Dragowit

Dragowit was in 789 the velvet ruler ( rex ) of the West Slav tribal union of the Wilzen .

Slavic ramparts Old Schanze near Vorwerk (Demmin) - remains of the civitas Dragawiti?

Domination

According to the Frankish written sources, Dragowit ruled over the area of the Wilzian tribes, which stretched from the central Elbe eastward over the Prignitz in an arc to the north to the Baltic Sea . His dominion center was the civitas Dragawiti in the Peene area , a castle with a settlement, the location of which is assumed today in Vorwerk near Demmin in Western Pomerania . According to the Metz annals, his legitimation as ruler of the Wilzian tribal association was derived from an appointment by a princeps carolus , by whom either Charlemagne or Karl Martell can be understood. This rule extended to the Elbe Slavic tribes of Bethenzer , Smeldinger and Linonen , whose tribal areas pressed like a wedge between those of the Abodrites in the north and the Sorbs in the south and touched the young Franconian dominion in Saxony in the west with the Elbe.

Downfall

According to the Franconian conception of an imperial border on the Elbe and pacified adjacent domains, the area had to be subordinated to the Elbe Slavic tribes politically belonging to King Dragowit. Dragowit, however, played such a leading role for these Elbe Slavic tribes in 789 that Charlemagne was forced in 789 to advance far to the east as part of a large-scale army operation in order to take action against him in the Peene area and to force his public submission. While the Abodrites and Sorbs invaded the Wilzen area in two army columns to secure the Elbe crossing of the Saxon-Franconian army at Lenzen or south of the mouth of the Havel , Frisians went by ship up the Elbe to support the river crossing from the water. On the Slavic Elbe side, the united army under Karl's leadership defeated the Wilzen tribes, took their princes prisoner and moved with the prisoners along the Müritz to the fortress Dragowits, which was superior to all other tribal princes of the Wilzen in "noble descent, prestige and age".

Dragowit's fortress was besieged until he surrendered to the great superiority. He stepped out of the castle with his followers as an admission of defeat. Dragowit swore allegiance to Karl, took hostages and promised tribute payments. Only now, after they had witnessed the submission of their king, did the captured princes of the conquered sub-tribes also submit.

swell

literature

Herbert Ludat : An Elbe and Oder around the year 1000. Sketches on the politics of the Ottonian empire and the Slavic powers in Central Europe , 1971, pages 9ff.
Lothar Dralle, Slaven an Havel and Spree, Studies on the History of the Hevellian-Wilzian Principality , 1981, pages 87ff.
Christian Hanewinkel, The political significance of the Elbe Slavs with regard to the changes in rule in the East Franconian Empire and in Saxony from 887 to 936 - Political sketches on the eastern neighbors in the 9th and 10th centuries, Münster 2004, pages 38 ff.

Individual evidence

↑ J. Herrmann, The Schanze von Vorwerk near Demmin - The civitas of the Wilzian king Dragowit? In: Ausgrabungen und Funde Vol. 14 (1969), pages 191-197; doubtful due to the short life of the complex Fred Ruchhöft, From the Slavic tribal area to the German bailiwick; the development of the territories in Ostholstein, Lauenburg, Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania in the Middle Ages. (Archeology and History in the Baltic Sea Region, Volume 4), Rahden / Westf. 2008 ISBN 978-3-89646-464-4 , page 98, of the castle Gützkow points
↑ Gerard Labuda, Civitas Dragaviti. On the Frankish-Slavic relations at the end of the 8th century. In: K.-D. Grothusen u. K. Zernack (ed.), Europa Slavica-Europa Orientalis. Festschrift for Herbert Ludat on his 70th birthday. Berlin 1980. pp. 87-98, p. 89; Christian Hahne angle Elbslawen , page 44
↑ Wolfgang. H. Fritze, The dating of Geographus Bavarus , In: L. Kuchenbuch u. W. Schich (ed.), Early Period between the Baltic Sea and the Danube. Selected contributions to the historical development in Eastern Central Europe from the 6th to the 13th century. In: Friedrich Meinecke Institute of the Free University of Berlin (ed.), Berlin historical studies. Vol. 6. Germania Slavica III. Berlin 1982. pp. 111-126, page 118; Lothar Dralle, Slawen an Havel and Spree , pages 98ff.

personal data
SURNAME	Dragowit
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	King of the West Slav tribal association of the Wilzen
DATE OF BIRTH	before 789
DATE OF DEATH	after 789

[1] J. Herrmann, The Schanze von Vorwerk near Demmin - The civitas of the Wilzian king Dragowit? In: Ausgrabungen und Funde Vol. 14 (1969), pages 191-197; doubtful due to the short life of the complex Fred Ruchhöft, From the Slavic tribal area to the German bailiwick; the development of the territories in Ostholstein, Lauenburg, Mecklenburg and Western Pomerania in the Middle Ages. (Archeology and History in the Baltic Sea Region, Volume 4), Rahden / Westf. 2008 ISBN 978-3-89646-464-4 , page 98, of the castle Gützkow points

[2] Gerard Labuda, Civitas Dragaviti. On the Frankish-Slavic relations at the end of the 8th century. In: K.-D. Grothusen u. K. Zernack (ed.), Europa Slavica-Europa Orientalis. Festschrift for Herbert Ludat on his 70th birthday. Berlin 1980. pp. 87-98, p. 89; Christian Hahne angle Elbslawen , page 44

[3] Wolfgang. H. Fritze, The dating of Geographus Bavarus , In: L. Kuchenbuch u. W. Schich (ed.), Early Period between the Baltic Sea and the Danube. Selected contributions to the historical development in Eastern Central Europe from the 6th to the 13th century. In: Friedrich Meinecke Institute of the Free University of Berlin (ed.), Berlin historical studies. Vol. 6. Germania Slavica III. Berlin 1982. pp. 111-126, page 118; Lothar Dralle, Slawen an Havel and Spree , pages 98ff.