14th-century wall painting depiciting Gero in the church he founded at Gernrode.

Gero I (c. 900 – 20 May 965), called the Great (Latin magnus),^[1] ruled an initially modest march centred on Merseburg, which he expanded into a vast territory named after him: the marca Geronis. Events By place Asia Laguna Copperplate Inscription, Kavi script inscribed in Luzon, Philippines, Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held 965 was a year in the 10th century. Events By Place Europe The Khazar fortress of Sarkel falls Mark from the Old English mearc and march (or various plural forms of these words derived from the Frankish word marka ("boundary" Merseburg is a Town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx The Marca Geronis ("march of Gero" was a vast super-march in the middle of the tenth century ^[2] During the mid-10th century, he was the leader of the Saxon Drang nach Osten. The mediæval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian Stem duchy " covering the greater part of Northern Germany. "Drang nach Osten" is also a game in the " Europa " wargame series

Succession and early conflicts

Gero was the son of Count Thietmar, tutor of Henry I. Thietmar (I (also Thiatmar, Dietmar, or Thiommar; died 1 June 932) Count and Margrave was the military tutor ( vir disciplinae He was appointed by King Otto I to succeed his brother, Siegfried, as count and margrave in the district fronting the Wends on the lower Saale in 937. Otto I the Great ( 23 November 912 &ndash 7 May 973) son of Henry I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke Siegfried (died 3 December 937) was the Count and Margrave of Merseburg from an unknown date before 934 until his death Margrave (marchio is the English and French form (recorded since 1551 of the German Title Markgraf (from Mark " The Saale, also known as the Saxon Saale (Sächsische Saale and Thuringian Saale (Thüringische Saale is a River in Germany and a left-bank His appointment frustrated Thankmar, the king's half-brother and Siegfried's cousin, and together with Eberhard of Franconia and Wichmann the Elder, he revolted against the king (938). Thankmar or Tammo (c908 &ndash 28 July 938) was the eldest (and only son of Henry I of Germany by his first wife Hatheburg (or Liutgard Eberhard III (c885-939 was a member of the Conradine dynasty who became duke of Franconia following the death of his older brother King Conrad I (or Wichmann I the Elder (also spelled Wigmann or Wichman; died 23 April 944) was a member of the Saxon House of Billung. ^[3] Thankmar was dead within a year and his accomplices came to terms with Otto. Gero was kept in his march.

During the insurrection of his opponents, Gero had been prosecuting a losing war against the Slavs in 937–938. The losses his troops sustained could not be made up for by the produce of the land nor by tribute, since the Slavs refused to pay. As an important marcher lord, Gero's command included milites ad manum Geronis presidis conscripti, that is, a "military following," "warband of vassals or companions," or "specially chosen group of fighters" differentiated from the rest of the army (exercitus). ^[4] These men formed the elite of Gero's troops.

Slav campaigns

In 939, an Obodrite attack left a German army routed and its margravial leader dead. The Obotrites (Abodriten also commonly known as the Obodrites, Abotrites, or Abodrites, were a confederation of medieval West Slavic tribes Gero in revenge invited thirty Slav chieftains to a banquet whereat he killed all but one, who managed to escape by accident. ^[5] In response, the Stodorani revolted against German overlordship and chased the Germans across the Elbe, but Gero was able to reverse this before Otto's arrival in Magdeburg later in the year. The Hevelli or Hevellians (sometimes Havolane; Heveller or Stodoranen; Hawelanie or Stodoranie; Havolané or Stodorané) were a Magdeburg ( Low Saxon: Meideborg ˈmaˑɪdebɔɐx the Capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany He subsequently bribed Tugumir, a baptised Slav prince, to betray his countryman and make his people subject to Germany. Soon after, the Obodrites and the Wilzes made submission. The Veleti (Wieleten Wieleci or Wilzi(ans (also Wiltzes; German Wilzen) were a group of medieval West Slavic tribes within the territory ^[6]

In 954, while Gero was away, the Ukrani (or Ucri) revolted, but Gero returned with Conrad the Red and pacified them. Conrad the Red (Konrad der Rote c 922 &ndash 10 August 955) was a Duke of Lorraine from the Salian dynasty. ^[7]

In 955, some Saxon counts rebelled and were banished by Duke Herman. Hermann Billung (900 or 912 &ndash 27 March 973) was a Margrave of Saxony and one of the most well-known members of the House of Billung They found refuge in Swetlastrana, a Slav town, location unknown, where the Obodrite chiefs Nakon and Stoinegin (or Stojgnev) resided. Nako, Nakon, Nakko, or Nacco (954 &ndash c 966 was an Obotrite leader who along with his brother Stoignew, led the forces of a There Herman besieged them until an agreement was reached, but an ensuing skirmish spoiled the peace. The Obodrites, Wilzes, Chrepienyani, Redarii, and Dolenzi then banded together to oppose the coming army of Gero, the king, and Liudolf, Duke of Swabia. The Veleti (Wieleten Wieleci or Wilzi(ans (also Wiltzes; German Wilzen) were a group of medieval West Slavic tribes within the territory Liudolf (930&ndash 6 September 957) was the Duke of Swabia from 950 until 954 After negotiations failed because the Germans harsh terms, the Slavs were defeated in battle on the Drosa. Drosa is a municipality in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. ^[8]

Gero participated in general Saxon campaigns against the Slavs in 957, 959, and 960, as well as campaigning against the Wends and forcing Mieszko I of the Polans to pay tribute, grant land lien, and recognise German sovereignty during Otto's absence in Italy (962–963). Life In 965 Mieszko married Dobrawa (Dobrava Dubrawka daughter of Boleslav I, Duke of Bohemia. ^[9] Lusatia, according to Widukind, was subjected "to the last degree of servitude. Widukind of Corvey was a Saxon historical chronicler named after (and possibly a descendant of the Saxon duke and national hero Widukind who had battled Charlemagne "^[10] Gero was responsible for subjecting the Liutizi and Milzini (or Milciani) and extending German suzerainty over the whole territory between the Elbe and the Bober. The Veleti (Wieleten Wieleci or Wilzi(ans (also Wiltzes; German Wilzen) were a group of medieval West Slavic tribes within the territory The Milceni or Milzeni (Milčané Milzener Milczanie were a West Slavic Tribe in Upper Lusatia. The Elbe ( die Elbe Low German: de Ilv) is one of the major Rivers of Central Europe. Bóbr (Bobr Bober) is a River which runs through the north of the Czech Republic and the southwest of Poland, a tributary of the Oder River ^[11] In these lands, the native Slavic populace was reduced to serfdom and "tribute-paying peoples" were converted into "census-paying peasants. "^[12]

Relationship with Church and family

Gero founded a monastery dedicated to St Cyriacus at Frose, though it was later converted into a convent. Saint Cyriacus or Saint Cyriac is a Christian Martyr who was killed in the persecution of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Frose is a municipality in the district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. ^[13] Gero had a close relationship to Otto I. Otto was godfather to Gero's eldest son, Siegfried, and he granted Siegfried the villae of Egeln and Westeregeln in the Schwabengau in 941. Egeln is a town in the Salzlandkreis district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Westeregeln is a municipality in the district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. ^[14]

Amongst other acts of devotion, Gero made a pilgrimage to Rome in 959 after Siegfried's untimely death. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 ^[15] In Siegfried's name, he also founded the Romanesque nunnery of Geronisrode (Gernrode), in a forest named after him, in 960 and left a large part of his great wealth to it on his death. Regional characteristics of Romanesque architecture|Romanesque art Romanesque architecture is the term that is used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which Gernrode is a town in Germany, in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt. ^[16] His second son, Gero II, had already died at that point. The name of Gero's wife has to be hypothesised from libri memoriales: it was either Judith (Iudita) or Thietsuuind (Thietswind).

Death and division of territory

The marca Geronis (hatched) corresponds to the southern 3/4 of the Saxon marches: Nordmark, Lausitz, Merseburg, Meissen, and Zeitz.

At his death, Gero's march extended as far as the Neisse river. Neisse redirects here for other meanings see Neisse (disambiguation The Lusatian Neisse (Lužická Nisa Lausitzer Neiße Nysa Łużycka He was not popular with the Saxon nobility of his day, because he had a strong sense of moral rectitude and was of low birth. ^[17] Nonetheless, he became celebrated in the Nibelungenlied as the marcgrâve Gêre, though have disputed whether he was ever officially accorded that title. The Nibelungenlied, translated as The Song of the Nibelungs, is an epic poem in Middle High German. ^[18] Gero's tomb can still be see in Gernrode today. A decorative painting was added to it c. 1350. It depicts Gero standing over a vanquished Wend. ^[19]

After his death, the huge territory he had conquered was divided by the Emperor Otto into several different marches: the Northern March (under Dietrich of Haldensleben), the Eastern March (under Odo I), the March of Meissen (under Wigbert), the March of Merseburg (under Günther) and the March of Zeitz (under Wigger I). The Northern March or North March (Nordmark was created out of the division of the vast Marca Geronis in 965 Dietrich or Theodoric of Haldensleben (also Theoderic'' died 985 was the first Margrave of the Nordmark from 965 until his deposition in 983 The Saxon Eastern March or Ostmark (Sächsische Ostmark was a march of the Holy Roman Empire from the 10th until the 12th century Odo I or Hodo I (also Huodo or Huoto; died 13 March 993) was the Margrave of the Saxon Ostmark from 965 until The March or Margraviate of Meissen (Mark(grafschaft Meißen was a mediæval principality a march, of the Holy Roman Empire in the area of the modern The Marca Geronis ("march of Gero" was a vast super-march in the middle of the tenth century Gunther (Günther died 13 July 982) was the Margrave of Merseburg from 965 until his death upon which the march of Merseburg was united to that of The March of Zeitz (Mark Zeitz was a frontier county of the Holy Roman Empire, created through the division of the Marca Geronis in 965 when Wigger I (died 981 was the father of a line of counts ruling from his new castle of Bilstein, west of Albungen (today part of Eschwege) to the Werra Later the Northern March was subdivided into the marches of Landsberg, Lusatia, and Brandenburg. The Margraviate of Landsberg (Mark Landsberg was a march of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from the 12th to the 14th century. The March of Lusatia (Mark Lausitz was a conquered territory of the Ljutizi and Milzini between Germany and Poland in the 10th and 11th centuries The Margraviate of Brandenburg (Markgrafschaft Brandenburg was a major Principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806

The division of Gero's "super-march" probably had something to do with its immense size and the political consideration of trying to please many without making enemies. ^[20] The subdivisions into which it was divided, however, were natural. As early as 963, Lusatia — and even upper and lower Lusatia — and the Ostmark were distinguishable as governable provinces within Gero's march. ^[21]

Sources

The primary chronicle sources for Gero's life are those of Widukind of Corvey and Thietmar of Merseburg, on which most of the work in the secondary sources is based. Widukind of Corvey was a Saxon historical chronicler named after (and possibly a descendant of the Saxon duke and national hero Widukind who had battled Charlemagne Thietmar ( Dietmar or Dithmar) of Merseburg ( July 25, 975 - December 1, 1018) was Bishop of Merseburg

• Reuter, Timothy. Timothy Alan Reuter ( January 25 1947 – October 14 2002) grandson of the former mayor of Berlin Ernst Reuter, was a German- Germany in the Early Middle Ages 800–1056. New York: Longman, 1991.
• Thompson, James Westfall. James Westfall Thompson (1869&ndash1941 was an American historian specializing in the history of medieval and early modern Europe particularly of the Holy Roman Empire and Feudal Germany, Volume II. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co. , 1928.
• Bernhardt, John W. Itinerant Kingship and Royal Monasteries in Early Medieval Germany, c. 936–1075. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
• Leyser, Karl. "Ottonian Government." The English Historical Review, Vol. 96, No. 381. (Oct. , 1981), pp 721–753.
• Leyser, Karl. "Henry I and the Beginnings of the Saxon Empire." The English Historical Review, Vol. 83, No. 326. (Jan. , 1968), pp 1–32.
• Lang, Henry Joseph. "The Fall of the Monarchy of Mieszko II, Lambert." Speculum, Vol. 49, No. 4. (Oct. , 1974), pp 623–639.
• Dvornik, F. "The First Wave of the Drang Nach Osten." Cambridge Historical Journal, Vol. 7, No. 3. (1943), pp 129–145.
• Jakubowska, Bogna. "Salve Me Ex Ore Leonis." Artibus et Historiae, Vol. 12, No. 23. (1991), pp. 53–65.
• Howorth, H. H. "The Spread of the Slaves. Part III. The Northern Serbs or Sorabians and the Obodriti." The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, Vol. 9. (1880), pp 181–232.
• "Gero (Markgraf). " Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, by the Historischen Kommission of the Bayrischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Band 9, Seite 38. (retrieved 29 May 2007, 15:09 UTC)
• Genealogie Mittelalter: Mittelalterliche Genealogie im Deutschen Reich bis zum Ende der Staufer. "Die sächsischen Grafen 919-1024." Schölkopf Ruth.
• Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: Meissen.

Notes