or Ostrasia
Early medieval European kingdom.
During the Merovingian dynasty (6th8th centuries AD), it was the eastern Frankish kingdom and Neustria was the western kingdom. Austrasia covered present-day northeastern France and areas of western and central Germany; its capital was at Metz . The region was the power base of the early Carolingian mayors of the palace, one of whom, Pippin III , deposed the last Merovingian king in 751 and founded the Carolingian dynasty . The dynasty's heartland, Austrasia, was an important region in the empire established by Charlemagne .