Bardengau

The Bardengau was a medieval region (Gau) located in what is now Lower Saxony, Germany. It encompassed the area around the Ilmenau river, roughly corresponding to the modern district of Lüneburg. The name derives from the Bardowiek, the main settlement and administrative center of the Gau.

The Bardengau was part of the Duchy of Saxony and played a significant role in the Saxon Wars during the reign of Charlemagne. Its inhabitants, the Barden, were among the Saxon tribes who resisted Frankish rule and conversion to Christianity. After the subjugation of Saxony, the Bardengau was gradually integrated into the Frankish Empire.

Bardowiek, the central settlement, held considerable political and economic importance. It served as a trading hub and a center of power for the Saxon nobility. The town's decline began in the 12th century after Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, destroyed Bardowiek in 1189, allegedly due to its rivalry with his newly founded city of Lüneburg. This marked a significant turning point in the history of the Bardengau and the broader region. The area gradually became dominated by Lüneburg.

Historically, the Bardengau's inhabitants were primarily engaged in agriculture, forestry, and trade. The fertile lands along the Ilmenau river supported farming, while the surrounding forests provided timber and hunting opportunities.