Brandenburg

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

THE MARQVISHIP and Electorship of BRANDENBVRG. (Book Brandenburg) THe Marquiship of Brandenburg, which is represented in this Table, was heretofore inhabited by the Vardals, who spread themselves from the River Albis Eastward, through the Countries of Mechelburg, Brandenburg, Pomerania, Bohemia, and Polonia. It was so called from the Metropolis, which at first was called Brenneburg: as George Sabine saith:

Italiam quando digressus ab urbe petebam,A Duce quae Brenno condita nomen habet.Going to Italie, that Cittie I did leaveWhich from Duke Brennus doth her name receive.

Charles the Great did beseige them a long time, and Henry Auceps overthrew them neere Brenna, and put a Garrison in the Cittie, with a Colonie of Saxons. This Marquiship is 60 Germaine miles long. On the West it is boundered with Saxonie, Misnia, and the Megalope•sians Country; on the North it hath the Stetinians, Pomeranians, and Cassubians; and on the East it hath Polonia, and Silesia: and on the South Bohemia, Lusatia, and Moravia. The Countrie is very fruitefull, especially for corne: it hath also Vineyards, out of which they make great store of wine. Moreover this Country doth produce Corall, and many pretious stones. Moreover the Marquesse of Brandenburg is one of the Electors of the Empire, and is counted one of the richest, and most potent Princes of Germanie. Who besides his Marquiship, hath also many Citties, in the Countie of Lusatia and in Sil•sia. There was a divers and various succession of Princes, for the line of the Marquesses being extinct, Ludovicke Bavarus in the yeare 1119, gave this Principalitie to his sonne Ludovicke: the Bavarians in the yeare 1363, solde it to the Emperour Charles King of Bohemia: and so from Iohn the sonne of Charles, the Marquiship passed to the Princes of Moravia, Iudocus, and Procopius: Iudocus being much endebted did morgage it to William Marquesse of Misnia: at length in the yeare 1417, in the Councell at Constantia, King Sigismund gave it to Fredericke Burgrave of Noriburg. The whole Marquiship is divided into three parts, namely into the Old, the Middle, and the New. The Old Marquiship beginneth at the Desart or Forrest of Luneburg, and stretcheth even to the River Albis. It confineth also on the Dioecesses of Magdeburg, Halberstadt, and Megalopolis. The inhabitants hereof were formerly the Senonians and Suevians, and also the Angrivarians, and Teutons. In this tract there are seaven great Citties, namely Tangeramond neere the River Albis, and situated there where Angra or Tonagr• doth emptie it selfe into it; it was heretofore the seate of the Emperour Charles the fourth. Also Stendalium, which is the chiefe Cittie of this Marquiship. There is also Soltwedelum which is divided into two Citties, the Old and the New: also Gardelen with the Castell Eischnippia. Also Osterburg, Werbum, Senohousum, which was so called from the Senons. The lesser Townes are Arnburg situate by the River Albis, with a Castell adjoyning to it. Also Bis•marchum, Bostera, and Bucka, not farre from Albis; also Kalba, and Mestinga, which they call Letzolinga. And moreover here are 465 Villages. The middle Marquiship doth begin at another part of Albis, and doth reach to the Rivers Odera, and Su•vum commonly called Spre. It was formerly inhabited by the Su•vians. The Metropolis of this Marquiship is Brandenburg, which is a famous Cittie situated by the River Havila, which some thinke, was builded and named by Duke Brennus: some suppose that it was built by Brandon Prince of France, sonne to Marcomir, who about the yeare of Christ 140 did subdue this Countrie. Here was the Vandals Pantheon, whose gods were Zarneb•cke, and Swandewitz, besides others, as it is related in the Chronicles of Mersburg. Here the high Court is kept for all the Countrie. This Cittie hath many priviledges and immunities, which were heretofore granted by Emperours, Kings, and Princes: which appeareth by a statue which standeth in the New part of the Cittie, holding in his right hand a drawne sword, which they call Roland. The next to Brandenburg is Rathenavium seated by the River Su•vus: and also the two Townes Colonia and Berlinum, which are separated by the River Suevius. There is also Franckford a chiefe Cittie, very pleasantly seated by the River Viadrus (which they call Odera) which hath great store of fish: this River runneth on the Eastside; the other parts of the Citty are encompassed with pleasant hills, and choise Vineyards, out of which they make wine, which they carry downe the River unto Pomerania, Denmarke, Borussia, and other places. This Cittie was first built in the yeare 1253 by Gedine of Hertsperg, by the command of Iohn the first Marquesse of Brandenburg. It is a famous Mart Towne, and hath three Faires kept there every yeare. It hath an Academie for Arts, Languages, and Sciences, which was built in the yeare 1506, by Marquesse Ioachim, and endowed with revenewes. In which there have beene from the first institution thereof most excellent professors of Arts and Sciences, some of which Sebastian Munster reckoneth. There are also other Townes as Breitza, surnamed Fid•. also Belitza, Bernavium, Cellinum, Mittemwaldum, Monachobergum, Bisenthalum, Blumoberga, Botzavium: also Fryenwaldum and Oderebergum. Here Marquesse Albert the second built a Castell by the River, which commanded those that sayled by it to pay custome. There are also Frisachum, Gereswaldum, Grimmitzum, Grunchyda, Grunewaldum, and Koppenicum. Also the little Towne Lichenum, and Parstainumum with a Castell: also the little Towne Mulrosa; Bornavicum, and the little Towne Lossa, with a Castell, also the small Townes Wruzonum, and Selowium, and many other Townes and Villages. The new Marquiship is disjoyned from the middle Marquiship by the River Odera, where the River Warta doth discharge it selfe into Odera neere Costrinum. The chiefe Cittie in this Marquiship is Gostrinum, which was reedified by Marquesse Iohn the sonne of Ioachim the first, and well fortified, and chosen to be the Princes seate. There are other Citties as L•nsberg by the River Warta, also Regiomons, B•rnwaldum, and the little Towne Bers•cinum with a Castell, also Bernaw•cum and Berlinicum, or the Towne new Berlins Moreover there is the Cittie Arnswaldum, the little Towne Thamum, and Soldinum, which was heretofore the prime Cittie of this Marquiship. There is also the little Towne Purstenfeld: and Bramburg, Dri•senum, and the Cittie Falkeburg with a Castell, which is situated on the consines of Pomera•i•. Also Kartaw, Lepena, Morinum Schiffelbenum, Osemundum, Sco••flies: Woldenberg, Zedon, Zandocum. Some divide the whole Marquiship into seaven or eight Provinces, which are these, Alde Marck, or old Marchia; Meddel Marck, or the middle Marquiship, new Marck, or the new Marquiship, the Dukedomes of Vber Marck, Pregnitz, and Croffen; the Lordships of Sterneberg and Cotbus, and also a part of L•sat•a. There are also lesser Countries in these Provinces, as Rapin, and Vterrad•n, and Kustren, which are Marquiships. The whole Marquiship of Brandenburg, with the territories belonging thereunto doth containe 55 great Citties, 64 Townes, 16 little Townes, which they commonly call Marctflecken, 38 Castells, or noblemens houses, and 17 Monasteries. It is watered with the Rivers Odera; or Viadrus, Suevus, Albis, Havela, Warta, and others. Neere the Monasterie of Carthusians at Franckford, there is a little Rivulet, which riseth out of a hill of Vines, which as it hath beene proved, doth harden everything that is cast into it, and turnes it into a stone. And so much concerning the Marquiship of Brandenburg; it remaineth that wee speake something concerning Pomerania which is contayned in this Table. P•merania was called by the first inhabitants in the Vandall speech Pamortza, now it is a Dukedome which lyeth by the Balthick sea,* 1.1 and it is stretched in a long tract of ground, from the borders of Holsatia, to the consines of Livonia. The Countrie is every where very fruitfull,* 1.2 having pleasant Medowes, and greene pastures. It hath such abundance of Corne, Butter, Honey, Wax, Flax, Hempe, and other such like commodities, that the inhabitants make a great benefit of them by transporting them to other Countries. The inhabitants also doe gather up Amber by the Sea side, but in lesser quantitie than the Borussians. There are divers kindes of tame cattell,* 1.3 and heards of wilde beasts, which runne up and downe in the woods. This Countrie had always Lord, and inhabitants of its owne, which were never conquered, nor driven out of their Countrie. Heere are many faire Citties. The chiefe is Stetimum, by the river Viadrus, which was heretofore a long fisher Towne, seated on the bancke of the River, and after it had received the Christian faith, the Mart being translated thither it began to encrease, so that it is now the Metropolis of Pomerania. Gripswald•n is a famous towne, for learning and good Arts, there was an Vniversitie built there in the yeare 1546. Iulinum accounted heretofore the greatest towne in all Europe, was a Mart towne of the Vandalls. Stralsundia is a faire Towne on the shore of the Balthick sea, having heretofore a Duke thereof. Wineta is a very rich sea-faring Towne, but it was ruinated by Conradus King of Denmarke. There are also other Citties, as Neugardia, Lemburga, Stargardia, Bergradum, C•menez, Publina, Grifenburga: and by the shoare side there are Colberga, Caminum, Collinum, Sunda, Pucka, Revecol, Lovensburg, and Hechel. And so much briefely concerning Pomerania. Also Mecklenburg or the Dukedome of Magnopolis is contained in this Table. There are also in the same Table these Ecclesiastickes; the Bishop of Magdeburg Primate of Germanie, under whom are the Bishops of Brandenburg, in the Marquiship of Brandenburg, and the Bishop of Havelburg in Mecklenburg; also the Bishop of Swerinium under the Bishop of Bremes; in Pomerania there is the Bishop of Camin.