March of Lusatia
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The March of Lusatia (German: Mark Lausitz) was a conquered territory of the Ljutizi and Milzini between Germany and Poland in the 10th and 11th centuries. It was conquered sometime around 963 by Gero the Great and added to the marca Geronis, an eastern march of the Duchy of Saxony. It was a separate administrative unti from at least as early as 963 and the division between Upper Lusatia and Lower Lusatia was also apparent even that early. Sometimes the Milziener March was considered separately from Lusatia. Lusatia was often part of the March of Meissen, or even of the Saxon Eastern March.
In 1004, the Lusatian march was conquered by Boleslaus I of Poland during Henry II's campaign against Henry of Schweinfurt. The major cities of Lusatia at that time were Bautzen and Strehla. Conrad II waged two campaigns, in 1031 and 1032, which reconquered Lower Lusatia and Upper Lusatia from Mieszko II of Poland. By the reign of Henry IV, Lusatia had been reincorporated into the Holy Roman Empire and it formed one of the four divisions of eastern Saxony along with Meissen, the Ostmark, and Zeitz. These regions were not always ruled by separate margraves, but were mainly administrative divisions. Lusatia and the Ostmark were ruled together and eventually the Ostmark was reduced to little more than Lower Lusatia. Under Henry IV, Upper Lusatia was detached from the Lusatian march and granted to Boleslaus II of Poland. The first margrave of Lusatia is only known from 1046. Under Lothair of Supplinburg, Upper and Lower Lusatia were reunited in 1136. The terms "Ostmark" and "Lusatia" were interchangeable into the 12th century, but in 1128 Henry of Groitzsch is recorded as margrave of the Ostmark, but as not receiving the Lusatian march until 1131.
[edit] Margraves of (Lower) Lusatia, or the (Saxon) Ostmark
- Dedi I, 1046–1075
- Dedi II, fl. 1069
- Henry I, 1075–1103
- Henry II, 1103–1123
- Wiprecht, 1123–1124
- Albert, 1123–1128
- Henry III, 1124–1135
- Conrad, 1136–1156
- Dietrich I, 1156–1185
- Dietrich II, 1210–1221
- Henry IV, 1221–1288
- Lusatia, or the Ostmark, ceases to exist, being divided into the Margraviate of Landsberg and the that of Dresden.
[edit] Sources
- Reuter, Timothy. Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800–1056. New York: Longman, 1991.
- Thompson, James Westfall. Feudal Germany, Volume II. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1928.
