5 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Mer oving ian ▁king ▁Clo vis ▁founded ▁the ▁Fran con ian ▁Kingdom . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁Roman ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁area ▁decl ined ▁stead ily , ▁the ▁people ▁spoke ▁a ▁Franco - R oman ▁dialect ▁and ▁the ▁language ▁of ▁administration ▁was ▁Latin . ▁ ▁Gra ve ▁ins cri ptions ▁from ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁to ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century ▁in ▁Bo pp ard , ▁in ▁the ▁St . ▁Sever us ▁Church ▁and ▁the ▁Car mel ite ▁Church ▁prove ▁the ▁surv ival ▁of ▁a ▁small ▁Roman ▁population ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁Frank ish ▁imm igr ants . ▁ ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁ ▁The ▁Roman ▁settlement s , ▁especially ▁the ▁fort ified ▁cities ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁Rh ine ▁Valley , ▁were ▁taken ▁by ▁the ▁Fran con ian ▁Kings ▁as ▁Crown ▁poss essions . ▁ ▁Al most ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁territory ▁between ▁B ingen ▁and ▁Rem agen , ▁including ▁the ▁cities ▁of ▁Bach ar ach , ▁Ober w es el , ▁St . ▁Go ar , ▁Bo pp ard , ▁Kob len z ▁and ▁Sin zig , ▁were ▁in ▁royal ▁ownership . ▁ ▁The ▁en fe off ment ▁of ▁individual ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century ▁and ▁continued ▁until ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 4 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Ben ef ici aries ▁of ▁the ▁g ifts ▁were , ▁among ▁others , ▁the ▁abb ots ▁of ▁Pr ü m ▁and ▁T rier ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁Ab bey ▁of ▁St . ▁Max imin ▁and ▁the ▁Arch