Schlagwort-Archive: Kontinuitäten und Diskontinuitäten

Otto of Bamberg’s church foundations in Szczecin

[1] Three famous life descriptions report on the bishops missionary journeys.[1] They tell us that Bishop Otto of Bamberg founded two churches in Szczecin on his first missionary journey in 1124/25 in todays Western Pomerania.
These three texts belong to the genus of the vitae. Nevertheless, they are not saints’ vitae in the narrower sense, but they are already interspersed with hagiographic elements.[2] Therefore we can’t exclude exaggerations to emphasise Otto’s missionary successes.[3] Though, in the case of the two Szczecin churches, archaeology can verify the written record.[4]

Saint Peter and Paul’s Church

[2] In Otto’s time, Szczecin was a Slavic castle town consisting of a core, an outer castle and surrounding unfortified settlements. At the time, the complex had a dominant position in the region and was able to maintain its independence from the Pomeranian duke.[5] This social and political position prompted the author of the Vita Pruefeningensis to describe Szczecin as “tocius provinciae metropolis“.[6]
If the Vita Pruefeningensis can be believed, Otto might have built churches in Szczecin, because he focused his activities on the most important places.[7]

[3] Let’s take a closer look at one of the buildings mentioned in the written sources. Various historical accounts were made. The vita written by Ebo reports that Otto had built a church in honour of St. Peter.[8] However, the author of the Vita Pruefeningensis mentions even two patron saints, St. Peter and St. Paul.[9]
In fact, there is still a church of Saint Peter and Paul in Szczecin to this day. It is a Gothic building from the 15th century.

[4] There are various indications that this church can be regarded as the successor to Otto’s building. The first indication arises from the patrocinia of the church. A continuity of the patron saint can also be seen in other churches founded by Otto in Pomerania right up to the present day.[10]
The second indication results from the location of the church. The vitae describe the location of the church as being outside the walls of Szczecin.[11] Fittingly, today’s Saint Peter and St Paul’s Church is located outside the formerly existing Slavic castle rampart. Otto regularly chose this location when founding churches on his mission in Pomerania.[12]
The reasons for this could be found both in a deliberate new Christian beginning outside the – from Otto’s perspective – “paganised” soil of the city and in the fact that the bishop did not have to demolish any existing buildings in order to erect the church. In this way, he also avoided resentment against his mission as Biermann suggests.[13] However, the choice of location could also have to do with the accessibility of the building for a wider public.[14]
The last point in favour of the 15th century church being a successor building is that it is situated on a hill.[15] Here too, comparison with other foundations by Otto shows that he built many of his churches in Pomerania on hills.[16] However, final proof through archaeological excavations in the church is still pending.

Saint Adalbert’s Church

[5] Otto of Bamberg’s second foundation in what is now Szczecin and which we know from the vitae, is a church dedicated to St. Adalbert.[17] The localisation of this building proved to be much more difficult for researchers for a long time. This was initially due to the fact that the vitae report the location differently. According to Herbord, it stood on Szczecin’s market square.[18] In contrast, Ebo locates the church on the Triglav hill.[19] The Triglav hill is considered to be today’s Castle Hill.[20]
Based on the location described by Herbord, older research has attempted to locate Saint Adalbert’s Church on Szczecin’s market square as the predecessor of Saint Nicholas’ Church, which burnt down in the early 19th century.[21] However, excavations have since proved that the Slavic rampart ran across that place in Otto’s time. Thus, Otto could not have founded a church on this site.[22]

[6] There are attempts to reconcile the two seemingly contradictory passages in the vitae. Research has emphasised that the meeting places of the Slavs were often located near their temples.[23] When Herbord speaks of the “forum”, he could therefore referring to the square in front of the Triglav temple, and both places would describe the same location, today’s Castle Hill.[24]

[7] Results of an archaeological excavation on Castle Hill have not refuted this interpretation. Moreover, a building structure came to light that was orientated in a west-east direction and appeared to have had a layout with an apse (see fig. 1). The building dates back to the early 12th century according to research.[25]
It was probably a post and beam construction on a stone foundation, which was lined with planks.[26] This finding is interpreted in the literature with the backing of various arguments as archaeological remains of the Saint Adalbert Church mentioned in the vitae. In particular, it is emphasised that it is clearly a church due to the shape of the building.[27]

[8] Unfortunately, the archaeological findings suggest that the found building burnt down just a few decades after Otto’s missionary journey. According to the determination of the period undertaken by the archaeologists this must have happened in the second half of the 12th century.[28] Nevertheless, this observation allows us to assign the probable church building to the early phase of Christianity in Pomerania.

[9] It should be noted that the half-timbered construction with a stone foundation also suggests − without wanting to take up the highly problematic ethnic interpretation of archaeological findings from the first half of the 20th century[29] − influences from outside the local Slavic building culture.[30] In the Slavic cultural sphere of early 12th century one might have expected log buildings or, in the region south of the Baltic coast, wattle and daub structures.[31] Whereas, the half-timbered construction appears to support the account that Otto of Bamberg brought craftsmen with him.[32]

The few photos, drawings and descriptions available to the author make further interpretations regarding the actual appearance of the assumed Saint Adalbert church difficult, though.[33]

Concluding remarks

[10] It was shown to what extent archaeology has already been able to make its contribution to the field of the so-called Otto research. It seems more than likely that the remains of Saint Adalbert’s Church were discovered in the area of today’s castle courtyard. Furthermore, it was shown that Szczecin’s Saint Peter and Paul’s Church seems to be a site where excavations would be promising.
Unfortunately, archaeological research often means the destruction of the structures under excavation. In order to preserve historically valuable relics for future generations with better archaeological methods, today’s researchers are obliged to proceed with a sense of proportion.[34] Nevertheless, in case of the Otto research the potential seems tempting. Especially in the light of a viewing of Otto as a link in the history of two present-day countries with a difficult past. The study of Christianisation is a broad field that still offers many opportunities for new research.

Fig. 1: The probable remains of Saint Adalbert’s Church and the foundations of 14th century Ottenkirche in the area of today’s castle according to M. Dworaczyk[35] and J. Nekanda-Trepka[36] (J. Jakob; License CC BY).

Das Essay ist auf https://amanzblog.hypotheses.org/ mit der CC-Lizenz CC BY erschienen.


[1] The Vita written by Ebo (Vita Ottonis episcopi Bambergensis = Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 192–270.), the Vita written by Herbord (Dialogus de vita s. Ottonis = Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 272–493.) and the Vita from Prüfening Abbey (Vita Ottonis ep. Bambergensis = Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 120–191.).

[2] H. Flachenecker, Bischof Otto von Bamberg – Person und Persönlichkeit, in: F. Biermann – F. Ruchhöft (Hrsg.), Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern. Studien zur Archäologie Europas 30 (Bonn 2017) 23–32, 23; J. Petersohn, Otto von Bamberg und seine Biographen. Grundformen und Entwicklung des Ottobildes im hohen und späten Mittelalter. Zeitschr. Bayer. Landesgesch. 43, 1980, 3–27, 7–8.

[3] F. Biermann, Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern – die Missionsreisen in Pommern und ihre Wirkung im archäologischen Bild, in: F. Biermann – F. Ruchhöft (Hrsg.), Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern. Studien zur Archäologie Europas 30 (Bonn 2017) 97–147, 98–99.

[4] F. Biermann, Die Kirchen des Bischofs Otto von Bamberg in Pommern – ein Beitrag zur Frühgeschichte der Kirche St. Paul in Usedom und zur Lage der missionszeitlichen Sakralbauten im Odermündungsgebiet. In: F. Biermann – M. Schneider – T. Terberger (Hrsg.), Pfarrkirchen in den Städten des Hanseraums. Beiträge eines Kolloquiums vo 10. bis 13. Dezember 2003 in der Hansestadt Stralsund (Rahden 2006) 21–37, 30. (Status before the excavations on the Schlossberg); For the mutual confirmation of the vitae and the archaeological sources, see: F. Biermann, Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern – die Missionsreisen in Pommern und ihre Wirkung im archäologischen Bild, in: F. Biermann – F. Ruchhöft (Hrsg.), Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern. Studien zur Archäologie Europas 30 (Bonn 2017) 97–147, 98–100.

[5] M. Rębkowski, Die Christianisierung Pommerns. Eine archäologische Studie. Universitätsforschungen zur Prähistorischen Archäologie 197 (Bonn 2011) 22–23.

[6] The Vita from Prüfening Abbey II.7 (Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 154).

[7] F. Biermann, Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern – die Missionsreisen in Pommern und ihre Wirkung im archäologischen Bild, in: F. Biermann – F. Ruchhöft (Hrsg.), Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern. Studien zur Archäologie Europas 30 (Bonn 2017) 97–147, 109.

[8] “alia extra civitatis menia in veneratione sancti Petri erant locate”, The Vita written by Ebo III.1 (Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 242).

[9] “Alteram quoque ante portam civitatis eiusdem in honore beatorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli construxit et consecravit ecclesiam.”, The Vita from Prüfening Abbey III.13 (Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 160).

[10] F. Biermann, Die Kirchen des Bischofs Otto von Bamberg in Pommern – ein Beitrag zur Frühgeschichte der Kirche St. Paul in Usedom und zur Lage der missionszeitlichen Sakralbauten im Odermündungsgebiet, in: F. Biermann – M. Schneider – T. Terberger (Hrsg.), Pfarrkirchen in den Städten des Hanseraums. Beiträge eines Kolloquiums vom 10. bis 13. Dezember 2003 in der Hansestadt Stralsund (Rahden 2006) 21–37, 30.

[11] “ecclesiam beatorum apostolorum, quam ante portam civitatis eiusdem ipse construxera”, The Vita from Prüfening Abbey III.7 (Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 178).

[12] F. Biermann, Die Kirchen des Bischofs Otto von Bamberg in Pommern – ein Beitrag zur Frühgeschichte der Kirche St. Paul in Usedom und zur Lage der missionszeitlichen Sakralbauten im Odermündungsgebiet, in: F. Biermann – M. Schneider – T. Terberger (Hrsg.), Pfarrkirchen in den Städten des Hanseraums. Beiträge eines Kolloquiums vo 10. bis 13. Dezember 2003 in der Hansestadt Stralsund (Rahden 2006) 21–37, 30.

[13] ibid., 32.

[14] Referring to Kamień Pomorski: M. Rębkowski, Die Christianisierung Pommerns. Eine archäologische Studie. Universitätsforschungen zur prähistorischen Archäologie 197 (Bonn 2011) 22.

[15] ibid., 23.

[16] F. Biermann, Die Kirchen des Bischofs Otto von Bamberg in Pommern – ein Beitrag zur Frühgeschichte der Kirche St. Paul in Usedom und zur Lage der missionszeitlichen Sakralbauten im Odermündungsgebiet, in: F. Biermann – M. Schneider – T. Terberger (Hrsg.), Pfarrkirchen in den Städten des Hanseraums. Beiträge eines Kolloquiums vom 10. bis 13. Dezember 2003 in der Hansestadt Stralsund (Rahden 2006) 21–37, 32.

[17] The Vita written by Ebo III.1 (Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 242); The Vita from Prüfening Abbey II.13 (Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 160).

[18] “in medio foro Stetinensi“, The Vita written by Herbord II.36 (Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 408).

[19] “in monte Trigelawi“, The Vita written by Ebo III.1 (Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 242).

[20] L. Słupecki, Slavonic pagan sanctuaries (Warsaw 1984) 74.

[21] For example M. Wehrmann, Geschichte der Stadt Stettin (Stettin 1911; Unveränderter Nachdruck Augsburg 1993) 14.

[22] M. Dworaczyk, Die Adalbertkirche in Stettin (Szczecin), in: F. Biermann – F. Ruchhöft (Hrsg.), Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern. Studien zur Archäologie Europas 30 (Bonn 2017) 163–170, 163.

[23] L. Słupecki, Slavonic pagan sanctuaries (Warsaw 1984) 79–80.

[24] M. Dworaczyk, Die Adalbertkirche in Stettin (Szczecin). In: F. Biermann – F. Ruchhöft (Hrsg.), Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern. Studien zur Archäologie Europas 30 (Bonn 2017) 163–170, 169.

[25] ibid., 163–164.

[26] ibid., 163–167.

[27] ibid., 167.

[28] ibid., 163–164.

[29] On the problems with such interpretations in the region of Western Pomerania see: F. Biermann, Wollin – Bilder und Dokumente der Vorkriegsgrabungen in der Sammlung vorgeschichtlicher Altertümer der Universität Greifswald, in: F. Biermann – T. Kersting – A. Klammt (Hg.), Burg Herrschaft und Zentralörtlichkeit im nördlichen westslawischen Raum. Beiträge der Sektion zur slawischen Frühgeschichte der 23. Jahrestagung des Mittel- und Ostdeutschen Verbandes für Altertumsforschung in Halle (Saale), 19.-21. März 2018. Beiträge zur Ur- und Frühgeschichte Mitteleuropas 92 (Langenweissbach 2020) 51–83, 66–71.

[30] M. Dworaczyk, Die Adalbertkirche in Stettin (Szczecin), in: F. Biermann – F. Ruchhöft (Hrsg.), Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern. Studien zur Archäologie Europas 30 (Bonn 2017) 163–170, 167; M. Rębkowski, The mission of Bishop Otto of Bamberg and its consequences, in: S. Rosik (Hrsg.), Europe reaches the Baltic. Poland and Pomerania in the Shaping of European Civilization (10th – 12th Centuries). Scripta Historica Europaea 6 (Wrocław 2020) 383–389, 387.

[31] S. Brather, Archäologie der westlichen Slawen. Siedlung, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft im früh- und hochmittelalterlichen Ostmitteleuropa. Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde 61 (Berlin 2008), 98–104.

[32] M. Dworaczyk, Die Adalbertkirche in Stettin (Szczecin), in: F. Biermann – F. Ruchhöft (Hrsg.), Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern. Studien zur Archäologie Europas 30 (Bonn 2017) 163–170, 167.

[33] M. Dworaczyk, Die Adalbertkirche in Stettin (Szczecin), in: F. Biermann – F. Ruchhöft (Hrsg.), Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern. Studien zur Archäologie Europas 30 (Bonn 2017) 163–170.

[34] J. Kunow – M. M. Rind, Archäologische Denkmalpflege. Theorie – Praxis – Berufsfelder. Public History – Geschichte in der Praxis 7 (Tübingen 2022) 17.

[35] M. Dworaczyk, Die Adalbertkirche in Stettin (Szczecin), in: F. Biermann – F. Ruchhöft (Hrsg.), Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern. Studien zur Archäologie Europas 30 (Bonn 2017) 163–170, 166 Abb. 3.

[36] Encyklopedia Szczecina (2015) 1252–1257 s. v. Zamek Książąt Pomorskich (J. Nekanda-Trepka).

Shifts in Meaning: A short Essay about Bardy-Świelubie, Budzistowo and Kołobrzeg

[1] Between 1124 and 1128 AD, Otto von Bamberg carried out two missionary journeys in pagan Pomerania. Among other places, he visited the Slavic stronghold and settlement complex, which lies beneath the present-day village of Budzistowo, south of Kołobrzeg. According to written sources, Otto had a St Mary’s Church built and consecrated there.[1]

Introduction

[2] Budzistowo (Kolberg-Altstadt) appears to have a unique connection with the settlement complexes of Bardy-Świelubie and today’s Kołobrzeg. In order to provide a contextual framework for Otto’s activities, we need to take a closer look at the sites of Bardy-Świelubie (Bartin-Zwillipp), Budzistowo (Kolberg-Altstadt), and Kołobrzeg (Kolberg).

[3] It is especially necessary to highlight shifts and the transfer of meaning between these sites. For a German readership, historian Winfried Schich had already emphasised the potential connection between the sites of Kołobrzeg and Świelubie as early as 1998.[2]

Bardy-Świelubie (Bartin-Zwillipp)

[4] The archaeological site of Bardy-Świelubie is situated approximately 15 kilometres southeast of today’s Kołobrzeg, adjacent to the Parsęta River and near the present-day villages that bear the same names (see Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: Bardy, Świelubie, Budzistowo and Kołobrzeg at the Parsęta River
(Map by A. Thomas; License CC BY).

[5] It is the oldest of the three settlements mentioned before. Pottery indicates that the first settlement structures were built before 800 AD.[3]

[6] The complex of Bardy-Świelubie is believed to consist of multiple fortified enclosures with associated surrounding settlements.[4] Archaeologists made a subdivision between a Bardy-complex and Świelubie-complex, due to the spatial organisation of the various structures.

[7] Several burial sites from the periods in question were also located at the site. Others, however, show different time periods.[5]
The following observations seem particularly relevant in conveying an impression of the site’s extent.

[8] Of particular note is a burial mound field consisting of half a dozen mounds, which is located west of the so-called Bardy castle ramparts and dates back to the 8th to 9th centuries. Cremation and inhumation graves were found there.
Another burial mound field, presumably from the relevant period, is situated north of the Bardy castle ramparts.
And yet another one with over 150 burial mounds is located in the south, which is well known as the famous burial mound field of Świelubie. Three burial mounds were excavated there in 1965 and 1967, dating back to the 8th to 9th centuries, as well.[6]
Among the excavated artefacts found in the burial mounds were fibulae from the 9th century.[7]
So-called oval brooches were typically found in Viking Age graves of wealthy Scandinavian women and were worn on the front of their dresses at a collarbone level (compare Fig. 2).[8]

[9] Their examination indicated Scandinavian influence or colonisation. The settlement traces named after the present-day village of Świelubie have been interpreted since as a possible Scandinavian colony. Recent research in the Świelubie outer bailey settlement suggests a contemporaneity with Bardy structures, which makes the coexistence of Slavs and Scandinavians at this site seem plausible.[9]
    

Fig. 2: Simplified illustration of two Scandinavian oval brooch fibulae
(A. Thomas; License CC BY).

Budzistowo (Kolberg-Altstadt)

[10] Between the late 9th and 10th centuries, the central functions of the settlement complexes at Bardy-Świelubie were relocated downstream, approximately 2.5 kilometres south of Kołobrzeg, beneath today’s Budzistowo. The naturally protected site[10] and later stronghold have been inhabited since the late 8th or early 9th century.[11]

[11] The development of the settlement into an early urban centre and the later diocesan seat began at the end of the 9th century. During this expansion stage, a castle measuring approximately one hectare was surrounded by several outlying settlements. Market, mint and tabernae are mentioned from the 11th century onwards.[12] However, the diocesan seat, which was established around the year 1000 AD, failed to survive.[13]

[12] Winfried Schich claims that when the Piasts, a medieval ruling dynasty in Poland, subjugated Pomerania in the late 10th century, they established the region as their most crucial seat in the Pomeranian hinterland.[14] Furthermore, the site of Budzistowo is regarded as a trade and handicraft production centre from the 10th to the 12th century.[15]
Alongside its role as a supra-regional centre,the brine springs, which are still located at the Parsęta estuary today, also accelerated the settlement’s growth (see Fig. 3).[16]

[13] Thanks to these brine springs, Budzistowo’s stronghold and settlement complex benefited from the salt trade. However, the location and full extension of the harbour and the salt-producing dependent infrastructure downstream are still largely unknown.[17]
Topographical conditions suggest that the harbour was located north of the castle rampart in a bay that no longer exists but was thought to have been accessible by ship in the Middle Ages.[18]

Fig. 3: Salt brine spring in Kołobrzeg, October 2023
(A. Thomas; License CC BY).

[14] As mentioned, during his first missionary journey, Otto von Bamberg came to the settlement that is now located beneath today’s Budzistowo.[19]
The early urban settlement is considered one of the most essential Slavic maritime trading centres on the Baltic coast at the time.[20] The dukes’ ancestral seat was likely located here.[21] The written sources report of a prince whose name is unknown.[22]
Research suggests that Otto had a church dedicated to St Mary built here due to the settlement’s political importance.[23]

[15] The settlement was deserted when its key function as a so-called emporium, along with the harbour, was relocated approximately 2 kilometres away in the mid-13th century − the era in which today’s Kołobrzeg began.[24] Under German rule, the remaining rural settlement was called Kolberg-Altstadt until the name was changed to Budzistowo under Polish rule in 1945.[25]

[16] Otto von Bamberg’s hagiographies include only brief reports on the site of Budzistowo.[26] The results of the archaeological investigations do not yet provide a clear picture of what the settlement was like.[27]

Kołobrzeg (Kolberg)

[17] Given the many open questions regarding the appearance of the site during Otto’s era, it at least seems clear that the stronghold and settlement complex beneath today’s Budzistowo lost its significance due to the relocation of its central functions a few kilometres downstream, as was the case with Bardy-Świelubie before.[28]

[18] As mentioned, the new town of Kołobrzeg was built slightly away from the older centre on the eastern bank of the Parsęta in the 13th century. Building activities, dated by dendrochronology, confirm the written records that indicate an urban development. The settlement was granted the Lübeck Law, a particular form of government resp. town law, in 1255.[29]

[19] German administrators brought typical German town infrastructure across the Oder. The streets were henceforth comprised of a rectangular network, and a characteristic rampart and moat surrounded the town.[30]

[20] Kołobrzeg’s geographical location enabled far-reaching trade. Not only did the town have easy access to trade routes, such as the “Salzweg”, which led towards Greater Poland, but the Parsęta connected it to the agricultural hinterland.[31]

[21] Kołobrzeg traded honey, wax, tar, and resin. Contrary to other harbours in the southern coastal region of the Baltic Sea, it did not export timber.
This was due to the large quantities of timber required at the local brine springs.
Kołobrzeg’s trade goods were harvested from the agricultural waterside and transported through the Parsęta. Besides salt, additional local products such as beer, leather shoes, iron goods, wine, and occasionally livestock were also traded.[32]

[22] The town continued to significantly benefit from trade, notably after it joined the Hanseatic League in 1361.[33]

Conclusion and Outlook

[23] It’s fascinating to note the ever-changing nature of the trade centres we’ve discussed. They have not only evolved in their significance but also shifted in their geographical positions over time.

[24] The predecessor settlement of Kołobrzeg, which lies beneath today’s village of Budzistowo, profited from the salt trade extracted from the brine springs downstream, where modern Kołobrzeg originated. Research has identified the remains of a specific infrastructure near the coastline from that time, which is presumably now hidden under modern city structures.[34]

[25] We can observe the same transfer of meaning that resulted in the creation of today’s Kołobrzeg in the case of Lübeck: Lübeck owes its name and functions to the Slavic settlement complex “Liubice”, also known as “Old Lübeck”. This earlier settlement is also located on a river, the Trave, approximately 4 kilometres downstream of the medieval town and at the mouth of the River Schwartau.
Neither Lübeck nor Kołobrzeg have developed in untouched nature but resulted from a long-term development of settlement sites.[35]

[26] The factors explaining why the trading ports of Budzistowo and Bardy-Świelubie were located further inland, as well as the reasons that led to their relocation, were likely multifaceted. These factors, concerning the economic, political, and social aspects, require a broader comparative approach, not only examining Lübeck, but also many other coastal sites of trade and power.

[27] In conclusion, shifts in meaning are a recurring phenomenon in the archaeology of the southern Baltic coast. Therefore, it is essential always to consider a settlement’s decline or rise in the context of neighbouring archaeological sites.


Das Essay ist auf https://amanzblog.hypotheses.org/ mit der CC-Lizenz CC BY erschienen.


[1] M. Rębkowski, Archäologische Zeugen der ersten Missionsreise Bischof Ottos in Pommern, in: F. Biermann ─ F. Ruchhöft (Eds.), Bischof Otto von Bamberg in Pommern. Historische und archäologische Forschungen zu Mission und Kulturverhältnissen des 12. Jahrhunderts im Südwesten der Ostsee, Studien zur Archäologie Europas 30 (Bonn 2017) 149─162, 154.

[2] W. Schich, Die pommersche Frühstadt im 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert am Beispiel von Kolberg (Kołobrzeg), in: J. Jarnut ─ P. Johanek (Eds.), Die Frühgeschichte der europäischen Stadt im 11. Jahrhundert. Städteforschung A 43 (Köln 1998) 273–304, 297.

[3] T. Kempke, Skandinavisch-slawische Kontakte an der südlichen Ostseeküste im 7. und 9. Jahrhundert, in: O. Harck ─ Ch. Lübke (Eds.), Zwischen Reric und Bornhöved. Die Beziehungen zwischen den Dänen und ihren slawischen Nachbarn vom 9. Bis ins 13. Jahrhundert. Beiträge einer internationalen Konferenz Leipzig 4. – 6. Dezember 1997 (Stuttgart 2001) 9–22, 15.

[4] H. Jöns – S. Messal, Neue Forschungen zur Struktur mittelalterlicher Hafenanlagen an der südwestlichen Ostseeküste, in: M. Bogucki – M. Rębkowski (Eds.), Economies, Monetisation and Society in the West Slavic Lands 800–1200 AD. Wolińskie Spotkania Mediewistyczne II (Szczecin 2013) 22─44, 34.

[5] cf. J. Wrzesński, Obraz wzcesnośredniowiecznej spoleczności lednickiej przez pryzmat nekropolii, in: A. Janowskiego (Eds.), Archeologia średniowiecza ziem polskichna początku XXI wieku Grodziska, cmentarzyska i monetyw perspektywie nowych metod badawczych (Wrocław 2021) 87–128, 112.

[6] J. Wrzesński, Obraz wzcesnośredniowiecznej spoleczności lednickiej przez pryzmat nekropolii, in: A. Janowskiego (Eds.), Archeologia średniowiecza ziem polskichna początku XXI wieku Grodziska, cmentarzyska i monetyw perspektywie nowych metod badawczych (Wrocław 2021) 87–128, 111–112.

[7] H. Zoll-Adamikowa, Wczesnośredniowieczne Cmentarzyska Ciałopalne Słowian na Terenie Polski cz. I. Źródła (Wrocław 1975) 233 Abb. 116.

[8] M. Müller-Wille, Grabformen und Bestattungssitten der Wikingerzeit, in: A. Koch (Eds.), Die Wikinger (München 2008) 128–141, 137.

[9] A. B. Kowalska – S. Messal, Die archäologischen Arbeiten in Świelubie 2015–2016, Materiały Zachodniopomorskie 13,2017, 243–252, 248.

[10] L. Leciejewicz ─ M. Rębkowski, Kołobrzeg. Średniowieczne miasto nad Bałtykiem/Eine mittelalterliche Stadt an der Ostsee (Kołobrzeg 2000) 26.

[11] cf. L. Leciejewicz ─ M. Rębkowski, Kołobrzeg. Średniowieczne miasto nad Bałtykiem/Eine mittelalterliche Stadt an der Ostsee (Kołobrzeg 2000) 67.

[12] H. Jöns – S. Messal, Neue Forschungen zur Struktur mittelalterlicher Hafenanlagen an der südwestlichen Ostseeküste, in: M. Bogucki – M. Rębkowski (Eds.), Economies, Monetisation and Society in the West Slavic Lands 800–1200 AD. Wolińskie Spotkania Mediewistyczne II (Szczecin 2013) 25─44, 33.

[13] J. Petersohn, Die Kamminer Bischöfe des Mittelalters. Amtsbiographien und Bistumsstrukturen vom 12. bis 16. Jahrhundert (Schwerin 2015) 14.

[14] W. Schich, Die pommersche Frühstadt im 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert am Beispiel von Kolberg (Kołobrzeg), in: J. Jarnut – P. Johanek (Eds.), Die Frühgeschichte der europäischen Stadt im 11. Jahrhundert. Städteforschung A 43 (Köln 1998) 273─304, 277.

[15] cf. M. Rębkowski, Die Christianisierung Pommerns. Eine archäologische Studie. Universitätsforschungen zur prähistorische Archäologie, 197 (Bonn 2001) 28.

[16] cf. R. Benl, Ursprünge und Anfänge der Stadt Kolberg. Baltische Studien. Pommersche Jahrbücher für Landesgeschichte 146 (N.F. 100), 2015, 7─30, 17.

[17] cf. W. Schich, Die pommersche Frühstadt im 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert am Beispiel von Kolberg (Kołobrzeg), in: J. Jarnut – P. Johanek (Eds.), Die Frühgeschichte der europäischen Stadt im 11. Jahrhundert. Städteforschung A 43 (Köln 1998) 273─304, 288, Abb. 1.

[18] H. Jöns – S. Messal, Neue Forschungen zur Struktur mittelalterlicher Hafenanlagen an der südwestlichen Ostseeküste, in: M. Bogucki – M. Rębkowski (Eds.), Economies, Monetisation and Society in the West Slavic Lands 800–1200 AD. Wolińskie Spotkania Mediewistyczne II (Szczecin 2013) 25─44, 33.

[19] F. Biermann, Die Geschichte des Bischofs Otto von Bamberg in Pommern – ein Beitrag zur Frühgeschichte der Kirchen St. Paul in Usedom und zur Lage der missionszeitlichen Sakralbauten um Odermündungsgebiet, in: F. Biermann – M. Schneider – T. Terberger (Eds.), Pfarrkirchen in den Städten des Hanseraums. Beiträge eines Kolloquiums vom 10. bis 13. Dezember 2003 in der Hansestadt Stralsund. Archäologie und Geschichte im Ostseeraum, 1 (Rahden/Westf. 2006) 21─38, 29.

[20] cf. W. Schich, Die pommersche Frühstadt im 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert am Beispiel von Kolberg (Kołobrzeg), in: J. Jarnut – P. Johanek (Eds.), Die Frühgeschichte der europäischen Stadt im 11. Jahrhundert. Städteforschung A 43 (Köln 1998) 273─304, 273.

[21] M. Rębkowski, Die Christianisierung Pommerns. Eine archäologische Studie. Universitätsforschungen zur prähistorische Archäologie, 197 (Bonn 2001) 27.

[22] B. Zabel, Dzieje Kołobrzeg (Kołobrzeg 2007) 20.

[23] M. Rębkowski, Die Christianisierung Pommerns. Eine archäologische Studie. Universitätsforschungen zur prähistorische Archäologie, 197 (Bonn 2001) 27.

[24] H. Jöns – S. Messal, Neue Forschungen zur Struktur mittelalterlicher Hafenanlagen an der südwestlichen Ostseeküste, in: M. Bogucki – M. Rębkowski (Eds.), Economies, Monetisation and Society in the West Slavic Lands 800–1200 AD. Wolińskie Spotkania Mediewistyczne II (Szczecin 2013) 25─44, 34.

[25] L. Leciejewicz ─ M. Rębkowski, Kołobrzeg. Średniowieczne miasto nad Bałtykiem / Eine mittelalterliche Stadt an der Ostsee (Kołobrzeg 2000) 84.

[26] cf. the Vita written by Herbord II.39 (Ed. L. Weinrich, Heiligenleben zur deutsch-slawischen Geschichte. Adalbert von Prag und Otto von Bamberg. Ausgewählte Quellen zur deutschen Geschichte des Mittelalters. Freiherr-vom-Stein-Gedächtnisausgabe 23 (Darmstadt 2005) 413).

[27] cf. W. Schich, Die pommersche Frühstadt im 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert am Beispiel von Kolberg (Kołobrzeg), in: J. Jarnut – P. Johanek (Eds.), Die Frühgeschichte der europäischen Stadt im 11. Jahrhundert. Städteforschung A 43 (Köln 1998) 273─304, 276f.

[28] W. Schich, Die pommersche Frühstadt im 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert am Beispiel von Kolberg (Kołobrzeg), in: J. Jarnut – P. Johanek (Eds.), Die Frühgeschichte der europäischen Stadt im 11. Jahrhundert. Städteforschung A 43 (Köln 1998) 273─304, 290.

[29] L. Leciejewicz − M. Rębkowski, Kołobrzeg. Średniowieczne miasto nad Bałtykiem − Eine mittelalterliche Stadt an der Ostsee (Kołobrzeg 2000) 87.

[30] W. Schich, Die pommersche Frühstadt im 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert am Beispiel von Kolberg (Kołobrzeg), in: J. Jarnut – P. Johanek (Eds.), Die Frühgeschichte der europäischen Stadt im 11. Jahrhundert. Städteforschung A 43 (Köln 1998) 273─304, 287.

[31] L. Leciejewicz − M. Rębkowski, Kołobrzeg. Średniowieczne miasto nad Bałtykiem/Eine mittelalterliche Stadt an der Ostsee (Kołobrzeg 2000) 96.

[32] L. Leciejewicz − M. Rębkowski, Kołobrzeg. Średniowieczne miasto nad Bałtykiem/Eine mittelalterliche Stadt an der Ostsee (Kołobrzeg 2000) 100.

[33] cf. P. Tepp, Untersuchungen zur Sozial- und Wirtchaftsgeschichte der Hanse- und Salzstadt Kolberg im Spätmittelalter. Strukturwandel und soziale Mobilität (Hamburg 1980) 39.

[34] cf. W. Schich, Die pommersche Frühstadt im 11. und frühen 12. Jahrhundert am Beispiel von Kolberg (Kołobrzeg), in: J. Jarnut – P. Johanek (Eds.), Die Frühgeschichte der europäischen Stadt im 11. Jahrhundert. Städteforschung A 43 (Köln 1998) 273─304, 288, Abb. 1.

[35] G.P. Fehring, Lübeck: Die Entstehung von Stadt und Hafen im Lichte neuer archäologischer Erkenntnisse. Deutsches Schifffahrtsarchiv, 25, 2002, 117─133, 117.