Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Christianization
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
=== Northern Crusades === [[File:Baltic Tribes c 1200.svg|thumb|Baltic Tribes c 1200|alt=map of Baltic tribes around the year 1200]] [[File:Bishop Absalon topples the god Svantevit at Arkona.PNG|thumb|right|[[Absalon|Danish Bishop Absalon]] destroys the idol of [[Slavic mythology|Slavic]] god [[Svantevit]] at [[Cape Arkona|Arkona]] in a painting by Laurits Tuxen|alt= photo of painting by Laurits Tuxen depicting the Bishop Absalon toppling the god Svantevit at Arkona]] From before the days of [[Charlemagne]] (747–814), the fierce pagan tribes east of the [[Baltic Sea]] lived on the physical frontiers of Christendom in what has today become [[Estonia]], [[Latvia]], [[Lithuania]] and the [[Kaliningrad Oblast|Kaliningrad oblast (Prussia)]]. They survived largely by raiding – stealing crucial resources, killing, and enslaving captives – from the countries that surrounded them including Denmark, Prussia, Germany and Poland.{{sfn|Fonnesberg-Schmidt|2007|p=23}}{{sfn|Mazeika|2017|p=abstract}} One result of the northern crusades, according to historian Aiden Lilienfeld, was that: "[ . . . ] The conquering forces of the Northern Crusades brought more territory under German control than nearly any other concerted expansion in the history of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]"—emphasizing that duty to the faith could often go hand-in-hand, from the perspective of prospective crusaders, with political and material benefit.{{sfn|Lilienfeld|2022}} Combining their personal priorities with a need to permanently stop the raiding, they requested permission to subdue the Baltic instead.{{sfn|Firlej|2021–2022|pp=120, 121, 133}}{{sfn|Fonnesberg-Schmidt|2007|p=23, 64-65}} In 1147, Eugenius' ''[[Divini dispensatione]],'' gave the eastern nobles full crusade indulgences to do so.{{sfn|Fonnesberg-Schmidt|2007|p=65}}{{sfn|Christiansen|1997|p=71}}{{sfn|Fonnesberg-Schmidt|2009|p=119}} The Northern, (or Baltic), Crusades followed, taking place, off and on, with and without papal support, from 1147 to 1316.{{sfn|Christiansen|1997|p=287}}{{sfn|Hunyadi|Laszlovszky|2001|p=606}}{{sfn|Fonnesberg-Schmidt|2007|pp=65, 75–77}} Acquisition of territory and wealth was a major aim—perhaps ''the'' major aim—in undertaking military action, on the part of the Christian rulers west of the Oder, and clerics such as [[Helmond|Helmond of Bosau]] complained that the nobles' demands for tribute hindered the process of conversion; on the other hand, the Christianization of the locals—and the putative rewards in the hereafter to ensue from its success—was a powerful motivator as well.{{sfn|Fonnesberg-Schmidt|2007|pp=23–24, 33}}{{sfn|Dragnea|2020|pp=5–7}} In some cases, voluntary conversion of the local aristocracy—usually followed by the populace, under this influence—was recognized, and stayed the hand of war; in others, naked ambition and greed for material wealth resulted in military actions against ostensibly already-converted peoples. In most cases, conversion was ultimately the result of conquest.{{sfn|Fonnesberg-Schmidt|2007|pp=23-24}} According to Fonnesberg-Schmidt: "While the theologians maintained that conversion should be voluntary, there was a widespread pragmatic acceptance of conversion obtained through political pressure or military coercion".{{sfn|Fonnesberg-Schmidt|2007|p=24}} There were often severe consequences for populations that chose to resist,{{sfn|Dollinger|1999|p=34}}{{sfn|Forstreuter|1938|p=9}} though in some instances local rulers were able to successfully plead a case for withholding attempts at the forcible Christianization of the populace—both ruler and crusaders cognizant of the risk of armed rebellion (and hence disruption of profitable trade or tribute), were such attempts to proceed.{{sfn|Fonnesberg-Schmidt|2007|p=24}}
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)