NORTHERN ALBINGIA

The name 'Northern Albingia' or 'Nordalbingia' is based on the Latin name ''Alba'' for the Elbe river. It refers to an area that lies predominantly north of the Lower Elbe and roughly coincides with today’s Holstein. Situated in what is now Northern Germany, this is the earliest known dominion of the Saxons.
Northern Albingia was one of the four administrative Old Saxon regions (the others being Angria, Eastphalia and Westphalia). After Saxon Christianization following the loss of Saxon independence, this entire region became the Duchy of Saxony which was incorporated into Charlemagne’s Carolingian Empire in 804.
Northern Albingia consisted of four districts: Dithmarschen, Holstein, Stormarn (north of the Elbe) and Hadeln (south of the Elbe).
According to some sources, Charlemagne intended to establish a diocese of Northern Albingia headed by the priest Heridag. This plan was abandoned after Heridag’s death, and the region came to be assigned to the dioceses of Bremen and Verden during the reign of Emperor Louis the Pious.