etes . ▁North ▁of ▁the ▁Sig amb ri ▁and ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁region ▁were ▁the ▁B ruct eri . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁emp ire ▁decl ined , ▁many ▁of ▁these ▁tribes ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁seen ▁collect ively ▁as ▁R ip u arian ▁Fran ks ▁and ▁they ▁pushed ▁forward ▁along ▁both ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁Rh ine , ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁fifth ▁century ▁had ▁conquer ed ▁all ▁the ▁lands ▁that ▁had ▁formerly ▁been ▁under ▁Roman ▁influence . ▁By ▁the ▁e ighth ▁century , ▁the ▁Frank ish ▁domin ion ▁was ▁firm ly ▁established ▁in ▁western ▁Germany ▁and ▁northern ▁Ga ul , ▁but ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁to ▁the ▁north , ▁West phal ia ▁was ▁being ▁taken ▁over ▁by ▁Sax ons ▁pushing ▁south . ▁ ▁The ▁Mer oving ian ▁and ▁Carol ing ian ▁Fran ks ▁eventually ▁built ▁an ▁emp ire ▁which ▁controlled ▁first ▁their ▁R ip u arian ▁kin , ▁and ▁then ▁the ▁Sax ons . ▁On ▁the ▁division ▁of ▁the ▁Carol ing ian ▁Empire ▁at ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Verd un , ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁province ▁to ▁the ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁river ▁fell ▁to ▁East ▁Francia , ▁while ▁that ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁remained ▁with ▁the ▁kingdom ▁of ▁L oth aring ia . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁Otto ▁I ▁( d . ▁ 9 7 3 ), ▁both ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁had ▁become ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁and ▁the ▁R hen ish ▁territory ▁was ▁divided ▁between ▁the ▁duch ies ▁of ▁Upper ▁Lor