Saxons
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
, known as Sasi ( sr-cyr, Саси), migrated to
medieval Serbia
Serbia in the Middle Ages refers to the medieval period in the history of Serbia. The period begins in the 6th century with the Slavic migrations to Southeastern Europe, and lasts until the Ottoman conquest of Serbian lands in the second half ...
in the mid-13th century from Hungary. Serbia's mines were developed by the community.
The earliest mention of Saxons in Serbia is from 1253–54, which shows them as an established community. These Saxons, or ''Sasi'', had settled the
Kingdom of Serbia
The Kingdom of Serbia ( sr-cyr, Краљевина Србија, Kraljevina Srbija) was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Princi ...
during the reign of
Stefan Uroš I
Stefan Uroš I ( sr-cyr, Стефан Урош I; 1223 – May 1, 1277), known as Uroš the Great (Урош Велики) was the King of Serbia from 1243 to 1276, succeeding his brother Stefan Vladislav. He was one of the most important rulers ...
(r. 1243–1276), from the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
. Under Stefan Uroš I, Serbia became a significant power in the Balkans, partly due to economic development through opening of mines. The mines were developed by the Sasi, who were experienced in the extracting of ore. Their settlements, located by the mines, had privileged status – they lived under their own laws and were allowed to adhere to Catholicism and build their churches.
Mines included
Brskovo
Brskovo ( cnr, Брсково) is a village in northern Montenegro, within the Municipality of Mojkovac which used to have silver mines and a mint. Brskovo encompasses the whole complex of smaller localities, today overgrown with dense wood and we ...
,
Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo ( sr-Cyrl, Ново Брдо), or Novobërda and Artana ( sq-definite, Novobërdë or ''Artanë''), is a municipality located in the Pristina district of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, it has a population of 6,729 inhabitants. Th ...
, and others.
Legacy
The villages of
Šašare and
Sase, Srebrenica
Sase ( sr-cyr, Сасе) is a village in the municipality of Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina.Official results from the book: Ethnic composition of Bosnia-Herzegovina population, by municipalities and settlements, 1991. census, Zavod za statistik ...
, and the
Saška reka was named after the community.
Also, the settlement of Šaškovac near the town of
Pristina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
in
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
is named after the
Saxons
The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic
*
*
*
*
peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
. Mines as well as
Novo Brdo
Novo Brdo ( sr-Cyrl, Ново Брдо), or Novobërda and Artana ( sq-definite, Novobërdë or ''Artanë''), is a municipality located in the Pristina district of Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, it has a population of 6,729 inhabitants. Th ...
were located in the immediate vicinity.
See also
*
Vlachs in medieval Serbia In medieval Serbia a social group known as "Vlachs" ( sr, / ) existed. While the term Vlachs had more meaning, primarily denote the inhabitants of Aromanian origin and also dependent shepherds in the medieval Serbian state.
Background Romance el ...
References
Sources
*{{citation , last=Fine , first=John Van Antwerp , authorlink=John Van Antwerp Fine Jr. , title = The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest , publisher =
University of Michigan Press
The University of Michigan Press is part of Michigan Publishing at the University of Michigan Library. It publishes 170 new titles each year in the humanities and social sciences. Titles from the press have earned numerous awards, including L ...
, place =Ann Arbor , year = 1994 , isbn = 978-0-472-08260-5 , url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Hh0Bu8C66TsC
*Takács, Miklós. "Sächsische Bergleute im mittelalterlichen Serbien und die" sächsische Kirche" von Novo Brdo." Südost Forschungen 50 (1991): 31-60.
*Katančević, Andreja. "Da li su Sasi imali privilegije u mešovitim sporovima u srednjovekovnoj Srbiji?." Anali Pravnog fakulteta u Beogradu-Časopis za pravne i društvene nauke 63.2 (2016).
Communities in medieval Serbia
Duchy of Saxony
Economy of Serbia in the Middle Ages
Mining in Serbia