) links the Thuringian royal house to the Merovingians: she left her Thuringian husband to marry Childeric I and became the mother of Clovis I — one of the most consequential dynastic connections of the age.

Common questions

What were the Thuringian states?: The Kingdom of Thuringia was a Germanic kingdom in central Germany (roughly modern Thuringia and beyond, between the Harz and the Danube at its height), formed by the Thuringii in the 5th century as Hunnic power collapsed. At its peak in the early 6th century it was a significant power, allied by marriage with the Ostrogoths, Lombards, and Franks.
When did the Thuringian states exist?: The Thuringian states existed 5th century – 531. On this map they are drawn AD 469–475.
How large were the Thuringian states?: At their greatest extent drawn on this map, the Thuringian states covered about 40,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives them across the years they are drawn, not necessarily their greatest extent in history.
Who ruled the Thuringian states?: Its known kings include Bisinus (Bisin) in the late 5th century — connected by marriage to the Frankish royal house — and his sons, among whom the kingdom was divided. The most prominent was Hermanafrid, who with his brothers Baderic and Berthachar contested the kingdom; Hermanafrid married Amalaberga, a niece of Theodoric the Great, tying Thuringia to the Ostrogoths.
How did the Thuringian states end?: The Frankish kings Theuderic I and Chlothar I invaded and destroyed the kingdom at the Battle of the Unstrut (River) in 531, killing Hermanafrid (who died c. 532/534, thrown — or fallen — from the walls of Zülpich). Thuringia was absorbed into the Frankish realm as a subordinate duchy.

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 Thuringia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Thuringia

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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