Eifelgau

The Eifelgau (also often spelled "Eifelgau") was a medieval territory and administrative region within the Frankish kingdom and, subsequently, the Holy Roman Empire. It encompassed a large portion of the Eifel region, a low mountain range located in western Germany and parts of Belgium and Luxembourg.

The Eifelgau emerged in the Early Middle Ages, likely during the Merovingian period. It served as a subdivision of larger Frankish entities and was governed by counts (Grafen), who were responsible for maintaining order, administering justice, and raising troops. The boundaries of the Eifelgau were not fixed and shifted over time, influenced by political and territorial changes. However, it generally included areas along the upper reaches of the rivers Ahr, Erft, and Kyll, and extended to parts of the Moselle valley. Important centers within the Eifelgau included Prüm (with its influential abbey) and possibly Münstereifel.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Eifelgau was fragmented into smaller lordships and territories. Powerful families and ecclesiastical institutions, such as the counts of Jülich, Luxembourg, and the archbishops of Cologne and Trier, gained influence within the region. By the High Middle Ages, the Eifelgau as a unified administrative entity had largely dissolved, with its constituent parts becoming integrated into other, more defined territories. The term "Eifelgau" continued to be used in historical contexts to refer to the general region, but it no longer represented a distinct political or administrative unit.