De donacione terre Prussie, Colmensis et Lubovie facta fratribus ordinis.
The Order's Renown Reaches Duke Conrad
The Teutonic Order's growing fame under Hermann of Salza reaches Duke Conrad, who feels divinely moved to invite the brothers for the defense of his land and people.
The Teutonic Order. Around this same time, the Order of the Teutonic House had grown enormously under Brother Hermann of Salza, its master — in the number of brothers, in wealth, in power, and in honor — so much so that the fragrance of its good reputation, spread far and wide, had at last reached the attention of the said duke. This thought remained in his heart, divinely inspired: that he wished to invite the said brothers for the defense of his land, the faith, and the faithful — since he could see that the brothers, soldiers of Christ established through his efforts, were not making headway in this cause.
Seeking Counsel and Papal Favor
Duke Conrad consults his bishops and nobles, who affirm the brothers' military reputation and favor with the pope and emperor, leading to formal negotiations with the Order.
Having therefore summoned his bishops and nobles, he opened his mind to them, asking that sound counsel be given to him on this matter. They agreed unanimously, adding by their own votes that they had learned from reliable report that the said brothers were valiant soldiers in arms and trained in battle from their youth, and furthermore that they were most pleasing and accepted before the lord pope, the emperor, and the princes of Germany — so that they confidently hoped that in the brothers' favor the lord pope would arrange a passage in aid of the said land. So he sent solemn messengers with his letters to the said Brother Hermann, the master; and when the master had explained the reason for the journey before him and his brothers, the same master — after much deliberation and various discussions held with his brothers concerning this arduous business — at last, at the suggestion of the lord pope and of Emperor Frederick… …and of the princes of Germany, who by their counsel and aid promised to assist him in this cause, he at last yielded to the prayers of the said duke.
Reconnaissance Amid Bloodshed
Brothers Conrad of Landisberg and a companion are sent to survey the land of Kolm, but upon arrival a Prussian raid forces them into battle, leaving them mortally wounded before they recover and complete their mission.
The said master therefore sent Brother Conrad of Landisberg and another brother of his order to the duke of Poland, to explore the land of Kolm and to see whether, by his will, the mission of the messengers had progressed. When they were arriving in Poland, while the duke was active in distant regions, an army of Prussians came and laid waste to the land of Poland with plundering and fire. The brothers mentioned earlier, having taken command of this army by order of Lady Agafia, the duchess, and having gathered a force of Poles around them, boldly attacked them in battle; but the Prussians, opposing them from the other side, mortally wounded the brothers as the Poles fled in the first engagement, and their commander, named Polo, after the battle ordered the brothers, left half-alive on the field, to be carried back and healed through the care of physicians.12 Once they had been healed, these brothers prudently carried out the mission entrusted to them.
The Donation of Kulm and Lubovia
Duke Conrad, with the full consent of his wife and sons, grants the land of Kulm and Lubovia in perpetuity to the Teutonic Order by sealed charter, dated around 1226 and witnessed by bishops, nobles, and clerics.
When this was heard, Lord Conrad, Duke of Poland, having undertaken mature deliberation, as was stated above, with the counsel, unanimous will, and express consent of his wife Agafia and his sons Boleslaw, Casimir, and Semovit, gave to the brothers of the Teutonic House, present and future, the land of Kulm and Lubovia, and any land they might in the future, with God's favor, conquer from the hands of the infidels, with every right and benefit with which he and his ancestors had possessed it, to be held in perpetuity, reserving to himself no right or ownership in it, but renouncing every claim or action, whether of jurisdiction or deed, that could belong to him, his wife, his sons, or his successors in those same lands.345 And so that this donation would be firm and perpetual, and could not be annulled by anyone in the future, he gave them letters strengthened with the protection of his seal.6 These things were enacted around the year of the Lord 1226, in the presence of witnesses who had subscribed, namely… …of Gunther of Masovia, Michael of Kuyavia, Christian of Prussia, bishops; of Gernuldig the provost, William the dean, of Pacoslaw the elder and Pacoslaw the younger, counts of Dirschau, John the chancellor, Gregory the vice-chancellor, and of many other religious and secular men of discretion.7
Read the original Latin
domus Theutonice. Hoc eodem tempore ordo domus Theutonice per fratrem Hermannum de Salcza, magistrum ejusdem, in multiplicacione fratrum, in diviciis, potencia et honore multum profecerat, ita quod odor bone fame ipsius longe lateque diffusus tandem ad noticiam dicti ducis pervenireta. Hoc resedit in corde ipsius divinitus inspiratum, quod dictos fratres vellet ad defensionem sue terre, fidei et fidelium invitare, ex quo videretb, quod fratres milites Cristi, per eum ad hoc instituti, non proficerent in hac causa. Convocatis ergo episcopis et nobilibus suis, aperuit eis sensum suum, petens superc hoc salubre consilium sibi dari. Qui consenserunt unanimiter votis suis, addentes, quod relacione veridica intellexissent, dictos fratres esse milites strenuos in armis et ab annis adolescencie sue in preliis exercitatos, insuper et apud dominum papam et imperatorem et principes Alemanie gratissimos et acceptos, sic quod sperarent indubitanter, quod in favorem ipsorum dominus papa faceretd passagium in subsidium dicte terre. Unde misit solempnes nuncios cum literis suis ad dictum fratrem Her mannum magistrum, qui dum causam itineris coram eo et fratribus suis exposuissente, idem magister post multa consilia variosque tractatus cum fratribus suis habitos superf hoc arduo negocio tandem per suggestionem domini pape et imperatoris Friderici n. et principum Alemanie, qui consilio et auxilio ei assistere promiserunt in hac causa, dicti ducis precibus acquievit. Misit itaque dictus magister fratrem Conradum de Landisbergk et quendam alium fratrem sui ordinis ad ipsum ducem Polonie, ut explorarent terram Colmensem et viderent, si des voluntate ipsius nunciorum legacio processisset.
Qui cum venirent Poloniam, duce in remotis agente, venit exercitus Pruthenorum et terram Polonie rapina et incendio devastavit. Quem exercitum dicti fratres de mandato domine Agafie uxoris ducis, assumpta sibi multitudine Polonorum, viriliter sunt agressi in bello, sed Prutheni ex adverso se opponentes, fugientibus Polonis in primo congressu, dictos fratres letaliter vulneraverunt, et capitaneum exercitus Polo dicta post conflictum fratres semivivos in campo relictos reduci mandavit et per curam medicorum sanari. Qui fratres dum sanati essent, legacionem sibi commissam prudenter peregerunt. Qua audita predictus dominus Conradus, dux Polonie, prehabita matura deliberacione, ut premissum est, de consilio, voluntate unanimi et consensu express© uxoris sue Agafie et filiorum suorum Boleslay", Kasimirib et Semovitic dedit dictis fratribus domus Theutonice presentibus et futuris terram Colmensem et Lubovie et terram, quam possent favente domino in posterum de manibus infidelium expugnare, cum omni jure et utilitate, quibus ipse et progenitores sui possederunt in perpetuum possidendam, nihil sibi juris aut proprietatis in ipsa reservans, sed renuncians omni actioni jurisd vel facti, que sibi aut uxori sue vel filiis sive successoribus posset competere in eisdem. Et ut hec donacio firma esset et perpetua nec ab aliquo in posterum possete infirmari, dedit eis literas sigilli sui munimine roboratasf. Acta sunt hec circa annum domini mccxxvi in presencia testium subscriptorum scilicet (12. 30) Guntheri Masoviensis, Michaelis Cuyavie, Cristiani Prussie episcoporum, Gernuldig prepositi, Wilhelmi decani, Pacoslay senioris et junioris comitum de Dirsovia, Joannis cancellarii, Gregorii vicecancellarii et aliorum plurium religiosorum et secularium virorum discretorum \
Notes
- 1 ↩dicti fratres: 'aforementioned brothers' refers to the Teutonic brothers; kept distinct from the Polish forces
- 2 ↩capitaneum exercitus Polo dicta: the phrase dicta post conflictum is awkward in the Latin; rendered as 'after the battle' following the most plausible intended sense
- 3 ↩express© / express: manuscript shows a damaged character; normalized reading 'express' taken as 'expressus' (clear/declared); rendered 'express consent'
- 4 ↩Boleslay", Kasimirib et Semovitic: truncated proper names in manuscript; rendered as Boleslaw, Casimir, and Semovit following standard forms
- 5 ↩infidelium: rendered 'infidels' in its historical medieval sense of those outside the Christian faith; the term carries the chronicle's perspective
- 6 ↩roboratasf: truncated in manuscript; rendered as 'strengthened' following the sense of roboratus
- 7 ↩witness list with truncated names and the opening number '(12.' and closing number '30)' indicating an original numbered list; rendered as a continuous witness list
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