Yotvingia

Infobox Former Country
native_name = Jotvingiai
Jaćwingowie
conventional_long_name = Yotvingia
common_name = Yotvingia|
continent = Europe
country = Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, Russia
era = Middle Ages
status = |
year_start = 7th Century
year_end = 1442 |
p1 =
flag_p1 =
image_p1 =
s1 = Trakai Voivodeship
flag_s1 = Trakai district COA.gif
s2 = Podlachian Voivodeship (1513–1795)
image_s2 =
s3 = Monastic state of the Teutonic Knights
flag_s3 = Teuton flag.svg

Yotvingia ( _lt. Jotvingiai; _pl. Jaćwingowie, _be. Яцьвягі) was a region where the Baltic tribe known as Yotvingians lived. It was located in the area of Sudovia and Dainava; south west from the upper Neman, between Marijampolė, Merkinė (Lithuania), Slonim, Kobrin (Belarus), Białystok, and Ełk (Poland);

Today this area corresponds mostly to the Podlaskie Voivodeship of Poland, part of Lithuania and a part of Hrodna Province of Belarus.

History

The southern part of the Yotvingian lands, Sudovia and Galindia, were subdued by Kievan Rus' army lead by Vladimir I of Kiev in 983.

Netimeras, a ruler of the Yotvingians, was converted to Christianity by Bruno of Querfurt in 1009.

From the 13th century, Yotvingians began raiding adjacent areas of Masovia, Lublin and Volhynia, after Konrad I of Masovia and Daniel of Halych had invaded them.

In 1264, the Duke of Krakow, Boleslaw V the Chaste organized an expedition against Yotvingia. On 23 June 1264 the two armies met near Brańsk. The Battle of Brańsk lasted two days pitting the forces of Yotvingia, lead by Komata ("Kumata") against the well equiped Krakovian army. The Yotvingian forces were routed in a bloody battle and Komata was killed.

In the 1280s the Northern Yotvingians were partly conquered and dispersed by the Teutonic Knights; some Yotvingians then took refuge in the Duchy of Lithuania.

On 27 September 1442, the Treaty of Melno ended the Gollub War. The Treaty divided Yotvingia between the Teutonic Knights, the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

ee also

*Sudovian language
*Yotvingians

External Links

* [http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/mail-1.jpgMap showing "Jadzvings" (Yotvingians) on the eastern edge of Poland "at the time of the death of Boleslav the Wrymouthed 1138."]