| War in Gotland (1398) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Konrad von Jungingen | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Teutonic Order | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
 Sven Sture | Konrad von Jungingen | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| Unknown | 4,000 men 84 ships | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||||
The War in Gotland (1398), also called the Gotland campaign of the Teutonic Knights was an invasion to the island of Gotland in 1398 by the Teutonic Order.
In the 1390s, Gotland suffered under the termoil of the ongoing war between the Mecklenburgs and Margaret I, the conflict made the Baltic sea a paradise for pirates, the Victual Brothers, and raiders. Merchant ships and agriculture were also under constant threat. [1] Seeing the situation, the Master of the Teutonic Order, Konrad von Jungingen, decided to invade Gotland.
On 17 March, a fleet from Danzig consisting of 84 ships [2] [3] and 4,000 men [2] [3] along with 400 horses [3] embarked towards Gotland. On 21 March the Teutonic fleet arrived at Klintehamn and Sven Sture, who was the commander of the island, [4] was forced to retreat to the strongly fortified city of Visby. [3] [4] He attempted to mobilize the burghers in Visby for a fight against the Teutonic army, but they did not show any interest in doing so. [3] [4] Due to his military disadvantage, Sven retreated to the towers of Smal-Henrik and Segeltornet and prepared a defense. [3] However, the weather prevented the Teutonic force from advancing, and heavy snowfall made the transportation of siege weapons difficult. [3] [5] Instead of a siege, negotiations were initiated.
On April 5, an agreement was finally reached, with an armistice being signed. The city of Visby was formally handed over to Johan of Mecklenburg, together with the entire island. [5] In detail, the agreement allowed for free passage of merchants from the Hanseatic League, to clear the entirety of Gotland from the Teutonic Order's enemies, to destroy the castles, to make restitution for the stolen goods, and to preserve the rights and privileges of Visby. [5] Any pirates who remained on the island were captured and killed. [5]
The result of the invasion was a complete success. The Teutonic Order accomplished what it set out to do, the disruption of Baltic trade ended; the Baltic Sea was pacified, which was ultimate goal of the expedition. [6]
The period of Teutonic rule over the island worked well and lasted for 10 years, the knights tried their hardest to restore a normal legal system and restore the people's trust in authority. [1] They were also able to repel the pirates from the island, and stopped indiscriminate plundering. At Visby's city wall, they began construction of a new fortification, which would later become Visborg. [1] There are also documents of the Order's high priest, Johan von Techwitz, personally cooperated with Gotland's county judges in disputes between farmers. [1]
Livonia or in earlier records Livland, is a historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It is named after the Livonians, who lived on the shores of present-day Latvia.
The Teutonic Order is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society c. 1190 in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem was formed to aid Christians on their pilgrimages to the Holy Land and to establish hospitals. Its members have commonly been known as the Teutonic Knights, having historically served as a crusading military order for supporting Catholic rule in the Holy Land and the Northern Crusades during the Middle Ages, as well as providing military protection for Catholics in Eastern Europe.
Visby is an urban area in Sweden and the seat of Gotland Municipality in Gotland County on the island of Gotland with 24,330 inhabitants as of 2017. Visby is also the episcopal see for the Diocese of Visby. The Hanseatic city of Visby is arguably the best-preserved medieval city in Scandinavia, and, since 1995, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Among the most notable historical remains are the 3.4 km (2.1 mi) long town wall that encircles the town center, and a number of church ruins. The decline as a Hanseatic city in the Late Middle Ages was the cause for many stone houses being preserved in their original medieval style.
Gotland, also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland, is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province/county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the north, as well as the Karlsö Islands to the west. The population is 61,001, of which about 23,600 live in Visby, the main town. Outside Visby, there are minor settlements and a mainly rural population. The island of Gotland and the other areas of the province of Gotland make up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area. The county formed by the archipelago is the second smallest by area and is the least populated in Sweden. In spite of the small size due to its narrow width, the driving distance between the furthermost points of the populated islands is about 170 kilometres (110 mi).
The State of the Teutonic Order was a theocratic state, located along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea in northern Europe. It was formed by the knights of the Teutonic Order during the early 13th century Northern Crusades in the region of Prussia. In 1237, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword merged with the Teutonic Order of Prussia and became known as its branch — the Livonian Order. At its greatest territorial extent during the early 15th century, the State encompassed Chełmno Land, Courland, Gotland, Livonia, Estonia, Neumark, Pomerelia, Prussia and Samogitia.
The Victual Brothers, Vitalien Brothers or Vitalian Brethren were a loosely organized guild of 14th century Germanic privateers. They initially included Mecklenburg nobility, but later became an organisation of commoners, and later evolved into piracy. The guild had a clear historical effect in that era on maritime trade in the North and Baltic Seas. As privateers, they provisioned blockaded locations and otherwise served as a naval contingent on behalf of regional rulers, with clients that included the Queen of Denmark, and rulers of Mecklenburg and East Frisia. As their activities turned to piracy, the aims changed to personal enrichment.
The Battle of Visby was fought in 1361 near the town of Visby on the island of Gotland, between the forces of the Danish king and the Gutnish country yeomen. The Danish force was victorious.
Konrad von Jungingen was a Grand Master of the Teutonic Order from 1393 to 1407. Under his administration, the Teutonic Order would reach its greatest extent.
Visborg (Wisborg) refers to a fortress in the town of Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland. Successive fortresses were built in Visby, though Visborg is usually in reference to the castle built here by King Eric of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Jungingen is a municipality in the Zollernalbkreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located nearby the castle Burg Hohenzollern, about 5 km east of Hechingen.
Visby City Wall is a medieval defensive wall surrounding the Swedish town of Visby on the island of Gotland. As the strongest, most extensive, and best preserved medieval city wall in Scandinavia, the wall forms an important and integral part of Visby World Heritage Site.
In the Baltic Sea region, groups of pirates of Slavic descent lived dating as far back as the 8th to 14th centuries. With some considering them as a part of the orbit of the Viking age labeling them as Vikings either by confused misunderstood identification or the deliberate choice to not distinguish Slavic and Nordic piracy or the religions they may have adhered with prior to Christianization.
Barnim VI, Duke of Pomerania was duke of Pomerania-Wolgast from 1394 to 1405. He was the son of Wartislaw VI of Pomerania-Wolgast.
Conrad Letzkau was a councilman and later Mayor of Danzig who, together with Arnold Hecht, was assassinated by the Teutonic Knights.
Sofia of Pomerania-Wolgast, was a German noblewoman. She was the daughter of Duke Bogislav VI of Pomerania-Wolgast and the spouse and widow of a brief ruler of Gotland, the deposed Swedish Prince Eric of Mecklenburg. Before she left the island, she briefly held a position of power herself in Gotland after his death in 1397.
Bunge Church is a medieval church in Bunge on the Swedish island of Gotland. The church seen today was largely built during the 14th century and is in a High Gothic style typical for churches on Gotland. Inside, the church is richly decorated with medieval murals, including depictions of medieval knights whose significance remain contested. Bunge Church belongs to the Church of Sweden and lies in the Diocese of Visby (Sweden).
The Lithuanian Crusade was a series of campaigns by the Teutonic Order and the Livonian Order under the pretext of forcibly Christianizing the pagan Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Livonian Order occupied Riga in 1202 and in the 1230s they settled in Chełmno Land, a fief of Poland. They first conquered other neighboring Baltic tribes—Curonians, Semigallians, Latgalians, Selonians, and Old Prussians—in the Livonian Crusade and Prussian Crusade.
The Invasion of Gotland was a Danish sea-borne invasion of the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, led by admiral Niels Juel during the Scanian War. The invasion took place from 28 April to 1 May 1676.
The Danish-Hanseatic War (1361–1370) was both a trade and territorial conflict mainly between the Kingdom of Denmark, led by King Valdemar IV, and the Hanseatic League, the latter of which was led by the rich and powerful merchant city of Lübeck. Though the first few years of the war resulted in several Danish victories, and even led to a beneficial truce for Denmark in 1365, the Hanseatic League, furious at the terms of the truce, resumed hostilities along with several allies and managed to defeat the Danes.
The War in Gotland (1403–1404) was a conflict between the Kalmar Union and the Teutonic Order. The war was a failure for Margaret, and the island stayed in Teutonic hands until they eventually sold the island in 1407.
The Prussians' brief campaign on Gotland was a complete success. It accomplished what it set out to achieve: the disruption of Baltic commerce ended; the sea was pacified. This was the ultimate goal of the expedition
