Eine Brückenlandschaft in Sachsen-Anhalt

The eastern Harz foreland between the rivers Saale, Elbe, Unstrut and Bode has been settled since the Neolithic period due to its excellent soil qualities and numerous mineral resources. In the early Middle Ages, Franks, Thuringians, Saxons and Slavs met here, so that the region can virtually be described as an ethnic 'melting pot' and a veritable 'bridge landscape'. Although central places and numerous imperial estates are known in this area, there is a lack of news about noteworthy manorial involvement for the period from the 9th to the early 13th century. The articles in this volume explore the reasons for this. They also ask about the natural conditions, the political activities and the structures created, among other things in the form of castles and road networks, which formed the basis for the emergence of important centres of power under the so-called Ascanians from the 12th century onwards.