Germany Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Germany appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 45 different states, among them Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Roman Empire, German Empire, Prussia.
GermanyExplore the history of Germany in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Germany as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Germany, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
| Map | Main states on this land |
|---|---|
| 1 BC | Roman Empire 79% |
| AD 100 | Roman Empire 36% |
| AD 200 | Roman Empire 36% |
| AD 400 | Western Roman Empire 31% · Burgundians 5% · Franks 2% |
| AD 500 | Thuringians 24% · Saxons 21% · Franks 14% |
| AD 600 | Frankish Kingdom 48% · Saxons 21% · Frisians 2% |
| AD 700 | Frankish Kingdom 38% · Saxons 17% · Avars 2% |
| AD 800 | Carolingian Empire 74% · Danes 2% |
| AD 900 | East Francia 64% · Carolingian Empire 10% · Danes 2% |
| 1000 | Holy Roman Empire 76% · Pomerania 12% · Duchy of Swabia 5% |
| 1100 | Holy Roman Empire 79% · Poland 5% · Denmark 2% |
| 1200 | Holy Roman Empire 86% · Poland 5% · Denmark 2% |
| 1300 | Holy Roman Empire 98% · Denmark 2% |
| 1400 | Holy Roman Empire 98% · Kalmar Union 2% |
| 1492 | Holy Roman Empire 98% · Denmark-Norway 2% |
| 1500 | Holy Roman Empire 98% · Kalmar Union 2% |
| 1600 | Holy Roman Empire 98% · Denmark-Norway 2% |
| 1650 | Holy Roman Empire 90% · Luxembourg 7% · Denmark-Norway 2% |
| 1700 | Holy Roman Empire 86% · Luxembourg 7% · Sweden 5% |
| 1783 | Prussia 29% · Bavaria 29% · Mecklenburg-Strelitz 12% |
| 1800 | Prussia 29% · Swabia 19% · Mecklenburg-Strelitz 12% |
| 1815 | Prussia 36% · Bavaria 24% · Hanover 12% |
| 1880 | Germany 98% · Denmark 2% |
| 1900 | Germany 98% · Denmark 2% |
| 1914 | German Empire 100% |
| 1920 | Germany 100% |
| 1930 | Germany 100% |
| 1938 | Germany 100% |
| 1945 | Germany (Soviet) 31% · Germany (UK) 29% · Germany (USA) 26% |
| 1960 | West Germany 69% · East Germany 31% |
| 1994 | Germany 100% |
| 2010 | Germany 100% |
Historic cities in Germany
Famous people of Germany
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| AD 272 – AD 337 | Constantine the Great | Roman emperor |
| c. AD 742 – AD 814 | Charlemagne | King of the Franks and emperor |
| c. 1400 – 1468 | Johannes Gutenberg | Inventor of printing |
| 1471 – 1528 | Albrecht Dürer | Painter and printmaker |
| 1483 – 1546 | Martin Luther | Reformer |
| 1685 – 1750 | Johann Sebastian Bach | Composer |
| 1749 – 1832 | Johann Wolfgang von Goethe | Writer |
| 1770 – 1827 | Ludwig van Beethoven | Composer |
| 1815 – 1898 | Otto von Bismarck | Chancellor of Germany |
| 1818 – 1883 | Karl Marx | Philosopher and economist |
| 1879 – 1955 | Albert Einstein | Physicist |
Battles and historic sites
| Year | Battle or site |
|---|---|
| AD 9 | Battle of the Teutoburg Forest |
| AD 955 | Battle of Lechfeld |
| 1517 | Wittenberg |
| 1632 | Battle of Lützen |
| 1648 | Münster |
| 1813 | Battle of Leipzig |
Landmarks
Aachen CathedralStanding · AD 796
Cologne CathedralStanding · 1248
Brandenburg GateStanding · 1791
Berlin PalaceRebuilt · 1443
Dresden FrauenkircheRebuilt · 1743
Neuschwanstein CastleStanding · 1886
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Germany?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Germany belonged to Holy Roman Empire, Germany, Roman Empire, German Empire, Prussia, Frankish Kingdom, along with 39 other states.
What was Germany part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Germany lay within Holy Roman Empire.
What was Germany part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Germany lay within Holy Roman Empire.
What was Germany part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Germany lay within Germany.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.