Who Were the Slavs who Destroyed the Fortress on the River Trave in 1181? The Origins of the Imperial-Pomeranian Alliance in the Early 80s of the 12th Century
Who Were the Slavs who Destroyed the Fortress on the River Trave in 1181? The Origins of the Imperial-Pomeranian Alliance in the Early 80s of the 12th Century

Summary/Abstract: An analysis of the accounts of Arnold of Lübeck, Saxo Gramatik and German Annales, es- pecially those of Pegavian, allows us to formulate a hypothesis regarding the participation of Slavs in the battles between the Saxon-Bavarian prince Henry the Lion and Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa in 1178–1181. Initially, due to their political dependence, Slavs, in- cluding Pomeranians, fought on the side of Henry the Lion. Their support was shaken by the political situation of the prince, in which Henry found himself in the second half of 1180. The Slavs (the Polabians, living in the former Wieleck territories and part of the Pomeranians) left Welf after the death of Casimir I of Pomerania in the autumn of 1180. After his death, the Pomeranian duke Boguslaw I, who inherited his brother’s lands, began negotiations with the imperial party. At stake was the recognition of the political position of the Pomeranian duke, who was to be exclusively an imperial fief. Saxo Gramatik claimed that Boguslav ob- tained the title of Duke of the Slavs from the Emperor. This titulature reconciled Danish and Brandenburg claims to rule over Slavic lands. The attack of the Slavic army on Travemünde in the summer of 1181 can be considered a testimony to the agreement reached. The greatest opportunity to do this was the Polabian (Vagrian) Slavs. The destruction of this castle made it possible for the Danish fleet to enter Trave, which headed for a camp near Lübeck. The fall of Travemünde made it possible to close Lübeck with a siege ring in the summer of 1181. At the Lübeck camp, Boguslaw I of Pomerania paid tribute to the emperor. In the Lübeck camp, Boguslaw I of Pomerania paid tribute to the emperor. The prince was probably not the only Slavic ruler who found himself in the Lübeck camp. Some researchers claimed that in addition to him, princeps Niklot appeared before the emperor. It is possible, however, that in addition to Boguslaw I of Pomerania, his eldest surviving adult son, Racibor, also appeared before the emperor.

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