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The treaties of Bautzen and Merseburg were a series of treaties concluded during a power struggle between the Ottonian Holy Roman Emperors Henry II and his Salian successor Conrad II on one side, and the Piast rulers of Poland Boleslaw I and Mieszko II on the other side, between 1002 and 1033. The treaties settled the investment with the Lusatian march and Upper Lusatia (Milzenerland, the eastern part of the margraviate of Meissen), and the status of the Piast rulers in relation to the emperor.

Boleslaw I had supported Eckard I, Margrave of Meissen against Henry II, and after his death in 1002 had occupied the marches of Meissen and Lusatia. In Merseburg (1002), Henry II invested Boleslaw I with the Lusatian march and Upper Lusatia, while the latter returned the truncated Meissen march and accepted Henry II as his superior. Boleslaw I's subsequent campaign into Bohemia triggered an open war, in the course of which Henry II allied with the heathen Lutici, while Boleslaw I drew upon the support of part of the Holy Roman Empire's high nobility. A temporary peace was made in Merseburg (1013), where Henry II and Boleslaw I renewed their agreement of 1002, with the additional condition that Boleslaw I supported Henry II's campaign in Italy. Open warfare continued when Boleslaw I did not comply to this condition, and instead supported Henry II's Italian adversaries. Henry II was however unable to defeat Boleslaw I, and agreed on a peace in Bautzen (1018) which left Boleslaw I in charge of the Lusatian march and Upper Lusatia as imperial fiefs.

Another dimension was added to the conflict when Boleslaw I proclaimed himself king of Poland shortly before his death in 1025, and his son and successor Mieszko II continued the use of the royal title. In 1028, the war was continued between Mieszko II and Henry II's successor Conrad II, who forced Mieszko II to renounce his claims to the Lusatian march and Upper Lusatia in Bautzen (1031). After the brief rule of Mieszko II's half-brother Bezprym in Poland, who did not style himself king to gain Conrad II's support, Mieszko II resumed power and in Merseburg (1033) again renounced claims to the Lusatian territories and renounced the claim to the title of a king, but was confirmed by Conrad II as the ruler of Poland, which Henry had divided into three parts.

Merseburg (1002)

After the death of emperor Otto III, Bavarian duke Henry IV and Meissen margrave Eckard (Ekkehard) I competed for succession. When Eckard I was murdered on 30 April 1002 in ], Polish duke Boleslaw I, who had supported Eckard's candidature, invaded and occupied the Margraviate of Meissen and March Lusatia (Lower Lusatia). Meanwhile, Henry IV had consolidated his rule against rival candidates, and, as Henry II, was crowned German king in June.

On 25 July 1002 at a Hoftag (imperial meeting) held in Merseburg, the dispute was settled as follows:

• Henry II gave the Lusatian march and the eastern part of the Meissen march (Milzenerland, Upper Lusatia) to Boleslaw I as a fief,
• Boleslaw I had to return the truncated Margraviate of Meissen,
• Boleslaw I pledged allegiance to Henry II together with the Saxon nobles.

When Boleslaw I left Merseburg, he was ambushed, but due to the aid of Henry of Schweinfurt and Saxon duke Bernard (Bernhard) I, he was able to repulse the attack. Henry II did neither protect him, nor punish the assailants.

In 1003, Boleslaw I conquered the Duchy of Bohemia, arrested its Přemyslid duke, Boleslaus III, and denied Henry II the oath of allegiance for the duchy. Henry II did not accept this conquest, and determined to protect the Bohemian duchy from Polish claims. Boleslaw I had further allied with the noble German opposition to Henry II. This alliance included Henry of Schweinfurt and his cousin Ernst as well as Henry II's brother Brun, bishop of Augsburg, all of which fled to Boleslaw's court when their rebellion against Henry II failed. While Boleslaw I could draw upon the support of many secular Saxon nobles, Henry II could rely on the Saxon clergy. Also in 1003, Henry II allied with the pagan Lutici against Boleslaw I, and in 1004 launched a campaign against the latter. In the course of this campaign, Henry II evicted Boleslaw I from Bohemia and granted it to the Přemyslid duke Jaromir in 1004, before he sieged and took Bautzen from Boleslaw I's forces and returned to Saxony. Only a few months later, Henry II mounted another campaign, which was concluded in 1005 when Tagino, Archbishop of Magdeburg mediated a peace near Poznan.

The peace was temporary, as neither was Henry II ready to grant Boleslaw I an more elevated status than the one of an ordinary vassal, nor did the latter abandon his desire for such a position or accept Henry II's power as immediate to God, as his self-perception was similar in this respect.

Merseburg (1013)

Despite the peace of Poznan, warfare between Boleslaw I and Henry II continued between 1007 and 1013. In 1007, Boleslaw I occupied Lusatia with the fortress of Bautzen. A campaign led by Henry II in 1010 was unsuccessful. During this campaign, which started in Belgern, Henry II was struck by an illness at Jarina castle and returned with some of his bishops, while the remaining armies devastated the surrounding area. A Saxon campaign in 1012 was also unsuccessful. Henry II had mobilized the Saxon nobility to mount campaigns in his name, since he needed a peace agreement before 1013, when his coronation in Rome was scheduled.

Thus, in 1013, Boleslaw I and Henry II agreed on a peace in Merseburg:

• Henry II again gave the Lusatian march and Upper Lusatia (Milzenerland) to Boleslaw I as a fief,
• Boleslaw I again pledged allegiance to Henry II,
• Boleslaw I promised to support Henry II's campaign to Rome,
• Henry II promised to support Boleslaw I's campaign to Kiev with 500 knights.

The treaty was confirmed by the marriage of Richeza, a niece of Otto III, to Mieszko II, a son of Boleslaw I. Boleslaw I's submission to Henry II was symbolized by a ceremony, where the former carried the sword for the latter.

Boleslaw I however did not aid Henry II in his Italian campaign. Instead, he supported Crescentian antipope Gregory VI and in Italy intrigued against Henry II, who had denied Gregory his support in Pöhlde. Henry II started his Italian campaign in the fall of 1013, defeated the allies of the Crescentians and had pope Benedict VIII crown him Holy Roman Emperor in Rome on 14 February 1014. Bohemian duke Oldrich (Udalrich) meanwhile captured Boleslaw I's son Mieszko II and turned him over to Henry II, who however released him.

Bautzen (1018)

In July 1015, Henry II with his Lutician allies renewed the war against Boleslaw I on the basis of the latter's failure to support him in Italy. The campaign started in Magdeburg, from where Henry II's army crossed through Lusatia to Crossen, where two other armies commanded by Bernard II of Saxony and Olrich of Bohemia were supposed to join him. The plan failed, and Henry II withdrew. Subsequent negotiations with Boleslaw I failed. In 1017, Henry II marched an army from Leitzkau to Glogau (Głogów), where Boleslaw I awaited him. Henry II however first sieged nearby Nemzi (Niemcza, Nimptsch) without success, and due to an illness of part of his army aborted the siege and withdrew to Bohemia.

During these campaigns, Henry II was confronted with the opposition of part of the Saxon nobility, including the House of Billung, who maintained good relations and were in part relatives of Boleslaw I. In 1017, Henry II therefore adressed Boleslaw I as "public enemy" (hostis publicus) and forbade further contacts with him.

On 30 January 1018, peace was made in Bautzen. Boleslaw I kept the Lusatian march and Upper Lusatia (Milzenerland) as an imperial fief, and both parties exchanged hostages. Henry II did not attend, and did not renew the campaigns against Boleslaw I thereafter. The peace was confirmed by the marriage of Oda of Meissen, daughter of Eckard I, to Boleslaw I. It was Boleslaw I's fourth marriage; Regelind, a daughter from his previous marriage with Emnilda of Lusatia, was already married to Oda's brother Hermann of Meissen.

Bautzen (1031)

Henry II was succeeded by Conrad II, and Boleslaw I, who had crowned himself King of Poland two months before his death (1025), was succeeded by Mieszko II. In 1028, Mieszko II attacked the eastern marches of Saxony. As a consequence, the see of the Bishopric of Zeitz was relocated to the more secure Naumburg, and Conrad II launched several counter-attacks. Mieszko II avoided open battle and withdrew into difficult terrain, namely forrests nearly impassable for the heavy German cavalry. Conrad II was supported by Olrich of Bohemia, who in the course of the 1029 campaign gained Moravia.

In 1030, Mieszko II again raided the eastern marches, but in 1031 was repulsed by Conrad II and forced to make peace. In the agreement, Mieszko II renounced his claims to the Lusatian march and Upper Lusatia.

Merseburg (1033)

After the peace of Bautzen (1031), Yaroslav I of Kiev attacked Miesko II from the east. Yaroslav I had supported Mieszko II's older half-brother Bezprym in the succession of Boleslaw I, and granted him refuge at his court when Mieszko II had assumed power. With Yaroslav I's support, Bezprym ousted Miesko II, but was murdered in 1032. In contrast to his half-brother, Bezprym had not taken on the title of a Polish king in order to gain support from Conrad II. After Bezprym's death, Mieszko II returned to power, and attended a Hoftag in Merseburg in 1033.

There, Mieszko II renounced claims to the Lusatian march and Upper Lusatia (Milzenerland), and renounced claims to the title of a king. Henry II divided Poland into three parts, but confirmed Miezko II’s superiority over these. Mieszko II died in 1034, subsequently, his wife Richeza as well as his son Casimir I fled to Germany.

Sources

References

1. ^ Bernhardt (1993), p. 41
2. ^ Röckelein (2006), p. 113
3. ^ Knefelkamp (2002), p. 123
4. Knefelkamp (2002), p. 122
5. 11th century manuscript of St. Gregory's Moralia in Job (Bamberg, Staatsbibliothek, MS Msc. Bibl. 84)
6. ^ Schneidmüller (2003), p. 110
7. ^ Berger (2002), p. 224
8. ^ Herbers & Neuhaus (2005), p. 56
9. ^ Schwarz (2006), p. 24
10. ^ Berger (2002), p. 225
11. ^ Keller (2001), p. 96
12. ^ Knefelkamp (2002), p. 125
13. ^ Knefelkamp (2002), p. 137
14. ^ Boshof (2008), p. 71
15. ^ Boshof (2008), p. 72

Bibliography

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• Herbers, Klaus; Neuhaus, Helmut (2005). Das Heilige Römische Reich (in German). Böhlau. ISBN 3412234052.
• Keller, Hagen (2001). Die Ottonen (in German) (3 ed.). Beck. ISBN 3406447465.
• Knefelkamp, Ulrich (2002). Das Mittelalter. UTB M (in German). Vol. 2105 (2 ed.). UTB. ISBN 3825221059.
• Röckelein, Hedwig (2006). "Heiraten - ein Instrument hochmittelalterlicher Politik". In Ranft, Andreas (ed.). Der Hoftag in Quedlinburg 973. Von den historischen Wurzeln zum Neuen Europa (in German). Akademie Verlag. pp. 99–136. ISBN 3050041137.
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• Treaties of the Holy Roman Empire
• Treaties of Poland
• 11th-century treaties