The monograph, written jointly by Leipzig University professor R. Gunter and Moscow University professor A. R. Korsunsky, is published in parallel in German and Russian in the GDR and the USSR. The monograph is devoted to the problem of the transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages. The work shows the decline of the Roman slave society and the emergence and development (or death) of the German kingdoms until the middle of the 6th century, considered as a long revolutionary process of social, economic and political transformations, culminating in the formation of early feudal relations. The book contains extensive factual material that substantiates the authors' coherent concept. What gives it particular value is the intensive use of the latest specialized literature on the history of antiquity and the early Middle Ages and archaeological research data. The book is intended for researchers, teachers and students. The accessibility of the presentation makes it interesting for a wide range of readers interested in the origins of European history.