Great Slav Rising
Encyclopedia
The Great Slav Rising von 983
was an uprising of the Slavic Lutici
und Obotrite people living to the east of the Elbe
in modern north-east Germany. They were revolting against their subjugation to the Kingdom of the Eastern Franks (also known as East Francia).
, who was also Holy Roman Emperor. Otto I had most recently defeated the Obotrites at the Battle of Recknitz
in 955. The area of the Elbe and Baltic Slavs was first a part of the Saxon Eastern March
, but this was divided into smaller marches in 965. The Archbishopric of Magdeburg in particular carried out active missionary work.
, Slavic forces led by the Lutici revolted and drove out the political and religious representatives of the Empire. The bishops' seats of Brandenburg
und Havelberg
were occupied and the monastery at Kalbe an der Milde
was plundered. The Obotrites joined the Lutici in the bishopric of Oldenburg
and assaulted Hamburg. A hastily assembled Saxon army was only able to retain the Slavs behind the Elbe for a short while.
The Lausitz and the Sorbian Marches, which were under Saxon-Thuringian rule, did not take part in the uprising.
and Bolesław I to subjugate the area. However these campaigns were unsuccessful.
Emperor Henry II
tried a different approach. He allied himself in 1003 with the Lutici and waged war against his previous ally the Duchy of Poland under Bolesław I. This stabilized the independence of the Lutici and ensured that the area remained ruled by Slavs and unchristianized into the 12th century.
The immediate consequences of the uprising were an almost complete stop on further German eastward expansion
for the next 200 years. The bishoprics of Brandenburg and Havelberg existed for some time in titular form only. Only in the 12th century did further German conquests and settlements resume east of the Elbe, and this was in partnership with Slavic princes.
983
Year 983 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Wood carvers commissioned by China's Song Dynasty complete a carving of the entire Buddhist canon for printing .* The reign of Amir Adhad ad-Dowleh of Buwayhid ends.* Sharaf ad-Dawla becomes Amir Buwayhid.* The...
was an uprising of the Slavic Lutici
Lutici
The Lutici were a federation of West Slavic Polabian tribes, who between the 10th and 12th centuries lived in what is now northeastern Germany. Four tribes made up the core of the federation: the Redarians , Circipanians , Kessinians and Tollensians...
und Obotrite people living to the east of the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
in modern north-east Germany. They were revolting against their subjugation to the Kingdom of the Eastern Franks (also known as East Francia).
Background
The Slavic peoples between the Elbe and the Baltic had been conquered and nominally converted to Christianity by the campaigns of the Saxon kings Henry the Fowler and Otto the FirstOtto I, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Great , son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of Germany, King of Italy, and "the first of the Germans to be called the emperor of Italy" according to Arnulf of Milan...
, who was also Holy Roman Emperor. Otto I had most recently defeated the Obotrites at the Battle of Recknitz
Battle of Recknitz
The Battle of Recknitz river]]") was fought on 16 October 955 between the forces of Otto I of Germany allied with the Rani tribe on one side, and the Obotrite federation under Nako and his brother Stoinegin with their allied and tributary Slav neighbours on the other in the region of present-day...
in 955. The area of the Elbe and Baltic Slavs was first a part of the Saxon Eastern March
Saxon Eastern March
The Saxon Eastern March or Ostmark was a march of the Holy Roman Empire from the 10th until the 12th century. The term "eastern march" or "ostmark" comes from the Latin term marchia Orientalis and originally could refer to either a march created on the eastern frontier of the Duchy of Saxony or...
, but this was divided into smaller marches in 965. The Archbishopric of Magdeburg in particular carried out active missionary work.
The uprising
While there was internal dissention in the Holy Roman Empire over the succession to the archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg and the emperor Otto IIOtto II, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto II , called the Red, was the third ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty, the son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Italy.-Early years and co-ruler with Otto I:...
, Slavic forces led by the Lutici revolted and drove out the political and religious representatives of the Empire. The bishops' seats of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
und Havelberg
Havelberg
Havelberg is a town in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the Havel, and part of the town is built on an island in the centre of the river. The two parts were incorporated as a town in 1875...
were occupied and the monastery at Kalbe an der Milde
Kalbe
Kalbe is a town in the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel , in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approx. 15 km north of Gardelegen, on the river Milde. To avoid confusion with Calbe, it is also called Kalbe an der Milde....
was plundered. The Obotrites joined the Lutici in the bishopric of Oldenburg
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
and assaulted Hamburg. A hastily assembled Saxon army was only able to retain the Slavs behind the Elbe for a short while.
The Lausitz and the Sorbian Marches, which were under Saxon-Thuringian rule, did not take part in the uprising.
Aftermath
From 985 the princes of the Empire carried out annual campaigns together with the Polish princes Mieszko IMieszko I of Poland
Mieszko I , was a Duke of the Polans from about 960 until his death. A member of the Piast dynasty, he was son of Siemomysł; grandchild of Lestek; father of Bolesław I the Brave, the first crowned King of Poland; likely father of Świętosława , a Nordic Queen; and grandfather of her son, Cnut the...
and Bolesław I to subjugate the area. However these campaigns were unsuccessful.
Emperor Henry II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
tried a different approach. He allied himself in 1003 with the Lutici and waged war against his previous ally the Duchy of Poland under Bolesław I. This stabilized the independence of the Lutici and ensured that the area remained ruled by Slavs and unchristianized into the 12th century.
The immediate consequences of the uprising were an almost complete stop on further German eastward expansion
Ostsiedlung
Ostsiedlung , also called German eastward expansion, was the medieval eastward migration and settlement of Germans from modern day western and central Germany into less-populated regions and countries of eastern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The affected area roughly stretched from Slovenia...
for the next 200 years. The bishoprics of Brandenburg and Havelberg existed for some time in titular form only. Only in the 12th century did further German conquests and settlements resume east of the Elbe, and this was in partnership with Slavic princes.
Sources
- Wolfgang Fritze: Der slawische Aufstand von 983 - eine Schicksalswende in der Geschichte Mitteleuropas. In: Eckart Henning, Werner Vogel (ed.): Festschrift der landesgeschichtlichen Vereinigung für die Mark Brandenburg zu ihrem hundertjährigen Bestehen 1884–1984. Berlin 1984, pp. 9–55.
- Herbert Ludat: An Elbe und Oder um das Jahr 1000. Skizzen zur Politik des Ottonenreiches und der slawischen Mächte in Mitteleuropa. Cologne 1971, ISBN 3-412-07271-0.
- Christian Lübke: Slavenaufstand. In: Lexikon des MittelaltersLexikon des MittelaltersThe Lexikon des Mittelalters is a German encyclopedia on the history of the Middle Ages. Written by authors from all over the world, it comprises more than 36,000 articles in 9 volumes. The first six volumes were published by Artemis , Munich and Zürich; volumes seven through nine by LexMA, Munich...
. vol. 7, col. 2003f. - Lutz Partenheimer: Die Entstehung der Mark Brandenburg. Mit einem lateinisch-deutschen Quellenanhang. Cologne/Weimar/Vienna 2007 (with sources material on the Slav Rising pp. 98–103), ISBN 3-412-17106-9.