Sambians

Infobox Ethnic group
group = Sambians
population = Extinct in 17th-18th century


image_caption= Sambians and other Prussian clans during the 13th century
region1 = Sambia, East Prussia (now Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia)
languages = Old Prussian, later also German
religions = Prussian mythology (Paganism)
related-c = Other Prussians and Balts

The Sambians were one of the Prussian clans. They inhabited the peninsula of Sambia, north of the city of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad). Sambians were located in a coastal territory rich in amber and engaged in trade early on (see Amber Road). Therefore, they established contacts with foreign nations before any other Prussians. However, as all other Prussians they were conquered by the Teutonic Knights, and exposed to assimilation and Germanization, became extinct sometime in the 17th century.

Engaged in amber trade, Sambia was the richest and most densily populated region of Prussia. It provides a wealth of artifacts from the Bronze Age, including imported goods from the Roman Empire. Sambians, unlike other Prussians, did not cremate their dead. They built earth barrows above graves and surrounded them with stone circles. [cite book| first=Marija |last=Gimbutas |author link=Marija Gimbutas |title=The Balts |year=1963 |publisher=Thames and Hudson |location=London |id=LCC|63018018 | pages=112] The name of the clan was first mentioned in 1073 by Adam of Bremen, who calls them "most humane people". Warfare with Danes continued from the mid-9th century to beginning of the 13th century. It is known that there was Wiskiauten, a viking settlement in Sambia, that flourished for about 300 years. Swedes maintained more peaceful relationship and fostered trade.cite encyclopedia | editor=Simas Sužiedėlis | encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Lituanica | title=Semba | year=1970-1978 | publisher=Juozas Kapočius | volume=V | location=Boston, Massachusetts | id=LCC | 74-114275 | pages=107-108]

The 13th century saw the rise of another enemy - the Teutonic Knights, a crusading military order from Germany. Its goal was to conquer all pagans and convert them to Christianity. The conquest of Sambia was delayed by the First Prussian Uprising that broke out in 1242. The uprising technically ended in 1249 by signing the Treaty of Christburg, but skirmishes lasted for four more years. Only in 1254-1255 the Knights could arrange a large campaign against Sambians. King Ottokar II of Bohemia participated in the expedition and as a tribute the Knighs named the newly founded castle Königsberg in his honor. The Sambians rose against the Teutons during the Great Prussian Uprising (1260-1274), but were the first ones to surrender. When other clans tried to resurrect the uprising in 1276 Theodoric, vogt of Sambia, convinced the Sambians not to join the insurrection; Natangians and Warmians followed Sambian lead and the uprising was crushed within a year. [cite book| first=William |last=Urban |title=The Prussian Crusade |publisher=Lithuanian Research and Studies Center |location=Chicago, Illinois |year=2000 |edition=2nd |pages=344-345 |isbn=0-929700-28-7] Sambia became one of four Prussian dioceses, the other three dioceses being Pomesania, Warmia and Chelmno Land as arranged by the papal legate William of Modena. At the end of the 13th century, Sambians numbered only about 22,000. [Gimbutas, Marija. "The Balts", 173.] They gave in to Germanization later than western tribes that were conquered earlier.

According to Peter von Dusburg, Sambia was subdivided in 15 territorial units. Their German names (from east to west) are: Germau, Medenau, Rinau, Pobeten, Wargen, Rudau, Laptau, Quedenau, Schaaken, Waldau, Caimen, Tapiau, Labiau, Laukischken, and Wehlau.

References