Siege of Christmemel
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Christmemel was an unsuccessful siege
of the Teutonic Knights
' castle of Christmemel
by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
in autumn 1315.
Christmemel was an Ordensburg
fortress made of earth and timber built on the Neman River
in 1313 to serve as a base for attacks into Samogitia
. Along with Ragnit
and Georgenburg
, Christmemel also served to protect the Order's possessions in Sambia
from attack.
A force of Samogitians
raided Ragnit in August 1315, although they did not attempt to capture the castle's keep
. Six weeks later, Grand Duke Vytenis
attacked with two siege machines and a number of East Slavic archers
. His men began cutting and stacking wood, as Vytenis intended to set fire to the castle and suffocate the garrison. While the Order's Grand Master Karl von Trier prepared a relief force, he sent ten knight
s and 150 soldiers aboard ships to aid the garrison, but Vytenis sent his own men to prevent these reinforcements from arriving at Christmemel.
When Karl von Trier's relief force arrived on the 17th day of the siege, Vytenis, although he felt his forces were not ready, ordered the Lithuanian
infantry to place the wood and straw around the castle and set them alight, while his Slavic archers provided covering fire. However, Christmemel's garrison was defended by crenellations, allowing the Germans
to repulse the Lithuanians with crossbow
fire. Defeated at the castle walls and facing Karl von Trier's army, the Grand Duke called a retreat and burned his siege engines. The battle at Christmemel was the last time the Teutonic Knights encountered Vytenis; according to a fictitious legend, he was struck down by lightning in 1316.
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
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...
' castle of Christmemel
Christmemel
Christmemel was a frontier fortress 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...
by the 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...
in autumn 1315.
Christmemel was an Ordensburg
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 :...
fortress made of earth and timber built on 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...
in 1313 to serve as a base for attacks into 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...
. Along with Ragnit
Neman (town)
Neman is a town and the administrative center of Nemansky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the historic Prussia region, east of the town of Sovetsk, on the steep southern bank of the Neman River, where it currently forms the border with the Klaipėda Region in...
and Georgenburg
Jurbarkas
Jurbarkas is a city in Tauragė County, Lithuania. It is on the right-hand shore of the Neman River at its confluence with the tributaries Mituva and Imsre...
, Christmemel also served to protect the Order's possessions in Sambia
Sambia
Sambia or Samland is a peninsula in the Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia, on the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea. The Curonian Lagoon and the Vistula Lagoon demarcate the peninsula. Prior to 1945 it formed an important part of East Prussia.-Names:Sambia is named after the Sambians, an extinct...
from attack.
A force of Samogitians
Samogitians
Samogitians are a part of the Lithuanian ethnicity inhabiting the region of Samogitia in Lithuania. Many speak the Samogitian dialect of the Lithuanian language.-History:...
raided Ragnit in August 1315, although they did not attempt to capture the castle's keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
. Six weeks later, 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...
attacked with two siege machines and a number of East Slavic archers
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
. His men began cutting and stacking wood, as Vytenis intended to set fire to the castle and suffocate the garrison. While the Order's Grand Master Karl von Trier prepared a relief force, he sent ten knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s and 150 soldiers aboard ships to aid the garrison, but Vytenis sent his own men to prevent these reinforcements from arriving at Christmemel.
When Karl von Trier's relief force arrived on the 17th day of the siege, Vytenis, although he felt his forces were not ready, ordered the Lithuanian
Lithuanians
Lithuanians are the Baltic ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,765,600 people. Another million or more make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Russia, United Kingdom and Ireland. Their native language...
infantry to place the wood and straw around the castle and set them alight, while his Slavic archers provided covering fire. However, Christmemel's garrison was defended by crenellations, allowing the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
to repulse the Lithuanians with crossbow
Crossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
fire. Defeated at the castle walls and facing Karl von Trier's army, the Grand Duke called a retreat and burned his siege engines. The battle at Christmemel was the last time the Teutonic Knights encountered Vytenis; according to a fictitious legend, he was struck down by lightning in 1316.