The Prissani or Pyritzans () were a medieval tribe in Pomerania. They were first mentioned as "Prissani" with 70 civitas by the

Bavarian Geographer The epithet "Bavarian Geographer" () is the conventional name for the anonymous author of a short Latin medieval text containing a list of the tribes in Central and Eastern Europe, headed . The name "Bavarian Geographer" was first bestowed (in its ...

, ca. 845.Johannes Hoops, Herbert Jankuhn, Heinrich Beck, Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde Band 23, Walter de Gruyter, 2003, p.261, They are associated with the Pomeranians, and were based in the lower

Oder The Oder ( ; Czech and ) is a river in Central Europe. It is Poland's second-longest river and third-longest within its borders after the Vistula and its largest tributary the Warta. The Oder rises in the Czech Republic and flows through wes ...

region around the modern town of Pyrzyce (Pyritz).Jan M Piskorski, Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten, p.30, The mention in the Bavarian Geographer is the only written record referring to the tribe. In the late 10th century, the Polish dukes

Mieszko I Mieszko I (; – 25 May 992) was Duchy of Poland (966–1025), Duke of Poland from 960 until his death in 992 and the founder of the first unified History of Poland, Polish state, the Civitas Schinesghe. A member of the Piast dynasty, he was t ...

and Bolesław I Chrobry subdued parts of

Pomerania Pomerania ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The central and eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, West Pomeranian, Pomeranian Voivod ...

, but did not succeed to subdue the lower

region.Jan M Piskorski, Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten, p.31, In 1121/22, the Polish duke

Bolesław III Wrymouth Bolesław III Wrymouth (; 20 August 1086 – 28 October 1138), also known as Boleslaus the Wry-mouthed, was the duke of Lesser Poland, Silesia and Sandomierz between 1102 and 1107 and over the whole of Poland between 1107 and 1138. He was the onl ...

conquered the area along with the

Duchy of Pomerania The Duchy of Pomerania (; ; Latin: ''Ducatus Pomeraniae'') was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania (''Griffins''). The country existed in the Middle Ages between years 1121–11 ...

under Wartislaw I.Jan M Piskorski, Pommern im Wandel der Zeiten, p.36, The tribe was subsequently

Christianized Christianization (or Christianisation) is a term for the specific type of change that occurs when someone or something has been or is being converted to Christianity. Christianization has, for the most part, spread through missions by individu ...

, missionary Otto of Bamberg celebrated the first mass baptism in Pyrzyce. A separate tribal identity, if upheld so far, vanished when it was integrated in the

References

Lechites History of Pomerania West Slavic tribes {{europe-ethno-group-stub

See also

References