German-Polish War (1002–1018)
Encyclopedia
The German-Polish War which took place from 1002 to 1018 consisted of a series of struggles between the Ottonian
Henry II
(first as King of Germany and then Holy Roman Emperor
) and the Polish Piast
ruler Boleslaw Chrobry. The locus of conflict was the control of Lusatia
, Upper Lusatia
, as well as Bohemia
, Moravia
and Slovakia
. The fighting ended with the Peace of Bautzen
in 1018, which left Lusatia and Upper Lusatia with Poland, but Bohemia became a duchy in the Holy Roman Empire
.
an attempt was made on Boleslaw's life, which he escaped with the help of several friendly German nobles. While it is not known for sure if the attack had been ordered by Henry, Boleslaw believed this was the case. Henry II did neither protect him, nor punish the assailants. The fighting began in late 1002 and did not stop until a peace was agreed to at Poznan
in 1005, as a result of which Boleslaw had to give up his earlier conquests of Lusatia and Meissen.
allies, launched an armed expedition against him.
In 1015 Henry attempted to cross into Wielkopolska but was stopped by Boleslaw's troops at Krosno
on the Oder
. In 1017 Henry renewed his campaign and besieged Niemcza
. With the help of outside reinforcements however the city held out and Henry was eventually forced to retreat.
In January of 1018 a peace treaty was concluded at Bautzen, which left Lusatia and Upper Lusatia with Boleslaw. Contemporary chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg
does not give details of the treaty. Historians have differed in their interpretation whether these were granted to Boleslaw as imperial fiefs, or if he held them with full sovereignty. Henry II did not renew the campaigns against Boleslaw I thereafter and the peace was confirmed by the marriage of Oda of Meissen, daughter of Eckard I, to Boleslaw.
Ottonian
The Ottonian dynasty was a dynasty of Germanic Kings , named after its first emperor but also known as the Saxon dynasty after the family's origin. The family itself is also sometimes known as the Liudolfings, after its earliest known member Liudolf and one of its primary leading-names...
Henry II
Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry II , also referred to as Saint Henry, Obl.S.B., was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Ottonian dynasty, from his coronation in Rome in 1014 until his death a decade later. He was crowned King of the Germans in 1002 and King of Italy in 1004...
(first as King of Germany and then Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
) and the Polish Piast
Piast dynasty
The Piast dynasty was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. It began with the semi-legendary Piast Kołodziej . The first historical ruler was Duke Mieszko I . The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir the Great...
ruler Boleslaw Chrobry. The locus of conflict was the control of Lusatia
Lusatia
Lusatia is a historical region in Central Europe. It stretches from the Bóbr and Kwisa rivers in the east to the Elbe valley in the west, today located within the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg as well as in the Lower Silesian and Lubusz voivodeships of western Poland...
, Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia
Upper Lusatia is a region a biggest part of which belongs to Saxony, a small eastern part belongs to Poland, the northern part to Brandenburg. In Saxony, Upper Lusatia comprises roughly the districts of Bautzen and Görlitz , in Brandenburg the southern part of district Oberspreewald-Lausitz...
, as well as Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. The fighting ended with the Peace of Bautzen
Peace of Bautzen
The Peace of Bautzen or the Peace of Budziszyn was a treaty concluded on January 30, 1018 between the Ottonian Holy Roman Emperor Henry II and the Piast ruler of Poland Boleslaw I which ended a series of Polish-German wars over the control of Lusatia and Upper Lusatia as well as Bohemia,...
in 1018, which left Lusatia and Upper Lusatia with Poland, but Bohemia became a duchy in the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
1002–1005
In 1002, after the conclusion of a council at MerseburgMerseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
an attempt was made on Boleslaw's life, which he escaped with the help of several friendly German nobles. While it is not known for sure if the attack had been ordered by Henry, Boleslaw believed this was the case. Henry II did neither protect him, nor punish the assailants. The fighting began in late 1002 and did not stop until a peace was agreed to at Poznan
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
in 1005, as a result of which Boleslaw had to give up his earlier conquests of Lusatia and Meissen.
1007–1013
In 1007, Boleslaw, most likely preempting an attack by Henry, once again took control of Lusatia and Meissen. After several unsuccessful campaigns by Henry another peace was agreed to in Merseburg in 1013. This time Boleslaw kept Lusatia and Meissen as imperial fiefs and received aid from Henry for his expedition to the Kievan Rus. In return, Boleslaw promised to support Henry's bid for the crown of Holy Roman Emperor and aid him in his Italian campaigns.1015–1018
After Merseburg, Boleslaw failed to support Henry in Italy and also refused to acknowledge Meissen and Lusatia as fiefs; he believed he held them independently of the empire. As a result in 1015 Henry, supported by pagan LuticianLutici
The Lutici were a federation of West Slavic Polabian tribes, who between the 10th and 12th centuries lived in what is now northeastern Germany. Four tribes made up the core of the federation: the Redarians , Circipanians , Kessinians and Tollensians...
allies, launched an armed expedition against him.
In 1015 Henry attempted to cross into Wielkopolska but was stopped by Boleslaw's troops at Krosno
Krosno Odrzanskie
Krosno Odrzańskie is a city on the east bank of Oder River, at the confluence with the Bóbr. The town in Western Poland with 12,500 inhabitants is the capital of Krosno County...
on the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
. In 1017 Henry renewed his campaign and besieged Niemcza
Siege of Niemcza
The Siege of Niemcza took place during three weeks in August of 1017 as part of the German-Polish War , when the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor Henry II besieged the town of Niemcza controlled by the Polish ruler Boleslaw Chrobry...
. With the help of outside reinforcements however the city held out and Henry was eventually forced to retreat.
In January of 1018 a peace treaty was concluded at Bautzen, which left Lusatia and Upper Lusatia with Boleslaw. Contemporary chronicle of Thietmar of Merseburg
Thietmar of Merseburg
Thietmar of Merseburg was a German chronicler who was also bishop of Merseburg.-Life:...
does not give details of the treaty. Historians have differed in their interpretation whether these were granted to Boleslaw as imperial fiefs, or if he held them with full sovereignty. Henry II did not renew the campaigns against Boleslaw I thereafter and the peace was confirmed by the marriage of Oda of Meissen, daughter of Eckard I, to Boleslaw.