УЛОГА СРБА У ЛОГИСТИЦИ БАРБАРОСИНОГ КРСТАШКОГ ПОХОДА
THE ROLE OF THE SERBS IN THE LOGISTICS OF BARBAROSSA’S CRUSADE

Summary/Abstract: Only recently, scholars have turned their attention to the logistic problems of the crusading expeditions during their passages through Central and Southeastern Europe. The logistics of Barbarossa’s expedition to the East, is particularly important in this aspect, as it was not only the biggest, but also the most meticulously planned crusade endeavor of the twelfth century, in terms of supplies, finances and trade on the road. In this article, the research focus is on the preparations of Barbarossa’s expedition and the role of the Serbian side in its plans, organization and supply. The sources, in which Barbarossa’s crusade was described, provide circumstantial, but nonetheless valuable information about the contacts between the Germans and the Serbs after the announcement of the crusade. They reveal background of Serbian embassy in Nuremberg at the end of 1188, which took place as a result of Barbarossa’s request to arrange the terms of passage and acquisition of supplies. It was probably Barbarossa’s envoy knight Gottfried of Wiesenbach, who informed Serbian grand župan Stephen Nemanja about the crusade, together with the Byzantine emperor and the Seljuk sultan. In the Spring of 1189, Nemanja was also informed on time about the departure of the expedition from Regensburg. While Barbarossa arrived in Niš on July 27, some crusading contingents were present there earlier, as the army advanced in smaller columns through the so-called’Bulgarian Forest’, from Braničevo to Niš. Securing the supplies and access to the markets for presumably 20,000 (usually assessed at 12-15,000) strong Barbarossa’s army was by no means an easy task. Nonetheless, the Serbs managed to provide large amount of supplies in sheep, oxen, barley, grain, wine and mead for the emperor, the most distinguished nobles, and their retinues. The majority of the crusaders, however, had to secure their supplies on the local markets. Although smaller incidents during the crusaders’ stay in Nemanja’s lands could not have been prevented, the reports at our disposal indicate that the amount of supplies and organisation of the markets, accommodated the needs of the emperor’s army. The availability of the supplies in large quantities was, in fact, the crucial reason, why in the sources related to the Barbarossa’s expedition (so-called Ansbert, anonymous ‘Historia Peregrinorum’, Royal Chronicle of Cologne and the letter of Dietpold of Passau), Stephen Nemanja, and his brother Stracimir were described in extremely positive manner.

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