Christmemel
Encyclopedia
Christmemel was a frontier fortress (Ordensburg
) of the Teutonic Knights
on the banks of the Neman River
. It was constructed of wood and earth between April 8 and 22, 1313, by Grand Master Karl von Trier. Christmemel, maned by some 400 men, was to serve as a base for further attacks during the Lithuanian Crusade against pagan Samogitia
and Grand Duchy of Lithuania
.
During the construction, the Knights used ships to build a bridge across the Neman River. After the construction, the Knights attacked nearby Lithuanian fortress in Bisenė, but did not manage to take it. On September 15, 1315, Lithuanian Grand duke Vytenis
laid siege of Christmemel
. He used siege machines and employed Slavic archers. However, the 17-day siege was unsuccessful and was lifted a day before Teutonic reinforcements arrived. The Knights attacked Lithuanian fortress in Junigėda instead and used captives to rebuilt Christmemel. The siege was the last engagement of Vytenis, who probably died in 1316. In 1316, some 80 men from the Christmemel garrison, attacked 80 Lithuanian men returning from Bisenė. All Lithuanians, except five, were killed.
In July 1324, about 400 Lithuanians attempted to attack the fortress by surprise. However, a local resident alerted the garrison. The Lithuanians were trapped and defeated, their leader was killed, and they hastily retreated. German chronicler Peter von Dusburg recorded an act of pagan loyalty: when the Lithuanians returned to the castle to claim the corpse of their leader, they were met with volleys of Teutonic arrows. Despite heavy casualties the pagans managed to take away the body. In 1328, Christmemel was abandoned and the garrison was transferred to the Klaipėda Castle
. Peter von Dusburg claimed that the fortress was damaged by "shaking earth", which could be erosion
or mudslide.
The exact location of Christmemel is unknown. Most historians identify the fortress with a former hill fort
near Skirsnemunė
. This would place the fortress on the right bank of the Neman River – the Lithuanian side of the natural front line. Remains of that hill fort were washed away in 1946 during spring floods. Later the town of Skirsnemunė developed near the location allowing it to claim Teutonic heritage. Other suggested locations included Mastaičiai (Šakiai district) and Panemunė Castle
.
Ordensburg
An Ordensburg was a fortress built by crusading German military orders during the Middle Ages. "Ordensburg" was also used during Nazi Germany to refer to training schools for Nazi leaders.- Medieval Ordensburgen :...
) of the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
on the banks of the Neman River
Neman River
Neman or Niemen or Nemunas, is a major Eastern European river rising in Belarus and flowing through Lithuania before draining into the Curonian Lagoon and then into the Baltic Sea at Klaipėda. It is the northern border between Lithuania and Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast in its lower reaches...
. It was constructed of wood and earth between April 8 and 22, 1313, by Grand Master Karl von Trier. Christmemel, maned by some 400 men, was to serve as a base for further attacks during the Lithuanian Crusade against pagan Samogitia
Samogitia
Samogitia is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian dialect...
and Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
.
During the construction, the Knights used ships to build a bridge across the Neman River. After the construction, the Knights attacked nearby Lithuanian fortress in Bisenė, but did not manage to take it. On September 15, 1315, Lithuanian Grand duke Vytenis
Vytenis
Vytenis was the Grand Duke of Lithuania from c. 1295 to c. 1316. He became the first of the Gediminid dynasty to rule for a considerable amount of time. In the early 14th century his reputation outshone that of Gediminas, who is regarded by modern historians as one of the greatest Lithuanian rulers...
laid siege of Christmemel
Siege of Christmemel
The Siege of Christmemel was an unsuccessful siege of the Teutonic Knights' castle of Christmemel by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in autumn 1315....
. He used siege machines and employed Slavic archers. However, the 17-day siege was unsuccessful and was lifted a day before Teutonic reinforcements arrived. The Knights attacked Lithuanian fortress in Junigėda instead and used captives to rebuilt Christmemel. The siege was the last engagement of Vytenis, who probably died in 1316. In 1316, some 80 men from the Christmemel garrison, attacked 80 Lithuanian men returning from Bisenė. All Lithuanians, except five, were killed.
In July 1324, about 400 Lithuanians attempted to attack the fortress by surprise. However, a local resident alerted the garrison. The Lithuanians were trapped and defeated, their leader was killed, and they hastily retreated. German chronicler Peter von Dusburg recorded an act of pagan loyalty: when the Lithuanians returned to the castle to claim the corpse of their leader, they were met with volleys of Teutonic arrows. Despite heavy casualties the pagans managed to take away the body. In 1328, Christmemel was abandoned and the garrison was transferred to the Klaipėda Castle
Klaipeda Castle
Klaipėda Castle, also known as Memelburg or Memel Castle, is an archeological site and museum housed in a castle built by the Teutonic Knights in Klaipėda, Lithuania, near the Baltic Sea. The Teutons called the castle Memelburg or Memel, and Klaipėda was generally known as Memel until 1923, when...
. Peter von Dusburg claimed that the fortress was damaged by "shaking earth", which could be erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
or mudslide.
The exact location of Christmemel is unknown. Most historians identify the fortress with a former hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
near Skirsnemunė
Skirsnemune
Skirsnemunė is a village in Jurbarkas district municipality, Tauragė County, Lithuania. It is situated on the Neman River about 9 km from Jurbarkas. According to the 2001 census, it had 950 residents. The village traces it history to Christmemel, a fortress built by the Teutonic Knights on a nearby...
. This would place the fortress on the right bank of the Neman River – the Lithuanian side of the natural front line. Remains of that hill fort were washed away in 1946 during spring floods. Later the town of Skirsnemunė developed near the location allowing it to claim Teutonic heritage. Other suggested locations included Mastaičiai (Šakiai district) and Panemunė Castle
Panemune Castle
Panemunė Castle is a castle on the right bank of the Nemunas river, in Vytėnai, Jurbarkas district, Lithuania.The initial hillfort of the Teutonic Knights was replaced by a castle built in 1604-1610 and reconstructed around 1759 by Giełgud family. Remaining wings of the castle have been recently...
.