Limes Saxoniae

The Limes Saxoniae was a dirt border that divided the Frankish sphere of influence in the Saxon Nordalbingien of the field of Slavic Abodrites for about 809.

Historical Background

The Limes Saxoniae, so the "border of Saxony " to the Abodrites, was the Great 809 during his last stay in Northern Germany by Karl agreed by contract with the Abodrites, as well as the eider has been written as a northern frontier. With this demarcation the 804 by Charlemagne the Saxon Abodrites ceded territory was incorporated into the Frankish kingdom, which came now on a narrow strip between the Levensau and the Schwentine to the Baltic Sea. In this limit, it was not a continuous fortified defensive structure, but a middle of a difficult to be penetrated marsh and woodland, the actual border zone, defined line. Also, only punctual border fortification in the " Limes" is not known. So could this " Limes" and no lasting protection against raids and conquests offer by the Abodrites which penetrated to Hamburg for example, 1066 and 1072 and destroyed the city.

Course

The course essentially follows the natural obstacles, rivers, swamps and impassable forests and is not outlined as sharp or even fixed as the Roman Limes.

Adam of Bremen described to 1075 in the written by him "Hamburger Church History " border demarcation, citing a document from the time of Charlemagne as follows:

Invenimus quoque limitem Saxoniae, quae trans Albiam est, et prescriptum Karolo imperatoribus et ceteris, ita se continetem, hoc est: From Albiae ripa orientali usque ad quem rivulum sclavi Mescenreiza vocant, a quo sursum limes currit by silvam Delvunder usque in Fluvium Delvundam; sicque pervenit in Horchenbici et Bilenispring; inde ad Liudwinestein et Wispircon et Birznig progreditur. Tunc in Horbinstenon vadit usque silvam in Travena, sursumque by Ipsam in Bulilunkin; mox in Agrimeshov, et recto ad vadum, quod dicitur Agrimeswidil ascendit. Ubi et fecit Burwido duellum contra campionem Sclavorum, interfecitque eum: et lapis Same date in loco positus est in memoriam From eadem igitur aqua sursum procurrens terminus vadit in Stagnum colse; sicque ad orientalem campum venit Zuentifeld, usque flumen in ipsum Zuentinam, per quem limes Saxoniae usque in pelagus Scythicum et quod mare orientale vocant delabitur ..

Also I have a definition of the Saxon border beyond the Elbe by Karl found the Great and other Kaiser: From the east bank of the Elbe to the river, the name the Slavs Mescenreiza. At the top of the Limes separates from him and runs up to the Delvenauwalde Delvenau. From it you get to the Hornbek and the Bille source. From there you go on to Liudwinestein, after Wispircon and Birznig. Then she runs to the swamp to the best Travelodge forest and up through this to Blunk Lowland. Then it leads to the edge of the field and forest rises straight on to the ford across the brook arable edge. There Burwido was a duel against a Slav warriors, whom he killed. Here is a memorial stone. Away from these waters, the boundary runs up and drops off in the Stocksee. Then you come to the eastern Schwentine the field and at the Schwentine itself At their boundary runs from the Saxons in Skytenmeer and Baltic Sea.