After occupying the region for over 150 years, the German tribe Alemanni invaded the area and destroyed the Roman fortress in nearby Gunzenhausen in 241. Between the year 259 and 260 the Alemmani finally overran the Limes and occupied the land. Also the Alemmani neither banished the old Celtic nor their Roman invaders from the land. Like the Romans before the Alemmani allowed the people to stay under the condition to accept bondage to the conquerors. As a signal of bondage men where not allowed to wear beards or weapons. The Alemanni preferred to live in wooden houses and avoided the stone buildings the Romans constructed. The abandoned Roman constructions were collapsing over the years. Thanks to that still Roman monuments can be marveled in the "Burgstallwald" in nearby Gunzenhausen and many other location in the region, whereas Alemanni inheritances are rather rare. Villages ending with "ingen" that are in the direct neighborhood of Cronheim such as Oberschwaningen, Unterschwaningen, Altentrüdingen, Wassertrüdingen etc. were most likely founded by the Alemanni. After the loss of the Battle of Tolbiac in 496, the Alemanni were partly conquered by Clovis I, leader of the German tribe Franks and incorporated into his dominions along with the Christian religion. This caused that parts of the Alemanni population moved, under the protectorate of the Ostrogoths emperor Theoderic the Great, further south. Even after the Alemanni lost the decisive Battle of Tolbiac against their German sister tribe the Franks, they mainly managed to keep their autonomous status. The roots of noble family of the Agilolfings that from this time on ruled the Duchy of Bavaria is not quite clear. Some see their roots in the Frank dynasty, others in the Alemanni dynasty.