Parduin
The old town of Brandenburg emerged from the settlement of Parduin ( ndd. Arm of the river, spoken pardün or parduhn ) in the Slavic-German transition phase in the 12th and 13th centuries .
Originated in the Slavic 12th century
The central seat of the prince of Brandenburg of the Stodoranen / Heveller tribe , on its location protected by an island-like waterfront location, the later cathedral island, also had the usual suburbium , the living and working space of those not belonging to the immediate castle occupation, with workshops and trading facilities and apartments for them the castle for duty. Had become than the space on the island too small, was on the opposite northern bank of the Havel in 1100 in addition to the later Old Town Kietz called Slavic a new settlement created service settlement, which was probably connected with the island by a bridge but only in 1187 or 1216 is mentioned as "antiquus pons" .
Slavic-early German transition phase
As the oldest settlement element appearing well before 1147 Church St. Gotthardt , a Norbertine - pin . The settlement (Suburbium) located here also bore the place name Parduin at the same time . Its first independent mention in 1166 and the existence of the Gotthard Church point to a topographical independence that clearly stands out from the general "suburbium Brandenburg" (with six kietzen).
In 1187 the Parduin is referred to as villa forensis , ie as a "market settlement" from the early German period, which merges into the medieval old town of Brandenburg. The settlement of the Premonstratensian, a pastoral order , indicates that a Christian community had to be cared for in pre-German times. After all this, the Parduin could be interpreted as a settlement of German, especially Saxon, merchants that arose in the Slavic period. However, whether the entire settlement complex - because of its Slavic finds and because of the appointment of a community of canons - was a merchant settlement with a cooperative church remains doubtful. There is some evidence that foreign merchants in pre-German times simply settled right next to an expansion of the Slavic suburbium and gave their part their own German name. There was a place near Krakow, which fell into desolation early on and whose Slavic name also meant “place on the arm of the river” (there are numerous parallel cases of such name adoption).
There is thus a kind of northern bridgehead, which was made up of a Slavic part of the settlement and a settlement ( Parduin ) with German residents (merchants and clergy), which perhaps already fulfilled market functions in late Slavic times, compared to the tribal castle wall on the later so-called Cathedral Island , as these are clearly proven for the early German period.
Early German time
To a certain extent, the old town of Brandenburg has grown out of the villa forensis Parduin. In the early days, Villa forensis was a place that fulfilled market functions and enjoyed a special local market right ( ius fori ), but which had not yet become a city in all areas. St. Gotthardt became the only parish church in the extended city. Parduin appears as a civitas as early as 1174/76 ; in it areae , i.e. the usual urban property units , are named. Apparently there was already a Heiliggeist hospital. The market is in the center, a hallmark of the new type of city. During the 13th century, both parts of the settlement were fenced together. Thus the medieval (old) city of Brandenburg was created. The street name Parduin, between the Altstädter Markt and Rathenower Straße, still reminds of the old place name.
Settlement history conclusion
For a long time, a city was only considered a place that had been granted German town charter. But even in non-German states there were places that fulfilled urban functions in a comparable way, regardless of the formal German market law. In his fundamental work (see literature), using the example of the Parduin (but also Jüterbog, Spandau and Prenzlau), Winfried Schich found that such early Slavic towns as diverse, densely populated, partly fortified places are undoubtedly referred to as urban settlements in topographical terms are allowed, even if not all essential parts of the settlement are secured in their previous structure. The example of the parduin also shows developed handicraft, involvement in long-distance trade and local market relationships. The parduin showed functions of the central place: seat of administration and cult . The permanent residence of a gentleman , a place of worship of supra-local importance and the connection to long-distance trade : these are the most important requirements for early urban development in Central Europe . A special right (“city law”) for the settlement complex described did not yet exist.
literature
- Winfried Schich : City development in the area between the Elbe and Oder in the transition from the Slavic to the German period. Observations on the relationship between law, economy and topography using the example of cities in the Mark Brandenburg. In: Wolfgang H. Fritze (ed.): Germania Slavica , I. (= Berlin historical studies , volume 1.) Berlin 1980, pp. 191-238.
Coordinates: 52 ° 24 ′ 53 ″ N , 12 ° 33 ′ 17 ″ E