Ludovingians

The Ludovingian coat of arms showed a lion rampant barry (variously of seven, eight, nine or ten; shown here: of eight) argent and gules, the so-called lion of Hesse.
Information board at the ruins of the Ludovingian family castle, the Schauenburg near Friedrichroda

The Ludovingians or Ludowingians (German: Ludowinger) were the ruling dynasty of Thuringia and Hesse during the 11th to 13th centuries.

Their progenitor was Louis the Bearded who was descended from a noble family whose genealogy cannot be precisely determined. Like the related Reginbodo family, they had a close relationship with the Archbishopric of Mainz and also had estates on the Middle Main.

The male line of Ludovingians was extinguished on the death of Henry Raspe in 1247, leading to the War of the Thuringian Succession.