Landgöding

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The Landgöding was an upper brand court , which decided in disputes about borders, inheritances and taxes etc. The name Landgöding is mainly found in the former Venkigau and Hasegau . In and around Osnabrück there are still a few streets with that name. The term contains the basic word- thing , -thing .

A thing (also ding ) took place among the Saxons under the chairmanship of the head of the tribe or clan in the open air, often under lime trees and always during the day (hence the conference). It should have taken three days. With the opening of the meeting, the thing peace was proclaimed. The place or place at which such a meeting was held was called the Thingplatz or Thingstätte and was often built on a slightly elevated point.

According to Tacitus , important things were discussed on the first day of the meeting while drinking heavily. Resolutions, however, were only taken the next day in a sober state. According to Tacitus, this procedure had the advantage that on the first day the participants spoke more easily with a “free tongue”.

In Franconian times only the judiciary remained of its original importance. In order to increase the acceptance of the new order and the Christian church legitimizing it, numerous church buildings were erected by the Franks at traditional Thingstätten (Dingstätten). The medieval market cooperatives, which came from the Franconian era and often existed until the 19th century, called their annual meetings Märkerding or Wahlding (also Waalding ).

The difference in names indicates that Landgöding was carried out by the Saxons who lived here before Christianization by the Franks. In the Lohe peasantry (formerly part of Thuine , today Freren ) there was a Landgöding, a court that had to decide in disputes about borders, inheritances and taxes. Disputes between the individual brands were decided by Landgöding. The court lords who took part in the Landgöding were called saddle-free , because they always had to keep a riding horse ready for the sovereign, which he could demand. Otherwise they were free. It can no longer be determined whether the same process took place as with the big thing.

literature

  • Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Fontes iuris Germanici antiqui, leges Saxonum. P. 37ff.
  • Teachers' association of the Diocese of Osnabrück: The Lingen district (= contributions to local studies in the Osnabrück administrative district, issue 1). R. van Acken publishing house, Lingen / Ems 1905.
  • Ernst Förstemann , Hermann Jellinghaus (editor): Old German name book. Volume II, 1 and 2: Place names. Bonn 1913/1916 (reprint: Volume II, 2, Hildesheim 1967/1983, ISBN 3-487-01733-4 ).