Charenza

Charenza, also Karentia or Karenz, later also Gharense, was a medieval burgh on the island of Rügen. It was the administrative center of the Rani tribe and of the Principality of Rugia. Today, the remnants are called Venzer Burgwall.

The remnants of Charenza near Venz

Name

The name either derives from a olden name, Chareta, or from the Rani term for root, Koreta. In its original form, the name was Korenitza.

Temples

Charenza was not only the administrative center of the Rani tribe, but also a religious center with temples of Rugievit, Porevit and Porenut. The main religious center of the Rani however was Arkona on Wittow.

Danish conquest

In 1168, King Valdemar I of Denmark and his archbishop Absalon sacked Arkona. Charenza surrendered a few days later after negotiations with the Rugian princes Tezlaw and Jaromar I. The temples were destroyed and the population was baptised. In 1180, the administrative center of the Principality of Rugia was shifted to Rugard (today Bergen auf Rügen, just a few kilometers to the Southeast).

Records

1234 document granting Lübeck law to Stralsund, signed in Charenza

In the 12th century, records of Charenza were made by Saxo Grammaticus and Helmold von Bosau.

The last records are from the early 13th century. When the Danish king raised money to build 12 churches on Rügen, one of them was the „capelle nostre in Charenz“, which in 1232 was granted the village of Gagern as a fief. In 1234, when the Rugian prince Wizlaw I granted Lübeck law to Stralsund, the document was signed in Charenza. The last record mentioning Charenza was of 1237. In the 14th century, "Gharense" was mentioned to belong to the Gingst parish.

Coordinates

Older research located Charenza at Garz (54°18′51″N 13°20′50″E / 54.31417°N 13.34722°E / 54.31417; 13.34722 (Garz)), while newer studies locate Charenza near Venz (Trent community, 54°30′7″N 13°19′0″E / 54.50194°N 13.316667°E / 54.50194; 13.316667 (Venz)), the supposed site of Gharense, which also fits the hints given in the Gesta Danorum of Saxo Grammaticus for Charenza's location.

Sources

• Kratzke, Reimann, Ruchhöft: Garz und Rugendahl auf Rügen im Mittelalter. In: Baltische Studien 2004 – Pommersche Jahrbücher für Landesgeschichte. Neue Folge Bd. 90, Verlag Ludwig, Kiel 2005, S. 25–52, ISBN 3-937719-02-4
• Sven Wichert: Beobachtungen zu Karentia auf Rügen im Mittelalter. In: Baltische Studien 2005 – Pommersche Jahrbücher für Landesgeschichte. Neue Folge Bd. 91, Verlag Ludwig, Kiel 2006, S. 31–38, ISBN 3-937719-35-0

External links

• Garzer Burgwall