Vitslav III (1265/8–1325), variously called Vislav, Vizlav, Wislaw, Wizlaw and Witslaw in English sources, was the last Slavic ruler of the

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

Principality of Rugia A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...

. He is often identified with the author of the

Minnesinger (; "love song") was a tradition of lyric- and song-writing in Germany and Austria that flourished in the Middle High German period. This period of medieval German literature began in the 12th century and continued into the 14th. People who wr ...

Vitslav of the

Jenaer Liederhandschrift The Jenaer Liederhandschrift (German, the "Jena song manuscript") is a 14th-century manuscript containing lyrics and melodies to songs in Middle High German. The majority of the lyrics belong to the genre of Spruchdichtung and, with 91 melodies, t ...

. He was the son and successor of Vitslav II, and as such one of the ''Wizlawids'' descended from

Kruto Kruto the Wende (or Cruto) (died 1093), son of Grin or Grinus, was a prince of Wagria.Joachim Herrmann, ''Die Slawen in Deutschland'' (Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1985), 366. James Westfall Thompson believed his family belonged to the Rani of Rugia. ...

Wagria WagriaArnold, Benjamin (1991). ''Princes and territories in medieval Germany'', Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York, p. 156. . (german: Wagrien, ''Waierland'' or ''Wagerland'') is the northeastern part of Holstein in the German state ...

. Born in either 1263 or 1268, he is attested in a document of 1283. At his father's death in 1302, Vitslav shared the throne of Rügen with his brother Sambor. There was rivalry between the two brothers, but Sambor died in 1304, and Wizlaw ruled alone until his death in 1325. Vitslav had two daughters, Euphemia and Agnes (wife of

Albert II, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst Albert II, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (died 17 July 1362) was a German prince of the House of Ascania and ruler of the principality of Anhalt-Zerbst. He was the third son of Albert I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, but the eldest child born to his second w ...

), and a son, Jaromar. But Jaromar died in May 1325, shortly before his father, and Vitslav faced the prospect of leaving no male heir. Rügen would have fallen to Vitslav's nephew, Wartislaw IV, but Wartislav died in 1326, causing the

Rügen war of succession Rügen (; la, Rugia, ) is Germany's largest island. It is located off the Pomeranian coast in the Baltic Sea and belongs to the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The "gateway" to Rügen island is the Hanseatic city of Stralsund, where ...

. The Minnesinger Vitslav was likely in fact Vitslav III. Fourteen songs and thirteen poems by this author have been preserved as an addition to the

(foll. 72vb - 80vb).

Literature

Friedrich Heinrich von der Hagen Friedrich Heinrich von der Hagen (19 February 1780 – 11 June 1856) was a German philologist, chiefly distinguished for his researches in Old German literature. He was born at Angermünde-Schmiedeberg in the Uckermark region of the Margraviate ...

: ''Minnesinger, Deutsche Liederdichter des 12., 13. und 14. Jahrhunderts I - IV.'' Leipzig 1838, Nachdruck Aalen 1963 (Wizlaws Texte: S. 78–85, Band I, Wizlaws Melodien: S. 808–817, Band IV) * C. G. Fabricius: ''Urkunden zur Geschichte des Fürstentums Rügen unter den eingeborenen Fürsten.'', Stettin 1851 * Ludwig Ettmüller: ''Des Fürsten von Rügen Wizlaws des Vierten Sprüche und Lieder in niederdeutscher Sprache.'' (Bibliothek der gesamten deutschen National-Literatur, 33. Band), Quedlinburg und Leipzig 1852, Neuausgabe durch Edition Rodopi, Amsterdam 1969 * Theodor Pyl: ''Lieder und Sprüche des Fürsten Wizlaw von Rügen.'' Greifswald 1872 * Franz Kuntze: ''Wizlaw III – Der letzte Fürst von Rügen.'' Halle a. S. 1893 * * Georg Holz, Franz Saran, Eduard Bernoulli (eds.): ''Die Jenaer Liederhandschrift.'' Teil I. Getreuer Abdruck des Textes, hg. von Georg Holz, Teil II. Übertragung, Rhythmik und Melodik, bearb. von Eduard Bernoulli und Franz Saran, Leipzig 1901, Nachdruck Hildesheim 1966 *

Erich Gülzow Erich Gülzow (29 March 1888 – 16 August 1954) was a German local historian, philologist and publisher. He wrote books on the history of Vorpommern and Rügen island. Through his publications on Ernst Moritz Arndt he became known beyond the bor ...

: ''Des Fürsten Wizlaw von Rügen Minnelieder und Sprüche.'' Greifswald 1922 * Ursula Scheil: ''Genealogie der Fürsten von Rügen (1164 - 1325).'' Greifswald 1945 * Wesley Thomas, Barbara Garvey Seagrave: ''The Songs Of The Minnesinger, Prince Wizlaw Of Rügen.'' Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina 1967 * Sabine Werg: ''Die Sprüche und Lieder Wizlavs von Rügen. Untersuchungen und kritische Ausgabe der Gedichte.'' Hamburg 1969 * Birgit Spitschuh: ''Wizlaw von Rügen: eine Monographie.'' Greifswald 1989 * Burghart Wachinger: ''Wizlav''. In: ''

Verfasserlexikon The Verfasserlexikon (full title: ''Die deutsche Literatur des Mittelalters. Verfasserlexikon'') is a Medieval German literature reference book. Currently in its second fully revised edition, it comprises various encyclopaedic articles and accou ...

'' 10/1999, S. 1292-1298 * Reinhard Bleck: ''Untersuchungen zur sogenannten Spruchdichtung und zur Sprache des Fürsten Wizlaw III. von Rügen.'' In: ''Göppinger Arbeiten zur Germanistik''. 681/2000, Kümmerle Verlag * Lothar Jahn: ''Nach der sehnenden Klage muss ich singen - Schlaglichter auf die Musik des Minnesängers Wizlaw:'' In: ''Karfunkel Musica''. 1/2005, Wald-Michelbach, S. 44–49 * Meinolf Schumacher: ''Schreib dies, Wizlav! Die Sprüche und Lieder von Wizlav, dem jungen.'' = ''Write this, Wizlav! The sayings and songs of Wizlav, the young.'' In: ''Mare Balticum.'' Volume 3: ''Wizlav von Rügen, Sämtliche Lieder und Sprüche.'' ooklet Ensemble Peregrina. SACD Tacet, Stuttgart 2020 * Horst Brunner, Dorothea Klein (eds.): ''Wizlav – Sangsprüche und Minnelieder.'' Reichert Verlag, Wiesbaden 2021

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vitslav III, Prince of Rugen Minnesingers People from Vorpommern-Rügen 1260s births 1325 deaths Danish nobility Polabian Slavs Princes of Rügen