Swietopelk II, also Zwantepolc II or Swantopolk II,, sometimes known as the Great, was ruling Duke of Pomerelia-Gdańsk from 1215 until his death. He was the first member of the Samborides to style himself dux from 1227 onwards.
Warmians were one of the Prussian clans. They lived in Warmia, a territory since 1945 largely in Poland. It was situated between the Vistula Lagoon, Łyna and Pasłęka Rivers.
The Nadruvians were one of the now-extinct Prussian clans. They lived in Nadruvia, a large territory in northernmost Prussia. They bordered the Skalvians on the Neman (Nemunas) River just to the north, the Sudovians to the east, and other Prussian tribes to the south and west. Most information about the clan is provided in a chronicle by Peter von Dusburg.
Natangians or Notangians was one of the eleven clans of Prussian people, who lived in Natangia, an area that is now mostly in the Russian exclave Kaliningrad Oblast.
The Bartians were an Old Prussian tribe who were among the last pagans of Europe before the Northern Crusades forced their conversion to Christianity. They lived in Bartia, a territory that stretched from the middle and lower flow of Łyna river, by the Świna river, and Lake Mamry, up to the Galindian woods. The territory is quite precisely known from description in Chronicon terrae Prussiae, dated 1326.
The Prussian uprisings were two major and three smaller uprisings by the Prussians, one of the Baltic tribes, against the Teutonic Knights that took place in the 13th century during the Prussian Crusade. The crusading military order, supported by the Popes and Christian Europe, sought to conquer and convert the pagan Prussians. In the first ten years of the crusade five of the seven major Prussian clans fell under the control of the less numerous Teutonic Knights. However, the Prussians rose against their conquerors on five occasions.
Skomantas, or Komantas was a powerful duke and pagan priest of the Sudovians/Yotvingians, one of the early Baltic tribes. He was at the height of his power during the 1260s and 1270s.
The Battle of Pokarwis was a medieval battle fought in several skirmishes between pagan Old Prussians and the crusading Teutonic Knights on January 22, 1261 during the Great Prussian Uprising that followed the failed first Prussian Uprising of 1242-1249.
Battle of Lubawa or Löbau was a battle fought between the Teutonic Order and Prussians in 1263 during the Great Prussian Uprising. The pagan Prussians rose against their conquerors, who tried to convert them to Christianity, after Lithuanians and Samogitians soundly defeated the joint forces of the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order in the Battle of Durbe (1260). The first years of the uprising were successful to Prussians, who defeated the Knights in the Battle of Pokarwis and besieged castles held by the Knights.
The Siege of Königsberg was a siege laid upon Königsberg Castle, one of the main strongholds of the Teutonic Knights, by Prussians during the Great Prussian Uprising from 1262 possibly though 1265.
Siege of Bartenstein was a medieval siege laid upon the castle of Bartenstein by the Prussians during the Great Prussian Uprising. Bartenstein and Rößel were the two major Teutonic strongholds in Barta, one of the Prussian lands. The castle endured years of siege until 1264 and was one of the last ones to fall into the hands of Prussians.
The Treaty of Christburg was a peace treaty signed on 2 February 1249 between the pagan Prussian clans, represented by a papal legate, and the Teutonic Knights. It is often cited as the end of the First Prussian Uprising, but it was not adhered to or enforced, especially after the Battle of Krücken in November 1249, where Prussians massacred and tortured to death 54 knights who had surrendered. The treaty guaranteed personal rights to all Prussians who converted to Christianity, but it did nothing to establish peace as many Prussians did not wish to convert and the Knights swore to root out paganism. It is one of the few documents from the period that survive in full to this day. It provides a useful insight into the life and religious tensions in pagan Prussia. It also offers a small glimpse into the Prussian mythology and traditions.
Auctume or Auktume was the leader of Pogesanians, one of the Prussian clans, during the Great Prussian Uprising (1260–1274) against the Teutonic Knights. There is nothing known about his life or achievements, except that once the uprising started, Pogesanians elected him as their leader. It is known that in 1271 Pogesanians were led by Linka in the Battle of Pagastin. This could indicate that Auktume died before the campaign.
Glappo was the leader of Warmians, one of the Prussian clans, during the Great Prussian Uprising (1260–1274) against the Teutonic Knights. In 1249 Pope Urban IV had installed the papal legate Jacob Pantaleon to aid the Teutonic Order and after the battle at the Durbe, the pope called for a crusade against the Prussians and sent knights who were on their way against the Tatars back to the crusades against the Prussians. During those crusades and as a result the unbaptized parts of the Prussians began uprisings and Glappo and his men successfully captured Braunsberg. When Glappo ambushed and killed forty people who left the castle to gather firewood and fodder, the Bishop of Warmia decided against trying to defend the town and abandoned it. In 1266 large reinforcements for the Teutonic Knights, led by Otto III and John I, co-rulers of Brandenburg, arrived to Prussia. They built a castle on the border of Warmian and Natangian lands between Balga and Königsberg and named it Brandenburg. When a native woman informed Glappo that most of the soldiers were away on a raid and the place is practically unguarded, Warmians attacked and captured the outer walls and the towers. When Teutonic soldiers returned, they did not try to recapture the castle. The very next year Duke Otto was back to rebuild the castle. Glappo was killed trying to recapture Brandenburg. In 1273, at the very end of the uprising, Warmians besieged Brandenburg, but did not put sufficient guards on the road from Königsberg. This allowed the Knights to attack the Prussians from the rear. Warmians suffered a crushing defeat and Glappo was captured. He was latter hanged on a hill outside Königsberg that is sometimes referred to as "Glappo's hill" (Glappenberg). He was the last important Prussian leader, and after his death only Pogesanians were left fighting.
Diwanus was the leader (capitaneus) of the Bartians, one of the Prussian clans, during the Great Prussian Uprising (1260–1274) against the Teutonic Knights. He was son of Kleckis and therefore is sometimes referred to by a nickname derived from the word bear.
Battle of Pagastin was a medieval battle fought between the Teutonic Knights and Prussians in 1271 during the Great Prussian Uprising (1260–1274). Pagan Prussians rose against their conquerors, who tried to convert them to Christianity, after Lithuanians and Samogitians defeated the joint forces of the Teutonic Knights and the Livonian Order in the Battle of Durbe in 1260. The first years of the uprising were successful to Prussians, but the Knights received reinforcements from Western Europe and were gaining upper hand in the conflict.
The Prussian Crusade was a series of 13th-century campaigns of Roman Catholic crusaders, primarily led by the Teutonic Knights, to Christianize the pagan Old Prussians. Invited after earlier unsuccessful expeditions against the Prussians by Polish princes, the Teutonic Knights began campaigning against the Balts in 1230. By the end of the century, having quelled several Prussian Uprisings, the Knights had established control over Prussia and administered the Prussians through their monastic state.
Chaikovskoye is part of the Moskovsky District of Kaliningrad, Russia. It was formerly known by its German language name Kalgen as first a suburb of and then a quarter of Königsberg, Germany.
