Margrave - German

In the Frankish Kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire, this was an official position placed in the border regions that were important from a military standpoint. In the Frankish Kingdom, a county district (Grafschaft) was established as a normal local administrative organization, and its leader was a count (Graf), but in border areas where there was a risk of invasion by foreign enemies, a mark (frontier district) was established, and its leader was called a margrave. Examples include the Spanish mark, which was established to counter the Islamic people of the Iberian Peninsula, and the Ostmark in Bavaria to counter the Magyars. In the marks, a network of fortifications was established for defense, military colonization was carried out, and the margraves were given significant military command authority. As feudalism progressed, the position of margrave became feudalized, and eventually changed into the title of a feudal lord ranked between an archduke (Herzog) and an ordinary count (Graf). As the powers of a margrave were similar to those of an archduke, some margraves were elevated to archduchies (such as the Grand Duchy of Brittany and the Archduchy of Austria) and some margraves were divided (such as the Ostmark of Saxony into the Margraviate of Brandenburg, the Margraviate of Lusatia and the Margraviate of Meissen). The title of margrave can also be found in England.

[Shosuke Hirajo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

フランク王国や神聖ローマ帝国において、軍事上重要な辺境地域に置かれた官職。フランク王国の通常の地方行政組織として伯管区（グラーフシャフト）が設けられ、その統括者は伯（グラーフ）であったが、外敵の侵入のおそれのある国境地帯にはマルクMark（辺境区）が置かれ、その統括者が辺境伯とよばれた。イベリア半島のイスラム人に対して置かれたスペイン・マルク、マジャール人に対するバイエルンのオスト・マルクなどがそれである。マルクには防御のための城塞(じょうさい)網が設けられ、軍事的植民が行われ、辺境伯には大幅な軍事指揮権が与えられた。封建制の進展の結果、辺境伯職は封建化し、やがて大公（ヘルツォーク）と一般の伯（グラーフ）の中間にランクされる封建諸侯の称号に変質した。辺境伯の権限が大公のそれに類似していたため、若干の辺境伯領は大公領に昇格し（ブルターニュ大公領、オーストリア大公領など）、また辺境伯領が細分化される事態（ザクセンのオスト・マルクが、ブランデンブルク辺境伯領、ラウジッツ辺境伯領、マイセン辺境伯領に分割された例など）も生じた。封建諸侯の称号としての辺境伯は、イギリスにも例がある。

［平城照介］

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