Saxons in medieval Serbia
Saxons, known as Sasi (Serbian Cyrillic: Саси), migrated to medieval Serbia in the mid-13th century from Hungary. Serbia's mines were developed by the community.
The earliest mention of Saxons in Serbia is from 1253–54, which shows them as an established community.[1] These Saxons, or Sasi, had settled the Kingdom of Serbia during the reign of Stefan Uroš I (r. 1243–1276), from the Kingdom of Hungary.[1] Under Stefan Uroš I, Serbia became a significant power in the Balkans, partly due to economic development through opening of mines.[1] The mines were developed by the Sasi, who were experienced in the extracting of ore.[1] Their settlements, located by the mines, had privileged status – they lived under their own laws and were allowed to adhere to Catholicism and build their churches.[1]
Mines included Brskovo, Novo Brdo, and others.
Legacy[]
The villages of and Sase, Srebrenica, and the was named after the community.
See also[]
References[]
Sources[]
- Fine, John Van Antwerp (1994), The Late Medieval Balkans: A Critical Survey from the Late Twelfth Century to the Ottoman Conquest, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, ISBN 978-0-472-08260-5
- Takács, Miklós. "Sächsische Bergleute im mittelalterlichen Serbien und die" sächsische Kirche" von Novo Brdo." Südost Forschungen 50 (1991): 31-60.
- Katančević, Andreja. "Da li su Sasi imali privilegije u mešovitim sporovima u srednjovekovnoj Srbiji?." Anali Pravnog fakulteta u Beogradu-Časopis za pravne i društvene nauke 63.2 (2016).
- Communities in medieval Serbia
- Duchy of Saxony
- Economy of Serbia in the Middle Ages
- Mining in Serbia