Overledingerland | |||||||||
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Medieval sealand of Frisia ![]() | |||||||||
13th century–1464 | |||||||||
![]() Overledingerland (yellow), within the Seven Sealands (white) around 1300 | |||||||||
Capital | Backemoor | ||||||||
History | |||||||||
• Established | 13th century | ||||||||
• Disestablished | 1464 | ||||||||
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Today part of | Germany |
The Overledingerland (also Overledingen, Oberledingerland or Oberledingen) is a historical district in southern East Frisia and forms the southeastern part of the Leer district. The name means nothing other than "Land across the Leda", [1] i.e. south of the Leda river. In the west, the Ems borders the region. [2]
The Overledingerland is one of the four historical districts on the mainland of today's Leer district. In the early Middle Ages it belonged to the Carolingian Emsgau, [3] but after the foreign counts were expelled, it was able to establish itself as an independent Frisian regional community in the 13th century. [4] [5] In the south, some Saxon settlements also joined the cooperatively organized regional community. [5] A classic feudal rule did not establish itself here, as in the rest of Frisia. [6]
It was probably divided into regional quarters, each of which sent four representatives to the Council of Sixteen of the Overledingerland, [3] whose main meeting place was probably Backemoor. [7] Due to the economic conditions, [3] however, the Overledingerland was not able to develop such a strong position as the Brokmerland, the Harlingerland or the Jeverland managed to do further north. During the time of Frisian freedom it became part of the Upstalsboom League. [8]
The independence ended in the 15th century with the rule of the city of Hamburg and the East Frisian chieftains. [9] A local central chieftaincy did not develop, only a few village chiefs were able to establish themselves. The district initially came under the rule of the tom Brok dynasty. [10] After their decline, it fell to Focko Ukena [6] and in his wake to the Cirksena. [11] With the end of the chieftainship, the Overledingerland became part of the County of East Frisia in 1464.