Domen
Misico dux Vandalorum
Often I find myself wishing everyone just take France's cue and not bother with classifying people by ethnicity or religion.
A lot of people will lose jobs when we stop counting ethnicity or religion. Imagine all these jobless statisticians and public servants.
Are there not good enough demographic estimates of that era
I have some maps for the 1400s and the 1500s too, somewhere. Later I will search for them.
BTW west of the Oder River too, very large areas were still primarily Slavic-speaking during the 1500s - early 1600s.
Among the kinds of evidence which testify about continued use of Slavic language is the continued use of Slavic given names.
These Slavic given names are of course distorted in documents by German clerks who recorded them, for example:
Examples of Slavic given names (testifying to continued use of Slavic language) from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern from the 15th - 17th centuries:
Bartke (Bartek), Stouicke (Stawik), Bardißke (Bartosz), Letke (Letak), Dusiug (Duszyk), Kroll (Król), Glemmeke (Glinka), Cyppute (Szelest), Pentmyl (Pętomił, Loske (Liszka), Sentke (Zętek), Glaueke (Gławik), Jenderan (Henryk-Jan), Podeyne (Potajny), Gotke, Promoysel (Przemysł, Pestrych (Pstrych), Breseke (Brzóska), Darinck (Dar), Draffanicke (Drewnik), Glafvatze (Głowacz), Guowst (Chwost), Haban, Hanyske (Mały Jan), Jesker (Iskra), Karuak (Garbak), Bantze (Panicz) i Ventzan (Węcan), Klackun, Kowucke (Kawka), Labbuen (Luboń, Luschen (Łysek), Maneke (Manik/Człowieczek), Myleke (Miłek), Mowseke (Myszek), Prettun (Przesieka), Proske (Proszko), Rymmatze (Rębacz), Rybe (Ryba), Rubeke (Rybak), Rutzeke (Rostek ), Seueke (Żywik), Szedelke (Sedełko), Szibelike (Siwulik), Tzamme (Samo), Tzygen (Cygan), Wyseke (Wyszek), Guthan (Godny), Liste (Liść, Ribeke (Rybak), Zentke (Zętek), Santke (Świątek), Janeke (Janik), Krull (Król), Mankatz (Miękacz), Preen (Przem), Pantzk (Paniczyk), Schure (Szczur/Chomik), Symeke (Szymek), Vrile (Wrył, Glemmeke (Glinka), Janeke (Janik), Jastram (Jastrząb), Jessel (Jesion), Milatze (Miłacz), Pandeke (Pątnik), Tetze (Teczo), Bannita (Panika), Germatze (Jarmacza), Ploisa (Błożo), Podeya (Budeja), Jezeke (Jeżyk), Phaske (Waszek), Screptze (Skrabek), Jolp (Chłop), Sloyss (Śliż, Crafake (Garbacz), Kupisz (Kuba), Moltke (Młotek), Pusterit (Ciemny), Balyke (Balik), Pollen (Boleń, Ginap (Henryczek), Lobeke (Lubik), Techan (Ciechan), Tzart (Czart), Brassche, Jatzebuk, Kouchel, Marseel, Pixleff, Pulße, Tzentke, Vrassch, Woppoyseke, etc.
Similar distortion of names is also in Latin-language and German-language sources recording Polish names, for example Ozstash (Ostasz), Mogcone (Mojek), Bresdreu (Brzezdrew), Stupote (Stępota), etc.
Of course those names above are mostly names of Slavic commoners.
Pagan Slavic nobility in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern had usually more "noble-sounding" names like Wolimir, Jaromir, Śmiłosław, Przybysław, Welisław, etc.
Even in the 18th century some people could still be speaking Slavic in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, examples:
Morian from Ziethen, Robrahn from Pogez, Buslaff Karen, Hans Wys, Jakob Wys, Johan Franik, Martin Wirik, Heinrich Boye, Jakob Smock, Hans Kuur, Peter Bölick, Fr. Thomesk, Hans Wendt, Chrystian Wendt, Walentin Wendt, Andreas Wendt - those people were descendants of Slavs, but did they still speak Slavic?
Examples of Slavic names from Poel island near Wismar from the 14th - 16th centuries:
Boye, Gollwitz, Techan, Hinze son of Techan, Jakub Tesseke, * Mikołaj Slavus, Markward Wend, Martin Knese, Jan Buk
* "1326 - Nicolaus Slavus hat 2 Hufen in Niendorf, 1329 - Markward Went hat 1 Hufe in Vorwerk"
Some other examples of Slavs with Non-Slavic names but nicknames indicating their Slavicness:
- Gerd Wend from Wismar (who bought a plot of urban land in Wismar in 1294)
- Heinrich Slavus (who bought a house in the city of Rostock in the 1290s)
Etc., etc.
Examples of Slavic people and Germanized people of Slavic descent from 16th to 17th centuries from Usedom:
Mileszko de Usedom, Wentzek (Węcek) de Usedom, Chim Radwan, Jakob Tesch, Martin Radesz, Joachim Tesch, Jacob Suhr, Jochim Loyse, Hans Krulle, Boldiahn (Bielan), Loyße (Liszka), Peter Rumick, Hans Rääs, Siritz Koos, Peter Wyß, Kores Wüs, Sverin Resch, Martin Rääs (surnames from Slavic verb "rezać", to cut), Jacob Such (Żuk), Marten Wys (Wysz), Jacom Laban (Luboń, Hans Knesem (Knęzik), Marten Suck (Żuk), Petter Bugislaff, Michael Koos, Jacom May, Martin Janik, Michel Binik, Gottfried Wilik, Michael Masch (Masz - short for Tomasz), Peter Radz, Jochom Menik, Jacob Golas, Hans Golas, Michael Barnhey (Bortaj) and Hindrik Barnhey (Bortaj).
17th and 18th century marriages from Benz, Usedom, reveal a lot of surnames of Slavic origin, for example:
Tönies Puntzke + Maria Schmied (1646), Jochim Wend + Ilse Labehn and Michel Pansche + Engel Timmecke (1651), Thies Kucke + Engel Labehn (1653) and Peter Krull + Barbe Wilcken (1680), Michel Wend + Trina (1671), Jacob Kreßmer + Sophia Knust (1676), Tiesa Kercke + Emmerentz Fincke (1683) and Michel Janße + Ilse Stromberg (1703). Zabel Kutze + Maria Schmed (1681), Jacob Utesse + Ilse Kusenow (1686), Niclas Stancke + Marentz Rese (1699), Jochena Jancke + Maria Riemer (1702).
Note that, in the Holy Roman Empire's context:
1) Slavic given (first) name means that a person's parents most probably still spoke Slavic or at least were aware of their Slavic ancestry and traditions;
2) Slavic surname (surnames became common in eastern HRE late, only in the Early Modern Era) means that family still spoke Slavic when it was given
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According to Danish documents from 1231, the island of Fehmarn had at that time 16 exclusively Slavic and several more mixed Slavic-Germanic settlements.
Many Slavs started collaborating with conquerors and remained in charge after the conuest of the island of Ruegen.
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Princes of Ruegen in period 1170 - 1303 surrounded themselves by mostly Slavic courtiers, officials/clerks and advisors:
Witomir, Stanek, Popiel, Cieszymir, Dobiesław, Unimysł, Bornuta, Dobrosław, Striżebor, Tęgomir, Tomasz Sulistrzyc, Radosław, Stoisław, Gościsław, Marcin, Jaczo, Przybor, Cieszek, Jarosław, Mikołaj, Dobromir
These are names of some of the most important (except for the ruling dynasty itself) people in Ruegen in period 1170 - 1303.
But that changed in times of Prince Wislaw III (1304 - 1325), who was a real Germanophile:
Prince Wislaw III: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitslav_III,_Prince_of_Rügen
In 1304 German language replaced Latin as the official written language of Fürstentum Rügen.
Soon Wislaw III decided to De-Slavicize and Germanize his entire court, replacing local ruling class by German foreigners.
The reason he did that was because - despite being of Slavic descent (at least in his paternal lineage) - Prince Wislaw III was utterly Germanized. As a kid he was educated in western Germany, he was literate and could speak and write fluently in German. He probably felt very weird when surrounded by Slavic-speakers.
Wislaw III undoubtedly had a German identity and was also a patriot of the HRE as a whole, rather than just of his own Principality.
On the other hand his father - Wislaw II - undoubtedly had a Slavic identity, which is demonstrated by his last will, in which he demanded that Slavic taxpayers of villages Michaelstorp and Bretwisch (Pikut, Senchepil, Thesemaro and Slawetke) after his death should keep their privileges that he had granted them.
Examples of Slavic given names and nicknames/surnames of the nobility of the Principality of Ruegen from the 13th - 16th centuries:
Chocian, Nikolaus son of Jerosław de Kalant, Unisław, Guslavus Oblitz, Bispravus, Sleomarus, Domaslaus, Geomarus, Guslavus de Barth, Mateus Moltike, Johanus Cule, Paulus son of Bartusz, Thezemarus, Nazemarus, Bartold Soneke, Heinrich Unka, Volradus Dargatz, Raven known as Boe, Hinricus Dars, Nicolaus and Tetze de Putbuske, Jareko de Ghudzekow, Pritbor de Lanka, Pritbur de Vilmnitz, Boranta de Vilmnytz, Darghemer de Jasmunt, Dubslavus Smantevitz, Jan and Sulisław Nacewitz, Pribislaw Nacewitz, Dubbeslaf Smantewitze, Sulleslavus Sunnevytze, Dubbermar, Sulleslaw von Schele, Prybe von Schele, Gamba, Sum vel Tzum.
For example in year 1496 we have Stoislaus de Kaland living in Ruegen. A clearly Slavic given name (Stoisław).
And a noble lady from Ruegen - Cezyslava (Cieszka), owner of Gustekow.
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Then we have also many written sources from that time which testify to continued use of Slavic language, for examples
- Laskaris Kananos (1438-1439): wrote that Slavic language was still widely spoken in the regiom of Slavonia, the main city of which was Luebeck;
- Jan Długosz (1455-1480): wrote about the Slavic-speaking character of regions of Bukow (Bukkow), Dobin, Mikelburg, Lunemburg, Aldemburg, Raceburg (Raczesburg), Sigeburg, Plunen, Iłow, Zwerin, Malechow, Rostek, Kuczyn, Werlem, and other regions (spelling of names after Długosz);
- Nicolaus Marschalk Thurius (1521): wrote that inhabitants of Jabelhaide were at that time still Slavic by language and culture;
- Marcin Kromer (1565): wrote that German counties located along the Baltic coast, including Lueneburgian counties and those in the Margraviate of Brandenburg, were still largely inhabited by Slovaks [i.e. Slavs], who spoke "the same language as Poles, but mixed with German language";
- Dawid Frank in "Alt und neues Meklemburg", published in Güstrow-Leipzig in 1753, wrote that people in the regions of Sternberg and Grabow until that time (year 1753) preserved their Slavic culture, but not their Slavic language - which had already ceased to be spoken in that region by then.
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Then for example we have information about Slavic-speaking inhabitants of the region of Drawehn-Wendland, west of the Elbe River, who preserved their Slavic language until the end of the 18th century (some knowledge of speech of their ancestors survived in the region even later - also during the 1800s).
In the past (especially until the end of WW2 but also after the war - as a defensive reaction to the trauma of post-war expulsions) German historiography claimed that Germanization of areas between the Elbe River and the Oder River (and beyond) was rapid and total. But deeper analysis of available evidence shows that the process was gradual, lasted for centuries, almost to modern times. Actually, the process has not yet ended because there are still a few Sorbian speakers in Germany today. Old German historiography rejected the Slavic heritage of Germans as it attempted to draw a thick line separating Germans from their eastern neighbours.
This tendency to neglect Slavic history can still be seen today to some extent.
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There was serious discrimination of Slavs in Medieval Gemany. That discrimination at the beginning was not that strong, but was increasing in time, with new restrictions prohibiting Slavic-speakers from many activities - which surely contributed to Germanization. Among frequent restrictions were:
- prohibiting trade with Slavic-speakers
- banning the usage of Slavic language in cities & towns
- rejecting Slavic-speakers from joining guilds of craftsmen*
- forcing Slavs from suburbs and Slavic districts of cities to perform slave-labour
- expelling Slavs from their homes or entire settlements, without any compensation
This last thing (frequent expulsions) applied also to Jews in Medieval & Early Modern Holy Roman Empire.
*To join a guild of artisans one needed to gain a "good birth" certificate; clerks refused to give such certificates to Slavs. Being born to Slavic parents was, according to those clerks, not a "good birth" - just like for example being born from a prostitute or being born as a bastard child, etc.
In many cities Slavic-speakers had their own associations and guilds, but later those were being banned - especially in the Margraviate of Brandenburg.
In 1490 the court in Luebeck refused a German woman her right to inheritance, just because she was born to mixed parents (her father was Slavic).
In the 18th century counsellors in Hamburg demanded from new citizens of the city a confirmation that "they are not Goths or Wends".
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About legal discrimintion aimed at eliminating Slavic-speakers from urban life in Medieval and Early modern Germany wrote:
W. Schich, "Zum Ausschluss der Wenden aus den Zünften nord- und ostdeutscher Städte im späten Mittelalter",
in: Nationale, etnische Minderheiten und regionale Identitäten in Mittelalter und Neuzeit, Toruń 1994.