The Vikings conquer northern Germany

In the 8th century, wild seafarers set out from Scandinavia for foreign lands:the Norsemen or Vikings, famous and feared. They spread fear and terror throughout Europe when their sails appeared on the horizon. With their fast, seaworthy boats they reached Russia, England, France and even America. They also left their mark in northern Germany.

The Vikings were feared warriors. They often raided trading posts, stole valuable goods and then disappeared again. This is what happened to young Hamburg in 845. Vikings appeared on the Elbe, plundered and burned the city. Bishop Ansgar had to flee. He went to Bremen and took over the diocese there. As the seat of the Bishop of Hamburg, Bremen experienced a significant revaluation. Ansgar's successors promoted and expanded the city.

Haithabu - The city of the Vikings

But the most important settlement of that time was around 770 on the Schlei:Haithabu, the city of the Vikings (from heiðr =heath and býr =farm). The place, once the largest trading center in Northern Europe, is still easily recognizable to this day. The former Viking settlement has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since summer 2018.

Haithabu was connected to the Baltic Sea by the Schlei, and along the Danewerk, the Treene and the North Sea were also easy to reach. In its heyday, Haithabu was a city that could compete with Cologne at the time:an area of ​​24 hectares was secured with the semicircular wall in the 10th century. Even the harbor was protected against attacks from the sea.

At least 1,000 inhabitants lived here, and there were also the city's guests, mainly traders from abroad. The port, in the border region between the Danish and Frankish kingdoms, was also frequented by Frisian and Slavic traders. The wooden houses with the side supports corresponded to the construction that the Vikings from Scandinavia were used to. But again and again they skillfully adapted to new living conditions and seized the opportunities that arose. Not only were they feared warriors and conquerors, they were also successful as craftsmen and merchants.

Famous Blacksmithing

This is how Haithabu became a bustling gateway to the world of the Middle Ages. The amulet casters made Germanic Thor's hammers as well as Christian crosses - they found buyers for everything, as did other craftsmen and traders. The smiths among the Vikings were famous throughout the North and Baltic Seas. They forged dreaded weapons with the simple means of that time. A Viking sword was one of the most valuable things you could own back then. The best pieces were decorated with silver on the pommel and crossguard - and sometimes the blade was even decorated with higher orders.

The Normans and Varangians among the Vikings

Archaeologists found a ship in the mud of the port of Haithabu, which has since been reassembled from its individual parts. The reconstruction highlights its unusual length:more than 30 meters. It was probably the ship of a Viking prince. With such longships the people from the north reached all the coasts of the old world. In northern France they founded the Duchy of Normandy, from where they conquered parts of England and Sicily as Normans. They - called Varangians - reached the Black Sea via the rivers of Russia:They became co-founders of the Russian Empire. And they erected monuments:rune stones on which the heroes of their sea voyages are immortalized in the Old Norse language.

Schleswig inherits Haithabu

In 1066, the history of Haithabu ended in catastrophe. Enemy Vikings had already attacked and pillaged the city several times - the trading center became less and less important, because trade needs peace and security. Now Haithabu was again burned down by attackers. The settlement had to be completely abandoned.

Another settlement, only three kilometers away, took over Haithabu's legacy:Schleswig.

The Vikings disappeared as a people from history. But they live on in their descendants:in Iceland and Greenland, on the Shetland Islands, in Russia, Scandinavia and also in Schleswig-Holstein.