Great Slav Rising
The Slav revolt of 983 was a survey of the Elbe and Baltic Slavs against the Christianization and integration into the realm of the Holy Roman Emperor. In charge of the survey was Liutizenbund whose tribes were mainly located in the metropolitan area of present-day Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Prehistory
Despite the campaigns of Henry I and Otto I had the efforts to Christianize the Elbe and Baltic Slavs, where they exist, only moderate success. Last Otto I. had in the Battle of the Raxa defeated an anti -Saxon coalition of Abodrites, Tollensanen, Zirzipanen and Redariern on 16 October 955, but for the defeated tribes remained politically inconsequential and contributed more features of a traditional Saxon campaign of revenge or retribution, and no posed to a subjugation of the Slavic tribes or even a conquest of their territory suitable company. A Christianity was not the intention of the campaign. To advance the Christian mission, Otto I founded in the year 948 the first bishoprics Havel, Brandenburg and Oldenburg. The foundation of the archbishopric of Magdeburg 968 had finally fixed the inclusion of the Slavic areas in the kingdom and church association to the target.
The course of the uprising
While it has been argued in the kingdom over the succession of Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg and the Emperor Otto II, collected in the summer of 983 Slavic organizations under the leadership of Lusatians and expelled the ecclesiastical and political representatives of the empire. The uprising was allegedly planned and prepared in liutizischen main sanctuary Rethra. On June 29, liutizische hordes invaded surprisingly Havel mountain and destroyed the local bishopric. Three days later they took a Brandenburg. Here too, the main target was the Christian mission. While Bishop Volkmar and the crew were able to escape, the clergy was captured and looted the church treasury. All localities to Tangier were devastated by the rebels. A unit placed in a hurry Saxon contingent, led by Archbishop Gislher of Magdeburg, Bishop of Halberstadt and Hildesheim Ward Margrave Thiedrich could push back the Slavs in a collision late July or early August at the Balsam Erland behind the Elbe.
Lusatia and Sorbian brands had not participated in the rebellion. Whether the Abodrites had already joined the 983 Lusatians is controversial in research. After reading the older sources they should have invaded during the uprising Hamburg and plundered a monastery Lawrence, the ( not uncontroversial also ) is located in Kalbe an der Milde. The dating of these events is, however, uncertain. The Abodrites have indeed connected in the following decades of insurgency and also turned away from Christianity. The raid on Hamburg, however, has possibly occurred after the turn of the millennium. According to recent opinion he is more likely to settle in the years 1012/1018.
Follow
From 985 the imperial princes took together with the Polish Prince Mieszko I and Boleslaw I. later annual campaigns to subdue the area determined. The campaigns proved ineffective.
King Henry II decided a change of policy: He graduated in 1003 an alliance with the heathen Lusatians and led from 1004 instead wars against the previously allied Christian Duchy of Poland under Boleslav I the Slavic pagan rule of Lusatians could so hold until the 12th century.
The immediate consequence of the Slavs uprising was stop the Christianization for the next 200 years. The bishops of Brandenburg and the bishops of Havelberg lived on, as titular bishops outside their dioceses, mostly in the royal court. Only in the 12th century, the Christianization beyond the Elbe became effective after re- conquest and this time with partial integration of Slavic princes with the German Ostsiedlung.