The Milceni or Milzeni ( cs, Milčané; german: Milzener; pl, Milczanie) were a West Slavic tribe, who settled in the present-day

Upper Lusatia Upper Lusatia (german: Oberlausitz ; hsb, Hornja Łužica ; dsb, Górna Łužyca; szl, Gōrnŏ Łużyca; pl, Łużyce Górne or ''Milsko''; cz, Horní Lužice) is a historical region in Germany and Poland. Along with Lower Lusatia to t ...

region. They were first mentioned in the middle of the 9th century AD by the

Bavarian Geographer The epithet "Bavarian Geographer" ( la, Geographus Bavarus) is the conventional name for the anonymous author of a short Latin medieval text containing a list of the tribes in Central- Eastern Europe, headed (). The name "Bavarian Geographer" wa ...

, who wrote of 30 ''

civitates In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilities () on the ...

'' which possibly had fortifications. They were gradually conquered by Germans during the 10th century. Modern descendants of the Milceni are the

Sorbs Sorbs ( hsb, Serbja, dsb, Serby, german: Sorben; also known as Lusatians, Lusatian Serbs and Wends) are a indigenous West Slavic ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the parts of Lusatia located in the German states of Saxony and Brandenb ...

of the

Free State of Saxony Free may refer to: Concept * Freedom, having the ability to do something, without having to obey anyone/anything * Freethought, a position that beliefs should be formed only on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism * Emancipate, to procu ...

, Germany.Institut für Sorabistik.
About Sorbian Language
". Accessed November 8, 2006.

History

The Milceni travelled to Upper Lusatia in the 7th century during the Migration Period.''Bautzen.de''
History
. Accessed November 8, 2006. The exact borders of their settlement area are disputed. It is generally accepted that their fielded land had fruitful loess soil and had dimensions of approximately 50 km from east to west and 20 km from north to south. The northern border was in swampy and partially infertile terrain, while the southern border formed part of the

Lausitzer Bergland The Lusatian Highlands''Upper Lusatia''
at www.silvaportal.info. Accessed on 10 July 20 ...

. The hills of

Burkau Burkau ( German) or Porchow ( Sorbian) is a municipality in the east of Saxony, in the district of Bautzen in Germany. Geography Burkau is in the northern part of the Bautzen district in a wood rich region in Upper Lusatia. It is about 6&nbs ...

near

Kamenz Kamenz () or Kamjenc ( Sorbian) is a town (''Große Kreisstadt'') in the district of Bautzen in Saxony, Germany. Until 2008 it was the administrative seat of Kamenz District. The town is known as the birthplace of the philosopher and poet Gott ...

formed a natural boundary for the Milceni in the west, while their territory bordered that of the Besunzane in the east. The boundaries of the tribe have also been given as the Pulsnitz River in the west and the

Kwisa The Kwisa (german: Queis, hsb, Hwizdź) is a river in south-western Poland, a left tributary of the Bóbr, which itself is a left tributary of the Oder river. It rises in the Izera Mountains, part of the Western Sudetes range, where it runs a ...

River in the east. The Ortenburg castle of

Bautzen Bautzen () or Budyšin () is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and the administrative centre of the district of Bautzen. It is located on the Spree river. In 2018 the town's population was 39,087. Until 1868, its German name was ''Bu ...

is built around fortifications originally constructed by the Milceni.

Charles the Younger, son of Charlemagne Charles the Younger or Charles of Ingelheim (c. 772 – 4 December 811) was a member of the Carolingian dynasty, the second son of Charlemagne and the first by his second wife, Hildegard of Swabia and brother of Louis the Pious and Pepin Carloma ...

, defeated the Milceni and burnt their fortress in 806.''WendishHeritage.org''.
History - Background and Context
". Accessed November 8, 2006. Henry the Fowler, King of the Germans, defeated the Slavic tribe in 932 and demanded conversion to Christianity, although this was only partially successful. Emperor

Otto I Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the oldest son of He ...

defeated the Lusatians in 963 and placed them under the rule of Margrave Gero. The Milceni were finally subjugated by Margrave

Ekkehard I Ekkehard I ( la, Eccehardus; died 14 January 973), called ''Major'' or ''Senex'' (the Elder), was a monk of the Abbey of Saint Gall. He was of noble birth, of the Jonschwyl family in Toggenburg, and was educated in the monastery of St. Gall; afte ...

of Meissen ca. 990 and had their territory incorporated into the Holy Roman Empire. The Milceni were then gradually

Germanized Germanisation, or Germanization, is the spread of the German language, people and culture. It was a central idea of German conservative thought in the 19th and the 20th centuries, when conservatism and ethnic nationalism went hand in hand. In ling ...

or merged with the Lusatians of Lower Lusatia into the Sorbian ethnic group. During the 10th–12th centuries, the region of Bautzen was known in written sources (e.g. Thietmar of Merseburg) as '' Gau Milsca''. Temporarily conquered by the Polish king

Bolesław I the Brave Bolesław I the Brave ; cs, Boleslav Chrabrý; la, Boleslaus I rex Poloniae (17 June 1025), less often known as Bolesław the Great, was Duke of Poland from 992 to 1025, and the first King of Poland in 1025. He was also Duke of Bohemia betwe ...

, the Milceni lands returned under German rule by 1031. In Polish, Upper Lusatia was known as ''Milsko'' until the 15th century. The Milceni were still mentioned in the 12th century '' Song of Roland'' ("the second of big-headed men from Misnes– along the vertebrae all down their backs these men have tufted bristles, just like hogs"). Robert Harrison. ''The Song of Roland''. Signet Classic, September 3, 2002. Enfeoffed to Duke

Vratislaus II of Bohemia Vratislaus II (or Wratislaus II) ( cs, Vratislav II.) (c. 1032 – 14 January 1092), the son of Bretislaus I and Judith of Schweinfurt, was the first King of Bohemia as of 15 June 1085, his royal title granted as a lifetime honorific from Holy ...

in 1076, their estates later became known as ''Land Budissin'' and Upper Lusatia.

References

External links

Die Milzener e.V.
{{Slavic ethnic groups (VII-XII century) West Slavic tribes History of Saxony Sorbs Upper Lusatia

History

See also

References

External links