PAELBIO SLAVŲ IR VAKARŲ BALTŲ UŽKARIAVIMŲ MODELIS BALTŲ GENČIŲCHRISTIANIZACIJOS POŽIŪRIU
THE PATTERN OF THE CONQUEST OF THE POLABIAN SLAVS AND WESTERN BALTIC LANDS FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF CHRISTIANIZATION OF THE BALTIC TRIBES

Summary/Abstract: In the article there is the comparison of the pattern of the conquest of the Polabian tribes (including Polish Pomeranian areas) to that one of the Western Baltic tribes. Chronologically the conquest of the Polabian Slavic lands began already during the period of the first dynasty of Otton-Liudolfings (the first half of the 10th century), but the occupation itself, however, was over only in the middle of the 12th century. The lands of the Polabian Slavs were the target of occupation not only for the Saxons, but for Denmark and Poland as well (11th–12th centuries). Poland targeted all its energy towards the conquest of the Polish Pomera¬nian areas meanwhile Denmark, especially from the beginning of the 11th century, was trying to take hold of the Southern Seaside of the Baltic Sea. All these conquests had several important characteristics in common: 1) the establishment of the institutions of church and their incorporation into the church layers of the conquerors; 2) the implementation of the fiscal policy in the conquered lands; 3) the demand for the conquered tribes to observe the norms of Christian life, not separating this from the obedience to the conquerors. However, the nobility of the Polabian tribes (in¬cluding Polish Pomeranian tribes) were yet granted some social, and what is most important, some po¬litical rights. It is true that historians are still arguing about what kind of structures they were and if there were any of them at all before the conquest began. One way or the other, it is evident, that the top of the nobility of the Polabian Slavs were granted cer¬tain political rights. These rights were determined by their vassal dependence on the Saxon earls, Polish dukes and Danish kings. However this right enabled separate ruling dynasties, which were entrusted the right of the fiscal policy, to be formed. Thus Pomera¬nian Dukes and the local Dukes of the Polabian Slavs became “their own” rulers towards their subordi¬nates, if they had received the right of the Patronage in Church, became the donators of the monasteries. In this case, the political elite, while collaborating with the conquerors, were able to guarantee their minimal political and social rights. In the relationship to the Baltic tribes we can observe similar but yet different processes). Till the 12th century the Western Baltic tribes used to be the expansion target of the Polish Dukes and most often Danish kings. From the end of the 12th century the German elite of the Saxony and Polabian areas began to interfere between them. Since the foundation of the local military Orders of Knights didn’t yield good re¬sults, the Polish Dukes, related to the political elite of Saxony and Brandenburg, invited the German Order to come. The German Order took over the pattern of the conquest of the Polabian Slavic tribes (similarly to Saxons the German Order began to build the sys¬tems of castles in the conquered territories etc.).

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