Der Deutsche Orden in Livland

The conquest and colonisation of the northeastern Baltic Rim in the 13th century durably shaped religious and ethnic identities of and relations between the native population and the arriving crusaders. This article explores the codes and displays of hospitality in the anonymous ‘Livonian Rhymed Chronicle’, which are seen here as ways of conceptualising the relationship and conflicts between the Teutonic Knights and the pagan or apostate people in Livonia. It asks which consequences the framing of the host-guest relations might have had for the self-comprehension of the chronicle’s author and his audience. The analysis of the chronicle is pursued along three lines: the first focuses on the questions of chivalry, courtesy, and conversion; the second explores different renditions of a miracle story of inhospitality from the 1220s; the third focuses on the conceptual metaphors of hospitality as a way in which the Teutonic Knights accommodated their adversaries’ viewpoints. In its conclusions, the article argues how a broad focus on the institutions, concepts, and discourses of hospitality can help account for both confrontational and amicable attitudes between the colonisers and the colonised both on the Baltic frontier and among other European frontier societies.

During the conquest and Christianisation of the 'pagan' territories in Prussia and Livonia as well as during the Lithuanian campaigns of the Teutonic Order, the construction of mostly temporary castles played an essential role. There are almost no surviving relics of these buildings, which often existed for only a very short time and were mostly wooden earthen structures. However, they are often described in contemporary chronicles. This article gives an overview of the construction and function of such conquest castles from the 12th to the 14th century.

Bei der Eroberung und Christianisierung der 'heidnischen' Territorien in Preußen und Livland sowie bei den Litauerzügen des Deutschen Ordens spielte die Errichtung meist provisorischer Burgen eine wesentliche Rolle. Von diesen häufig nur sehr kurze Zeit existierenden Bauten, meist nur Holz-Erde-Anlagen, gibt es fast keine erhaltenen Relikte. Sie sind aber in den zeitgenössischen Chroniken öfters beschrieben. Der Artikel gibt einen Überblick zu Bau und Funktion solcher Eroberungsburgen vom 12. bis zum 14. Jahrhundert.

Начиная с конца 1930-х гг., в советской исторической науке уделялось большое внимание деятельности Александра Невского и, в частности, его наиболее известной военной победе, одержанной 5 апреля 1242 г. на льду Чудского озера. При этом полевые исследования с выездом на место сражения вплоть до конца 1950-х гг. были осуществлены лишь двумя профессиональными историками ― Э. К. Пакларом и М. Н. Тихомировым. Их работа не только дала ощутимый результат, но и способствовала организации Комплексной экспедиции по уточнению места Ледового побоища, действовавшей под эгидой АН СССР на рубеже 1950–1960-х гг. Ее выводы, долго считавшиеся общепринятыми, сейчас без должной аргументации ставятся под сомнения. Однако архивные изыскания, беседы с участниками экспедиции и несколько экспедиций, организованных уже в наши дни кафедрой исторического регионоведения СПбГУ, доказывают достоверность полученных Г. Н. Караевым и его коллегами данных.
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Since the late 1930s Soviet historical studies paid great attention to the affairs of Alexander Nevsky and in particular to his famous victory on the ice of Chudskoe lake on April 5th, 1242. However, until the end of the 1950s only two professional scholars (E. C. Paklar and M. N. Tikhomirov) made field studies at the scene. Their works had not only gained tangible results but also had stimulated the organization of the Complex expedition for more precise localization of the Battle on the Ice that worked under the aegis of the Soviet Academy Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana of Sciences at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s. Its conclusions, considered for a long period to be generally accepted, are nowadays challenged without due argumentation. Nevertheless, investigations in archives, interviews with the participants of the main explorations, and some recent field studies conducted by the Department of Regional Studies of St. Petersburg State University prove trustworthiness of the data obtained by G. N. Karaev and his colleagues.

An article on the spreading of an extraordinary story in the news media of the 16th century. In 1584 a group of Latvinian people described their meeting with ghosts. Their story reached the territory of Holy Roman Empire and became very popular there.

This extremely interesting and valuable Book was written almost 100 years ago by my relative Józef Weyssenhoff and published by his younger brother Waldemar. Until today no easily accessible copy was to be found in the internet although this piece gives great insight into the Baltic history - specifically but not limited to the aristocratic society.
Soon I am planning a full digitization as well as translation into English, German and other languages but for now I would like to share it already with anyone who is interested. Please enjoy this exciting and almost forgotten literature!