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The history of Saxony begins with the ancient tribal Duchy of Saxony in today's northwestern Germany in the 5th century. In the Saxon Wars of Charlemagne (772–804), it was conquered and became annexed by the Franks, but it remained, however, as a duchy. Important dukes have been the dukes from the Welf Dynasty (Guelph), known for her opposition to the Hohenstaufen emperors, which ended in 1180 in the desintegration of the duchy by the emperor. The title of the Duke of Saxony remained, but was associated with peripheral regions of the ancient duchy with parts of Eastphalia on the middle of Elbe River, and some areas on the lower Elbe: Lauenburg and Hadeln. The Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg came into beeing with the inheritance of the duchy in 1296 and ended de facto in 1689 with the death of the last duke of the house of Ascanians.
400 · the Saxons settle in the Lauenburg region
6th to 7th century · immigration of Slavic tribes (Obodrites)
804 · the region is an area of influence of the Frankish Empire under Charlemagne
810 · the region is connected to the Frankish Empire as a 'Mark' (border district), and is part of the East Frankish Kingdom from 870 (from 962 called German Empire)
1181 · built of the Lauenburg, it is residence to the fire of 1618
1142 · Henry 'the Lion' of the House of Guelph (Welf) receives Brunswick and the Duchy of Saxony as a fiefdom, he established the County of Ratzeburg, Count becomes Henry of Badewide
1180 · in the conflict with the Staufen Emperor, Henry 'the Lion' gets outlawed, in the following struggles Henry 'the Lion' subjects and loses all possessions (even Bavaria), except Brunswick and Lueneburg, and some very small areas, Duke of Saxony becomes the Bernhard I. of Anhalt (Ascanian Dynasty), but only with parts of Eastphalia on the middle of Elbe River, and some areas on the lower Elbe: Lauenburg and Hadeln. Westphalia and Engern had been separated by the emperor. The Ascanians claimed these territories unswervingly and on throughout the ages
1201 · conquest by Denmark
1227 · Battle of Bornhöved, the end of Danish rule
1235 · Otto the Child (Guelph) becomes Duke of Brunswick (from 1269 Duchy of Brunswick-Lueneburg)
1260 · death of the Duke of Saxony, Albrecht I. of Anhalt (Ascanians), the inheritance goes to his brothers John I. and Albert II.
1296 · Albert II. and the three sons of John I. share the Duchy of Saxony into the Duchies of Saxony-Lauenburg and Saxony-Wittenberg, both duchies keep the Electorate
1305 · Saxony-Lauenburg is divided into the familial lines Bergedorf-Moelln and Ratzeburg-Lauenburg
1356 · Emperor Charles IV. passes the Golden Bull (a kind of constitution), the electoral dignity will be removed from Saxony-Lauenburg and remains with Saxony-Wittenberg (in the future so called Electorate of Saxony)
1401 · extinction of the line Bergedorf-Moelln, beginning of the war with Hamburg and Luebeck
1420 · Hamburg and Luebeck conquer Bergedorf,
Peace of Perleberg, Saxony-Lauenburg must cede Bergedorf and other territories in both cities
1422 · death of the Ascanian Albrecht III., Elector and Duke of Saxony; Saxony-Lauenburg makes inheritance claims
1423 · King Sigismund awards the Electorate of Saxony and the Palatinate of Saxony to the Margrave of Meissen (from the House of Wettin)
1531 · spread of the Lutheran Reformation
1554 · the Lutheran Reformation prevails
1582 · Duke Francis II. marries Duchess Marie of Brunswick-Lueneburg
1619 · Ratzeburg is the capital and residence
1689 · death of Duke Julius Franz (extinction of the Ascanians in Saxony-Lauenburg), despite of female succession goes the heritage of the Ascanians in the yaear 1705 to the Electorate of Brunswick-Lueneburg (also called: Kurhannover), the Country of Hadeln becomes directly subordinated under the rule of the German emperor and comes in 1731 to the Electorate of Brunswick-Lueneburg
1693 · attacks of Denmark
1714 · Elector Georg I. becomes as Georg I. King of Great Britain, begin of the personal union with Great Britain, the Elector of Hanover is at the same time King of Great Britain
1792, 1796, 1800 and 1805 · invasions of French revolutionary troops under Napoléon into the German Empire, the German Empire subjects and becomes territorially transformed by Napoléon: church possessions become confiscated, old princely territories become repealed and transferred to other old or new principalities
1803 · French troops occupy the Duchy of Saxony-Lauenburg
1806 · Saxony-Lauenburg is part of the Kingdom of Westphalia
1810–1813 · the Duchy of Saxony-Lauenburg is annexed by France
October 1813 · Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig, withdrawal of the French troops from Lauenburg re-affiliation to the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg (from 1814: Kingdom of Hanover)
1814–1815 · Congress of Vienna, reorganization of Europe after the Napoleonic era, Lauenburg becomes a member of the German Confederation, 27th of July in 1816: the Kingdom of Hanover has to cede the Duchy of Lauenburg to Prussia (except Hadeln, Amt Neuhaus and Elbmarsch), and Lauenburg becomes handed over to Denmark, as compensation for the to Sweden lost Norway, as part of the German Confederation
1864 · German-Danish War, defeat of Denmark, Denmark loses Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg to the German Confederation
14th of August in 1865 · Gastein Convention, the Lauenburg states consign the title of the Duke to the King of Prussia (William I.) , the King of Prussia is thus Duke of Lauenburg
1867 · Lauenburg becomes the 23rd member of the North German Confederation
1876 · The Duchy of Lauenburg ends and becomes incorporated as 'District of Duchy of Lauenburg' in the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein, which exists until today
Source: Wikipedia (D),
Historisches Deutschland,
Atlas zur Geschichte,
Herders Conversations-Lexikon