The March of Carinthia was a frontier district (march) of the Carolingian Empire created in 889. Before it was a march, it had been a principality or duchy ruled by native-born Slavic princes at first independently and then under Bavarian and subsequently Frankish suzerainty. The realm was divided into counties which, after the succession of the Carinthian duke to the East Frankish throne, were united in the hands of a single authority. When the march of Carinthia was raised into a Duchy in 976, a new Carinthian march was created. It became the later March of Styria.
The Holy Roman Empire during the tenth century. The march of Carinthia is the central portion of the collection of Bavarian marches hatched in purple in the lower right.
Holy Roman Empire about 1000: The succeeding Duchy of Carinthia shown in brown with the marches of Verona, Istria, Carniola and Styria, according to William Robert Shepherd, 1923
The Duchy of Bavaria was a frontier region in the southeastern part of the Merovingian kingdom from the sixth through the eighth century. It was settled by Bavarian tribes and ruled by dukes (duces) under Frankish overlordship. A new duchy was created from this area during the decline of the Carolingian Empire in the late ninth century. It became one of the stem duchies of the East Frankish realm which evolved as the Kingdom of Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.
Coat of Arms of the House of Welf
The Bavarian Square banner in the Wappenbuch des St. Galler Abtes Ulrich Rösch, 15th century
