Szillis-Kappelhoff, B. Prußen - die ersten Preußen

History and culture of a vanished people. For many centuries the Prussians, who belonged to the Baltic language family, bravely and tenaciously defended their settlement area between the Vistula and the Minge, i.e. what later became West and East Prussia. As early as the beginning of the 11th century, the Prussians had to defend themselves against steadily increasing encroachments by the Poles, who were seeking a connection to the Baltic Sea. When, at the beginning of the 13th century, they moved from pure defence to retaliatory attacks against the northern Polish Mazovian territory, the Polish Duke Konrad of Mazovia called on the Teutonic Order for help. In the course of the 13th century, the knights of the Teutonic Order succeeded in defeating the Prussians in a particularly brutal war of conquest and eventually Christianised them. But it took centuries more for the language and culture of the Pruzes to be lost through oppression, missionisation and assimilation.
This book sets out to trace the sunken culture of the once fierce and proud people of the Prussians.

Table of contents

Foreword /
Geographical situation /
The Prussians /
Proper name, misspellings and pronunciation /
Occupations by the Teutonic Order /
Special role of the Memel area /
Subjugation /
Freedom struggles /
Situation of the rural population /
Fishing /
Wilderness /
Forest beekeeping /
Domestic life /
Applied extermination /
Writing of the Prussians /
Language, linguistic monuments, names /
Music /

The twelve Pruissan tribes /
The saga of Bruteno and Widewuto and Bruteno's successors /
Barta (Barten) /
Chelmo (Kulmerland) with Lubawa (Michelau Land) /
Lubawa (Löbau, Michelau Land) /
Galindo (Galindia) /
Nadruwa (Nadrauen) /
Notanga (Natangen) /
Pagude (Pogesania) /
Pamede (Pomesania) /
Same (Samland) /
Sasna (Sassen) /
Skalwa (Schalauen) /
Suduwa (Sudauen/ Jatwingen) /
Warm (Ermland) /

Religion of the Prussians /

The Religion of Nature /
Goddesses, snakes and toads /
Gods, horses and billy goats /
Romowe /
Birth and baptism /
Commitment /
Wedding /
Death celebration /
Christianity /

.The Prussians and their neighbouring environment /

The Cures /
Language monuments /
The Karshovians /
The Zemaites and the Lithuanians /
The Kashubs, Masovians, Kujavians and Poles /

Prussians today /
Some place and water names /
Königsberg districts /
List of Baltic gods, goddesses and deities /
Time table /
Literature /
Weblinks /
Author