Gero
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Gero (ca. 900 –965) was Margrave of the Saxon Eastern March since 937. As a margrave or prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Gero ruled over a vast territory and is considered to be the founder of the Northern March, which developed into the Margraviate of Brandenburg.
Gero was the son of Count Thietmar. In 939, Emperor Otto I entrusted him with the wars against the Slavic Wends, on the Elbe and lower Saale Rivers. He eventually succeeded in subjugating the entire population between the Elbe and Oder Rivers. Gero's victorious campaign against Mieszko I of Poland led to Polish recognition of Imperial sovereignty. Gero's last victory was in Lusatia in 963, in which he forced the western Slavic Milzener and Lusitzi tribes (in Latin, Milceni et Lusici) to obedience.
Upon his death, the huge territory conquered by Gero was sectioned by Emperor Otto I into several different marches: The Northern March (under Dietrich of Haldensleben), the Saxon March (under Thietmar I), the Meissen Mark (under Wigbert of Meissen), the Merseburg March (under Günther of Merseburg) and the Zeitz March (under Wigger I of Zeitz). Later the Northern March was subdivided into the Landsberg March, Lusatia, and Osterland. In 960 Gero founded the Ottonian and Romanesque Collegiate church of St. Cyriacus in Gernrode, a town named after him. His grave may still be seen there.
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This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding German Wikipedia article as of January 23, 2006.
