| Wendish Crusade | |||||||
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| Part of theNorthern Crusades | |||||||
 The Capture of the Wends | |||||||
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TheWendish Crusade (German:Wendenkreuzzug) was a military campaign in 1147, one of theNorthern Crusades, led primarily by theKingdom of Germany within theHoly Roman Empire and directed against thePolabian Slavs (or "Wends"). The Wends were made up of the Slavic tribes ofAbrotrites,Rani,Liutizians,Wagarians, andPomeranians who lived east of theRiver Elbe in present-day northeast Germany and Poland.[1]
The lands inhabited by the Wends were rich in resources, which played a factor in the motivations of those who participated in the crusade. The mild climate of the Baltic area allowed for the cultivation of land and livestock. Animals of this region were also thickly furred, supporting the dependence on fur trading. Access to the coastline also developed fishing and trade networks.[2] The land was attractive for the resources it boasted, and the crusade offered an opportunity for noble families to gain part of it.
By the early 12th century, the German archbishoprics ofBremen andMagdeburg sought the conversion toChristianity of neighboring paganWest Slavs through peaceful means.[3] During the preparation of the Second Crusade to theHoly Land, apapal bull was issued supporting a crusade against these Slavs. The Slavic leaderNiklot preemptively invadedWagria in June 1147, leading to the march of the crusaders later that summer. They negotiated an ostensible forced baptism of Slavs atDobin after anunsuccessful siege, but were completely repulsed fromDemmin. Another crusading army marched on the already Christian city ofSzczecin (Stettin), whereupon the crusaders dispersed upon arrival (see below).
The Christian army, composed primarily ofSaxons andDanes, forced tribute from thepagan Slavs and affirmed German control of Wagria andPolabia through colonization, but failed to convert the bulk of the population immediately.
TheOttonian dynasty supported eastward expansion of theHoly Roman Empire towards Wendish (West Slavic) lands during the 10th century. The campaigns of KingHenry the Fowler and EmperorOtto the Great led to the introduction ofburgwards to protect German conquests in the lands of theSorbs. Otto's lieutenants, MargravesGero andHermann Billung, advanced eastward and northward respectively to claim tribute from conquered Slavs. Bishoprics were established atMeissen,Brandenburg,Havelberg, andOldenburg to administer the territory. A majority of Wendish tribes had been Christianized from the German conquests, but in 983 they returned to paganism when agreat Slavic rebellion reversed the initial German gains.[4] While theburgwards allowed the Saxons to retain control of Meissen, they lost Brandenburg and Havelberg. TheElbe River then became the eastern limit of German-Roman control.
By the early 12th century, the Archbishoprics ofBremen,Magdeburg andGniezno sought the conversion of the pagan Slavs to Christianity through peaceful means: notable missionaries includedVicelin,Norbert of Xanten, andOtto of Bamberg (sent to Pomerania byBolesław III Wrymouth of Poland). Lacking support from theSalian dynasty of theHoly Roman Empire, secular Saxon princes seeking Slavic territory found themselves in a military stalemate with their adversaries. Christians, especially Saxons fromHolstein, and pagans raided each other across theLimes Saxonicus, usually fortribute.
The idea of a crusade against the Wends first originated in the Magdeburg Letter, originally sent around 1107 to 1110, in which an anonymous author makes an appeal against the Wends.[5] The Magdeburg Letter makes the case that the Wends are pagans and that any fight against them is justified and the land that they inhabit is "our Jerusalem".[6] In the letter no formal spiritual indulgence is offered apart from a general salvation of the soul, but an emphasis is put on acquiring land. The author says, "these gentiles [pagans] are most wicked, but their land is the best, rich in meat, honey, corn, and birds; and if it were well cultivated none could be compared to it for the wealth of its produce. So say those who know it. And so, most renowned Saxon, French, Lorrainers, and Flemings and conquerors of the world, this is an occasion for you to save your souls and, if you wish it, acquire the best land in which to live."[7] The references made to the wealth of resources in the Slavic lands would have been especially appealing to those who were motivated by material gain. The Magdeburg letter established the ideas of a northern crusade and land acquisition that would come to play defining roles of the Wendish Crusade.
From 1140–43 Holsatian nobles advanced intoWagria to settle in the lands of the paganWagri permanently. CountAdolf II of Holstein andHenry of Badewide took control ofPolabian settlements which would later becomeLübeck andRatzeburg; Vicelin was subsequently installed as bishop atOldenburg. Adolf sought peace with the chief of theObodrite confederacy,Niklot, and encouraged German colonization and missionary activity in Wagria.[8]
The fall ofEdessa in Syria in 1144 shockedChristendom, causingPope Eugenius III and St.Bernard of Clairvaux to preach aSecond Crusade to reinforceOutremer. While manysouth Germans volunteered to crusade in theMiddle East, thenorth German Saxons were reluctant. They told Bernard of their desire to campaign against the Slavs at aReichstag meeting inFrankfurt on 13 March 1147. The Wends were seen as a threat to Christendom as they were apostates, meaning the crusade against them would be justified.[9] Approving of the Saxons' plan, Pope Eugenius III issued apapal bull known as theDivina dispensatione on 11 April 1147. As part of the bull, Eugenius III fulfilled and validated a promise made by Bernard that the same indulgences would be offered to those who crusaded against the Wends as those who went to fight in the Middle East. These indulgences offered a complete forgiveness of sin, meaning there was to be no difference between the spiritual rewards of the different crusaders.[10] Those who volunteered to crusade against the Slavic pagans were primarilyDanes,Saxons, andPoles,[11] although there were also someBohemians.[12] In preaching the Crusade, Bernard feared that those who participated were doing so only for the possible material gain. In an effort to persuade crusaders to focus on spiritual conversion, Bernard said, "We prohibit completely that a truce be made for any reason with these people [Wends] either for money or tribute, until such time as, with the aid of God either their religion or their nation shall be destroyed," which was an condition added to the papal bull.[13] The German monarchy took no part in the crusade, which was led by Saxon families such as theAscanians,Wettin, andSchauenburgers.[14]Papal legateAnselm of Havelberg was placed in overall command.
Upset at Adolf's participation in the crusade, Niklot preemptively invaded Wagria in June 1147, and, along with the Wagrians, decimated newly settledFleming andFrisian villages, leading to the march of the crusaders in late summer 1147. By attacking first, Niklot gave further justification for the Crusade as he legitimized the Wends as a serious threat toChristendom. After expelling the Obodrites from his territory, Adolf signed a peace treaty with Niklot. The remaining Christian crusaders targeted the Obodrite fortDobin and theLiutizian fortDemmin.
The forcesattacking Dobin included those of the DanesCanute V andSweyn III, ArchbishopAdalbert II of Bremen, and DukeHenry the Lion ofSaxony. Avoiding pitched battles, Niklot ably defended the marshland of Dobin. One army of Danes was defeated by Slavs from Dobin, while another had to defend the Danish fleet from Niklot's allies, theRani ofRügen. Henry and Adalbert maintained the siege of Dobin after the retreat of the Danes. When some crusaders advocated ravaging the countryside, others objected by asking, "Is not the land we are devastating our land, and the people we are fighting our people?"[2] The Saxon army under Henry the Lion withdrew after Niklot agreed to have Dobin's garrison undergobaptism.
The Saxon army directed against Demmin was led by several bishops, including those ofMainz,Halberstadt,Münster,Merseburg,Brandenburg,Olmütz, and BishopAnselm of Havelberg. While their stated goal was to achieve the conversion of the pagans, most also sought additional territory and tithe for their dioceses;AbbotWibald of Corvey went in the hopes of acquiring the island ofRügen. The Demmin campaign also included the secular margravesConrad I andAlbert the Bear, who hoped to expand theirmarches. ARoyal Polish contingent wanted to add to theBishopric of Lebus. Marching fromMagdeburg, Albert the Bear recoveredHavelberg, lost since the 983 Slavic rebellion. The crusaders then destroyed a pagan temple and castle atMalchow. After an unsuccessful siege of Demmin, a contingent of crusaders was diverted by the margraves to attack centralPomerania instead. They reached the already Christian citySzczecin, whereupon the crusaders dispersed after meeting with BishopAdalbert of Pomerania and DukeRatibor I of Pomerania.
The Wendish Crusade achieved mixed results. It failed in its immediate objective of eithermass conversion or destruction of theWendishpagans, but managed to weaken them.[15] The inefficiency of Wendish Crusade received criticism, withHelmold attributing it to the crusading armies being more focused on plunder rather than achieving the goals of the Crusade.[16] The crusaders unsuccessfullybesieged Dobin and only achieved temporary partial conversions of the Wendish pagans. While the Saxons affirmed their possession of Wagria and Polabia, Niklot retained control of the Obodrite land east of Lübeck. The Saxons also received tribute from Niklot, enabled the colonization of theBishopric of Havelberg, and freed some Danish prisoners. However, the disparate Christian leaders, mostly Canute and Sweyn, regarded their counterparts with suspicion and accused each other of sabotaging the campaign.
According toBernard of Clairvaux, the goal of the crusade was to battle the pagan Slavs "until such a time as, by God's help, they shall either be converted or deleted".[17] However, the crusade failed to achieve the conversion of most of the Wends. In preaching the Crusade, Bernard had urged to not make truce or accept any form of tribute, but the crusaders did receive tribute from Niklot as mentioned, which contributed to Bernard's perception of the crusade as a failure. The Saxons achieved largely token conversions at Dobin, as the Slavs returned to their pagan beliefs once the Christian armies dispersed; Albert of Pomerania explained, "If they had come to strengthen the Christian faith ... they should have done so by preaching, not by arms".[18] There was no Wendish clergy established nor any Christian literature translated into the language of the Wends.[19] Without any institutions in place, the forced conversion of the Wends was not sustainable. The only successful conversions were achieved by the Danes. The Danes recaptured the island ofRügen in 1168 and were able to re-Christianize it through the establishment of churches and by allowing PrinceJaromit of Rügen to remain in power after he fully accepted Christianity.[20] The Danes were able to be successful through their method of encouraging Christianity rather than focusing solely on controlling the newly acquired land.
In this way, the Crusade could be viewed as a success in terms of its successful acquisition of Slavic lands as it encouraged colonization by German settlers. It also began a long-lasting crusade against the Wends that lasted the rest of the twelfth century. By the 1160s, most of the Wends had come under the control of the Saxons or the Danes. However, in 1180 whenHenry the Lion and EmperorFrederick I Barbarossa had a falling out, the Danes were able to assert political control over a majority of the region.[21] The effects of the Wendish Crusade was long-lasting through the impacts it had on extending political and colonial power in the Baltic region.
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