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Chronicon Terrae Prussiae (Chronicle of the Prussian Land)/Book 4 · Tercia pars: De bellis fratrum domus Theutonice contra Pruthenos
Chapter 22ChrP.4.22

De subjectione Warmiensium Nattangorwn et Barthorum, et edificacion.

The Submission of the Prussian Peoples

Weakened by divine ordinance, the Prussians of Warmia, Nattangia, and Bartha submit to the Teutonic brothers, giving hostages and embracing the faith.

Of many forts. The Prussians of Warmia, Nattangia, and Bartha — weakened by God's ordinance through the brothers and the said duke — could no longer resist, so they made a virtue of necessity. Having given hostages, they submitted themselves to the faith and to the authority of the brothers.

Fortifying the Conquered Lands

The brothers build Kreuzberg and other forts in Bartha, Warmia, and Galindia to guard against future rebellion and secure their hold on the land.

To guard against future dangers and remove any cause for relapse, the brothers built Kreuzberg — three forts in the land of Bartha: Barthenstein, Wisenburgk, and Besel. Some say that in the land of Warmia they built Brunsbergk and Helisbergk, and in the land of Galindia a certain city, over successive times, for their own defense — stationing more brothers and men-at-arms in them.

Nobles, Settlers, and the Growth of Worship

German nobles and their households build forts and settle the land, and the faithful multiply as divine worship spreads to the glory of Christ.

Many other forts had been built by nobles and vassals who came from the regions of Germany with their entire household, family, and kin, to support the said land — whose names God alone knows. From then on, the crowd of the faithful in the land of Prussia began to spread, and divine worship grew, to the praise and glory of Jesus Christ.

Read the original Latin

plurium castrorum. Prutheni ergo de Warmia, Nattangia et Bartha dei ordinacione per fratres et dictum ducem debilitati, cum non possent amplius resistere, fecerunt de necessitate virtutem, et datis obsidibus se fidei et fratrum imperio subdiderunt. Ut ergo fratres futura pericula precaverent, et recidivandi materiam tollerent Crucebergk, in terra Barthensi tria castra Barthenstein, Wisenburgkb et Besel. Quidam dicunt, quod in terra Warmie Brunsbergk et Helisbergkc et in terra Galindie civitatem quandam successivis temporibus construxerunt, pro defensione ipsorum plures fratres in eis et armigeros collocantes. Plura alia castra edificaverant nobiles et feodatarii, qui de partibus Alemanie cum omni domo et familia et cognacione venerunt in subsidium dicte terre, quorum deus nomina solusd novit. Extunc cepit turba fidelium in terra Prussie dilatari, cultus divinus augeri ad landein et gloriam Jesu Cristi.

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